Method and apparatus for intercept of wireline communications

• US 20030108182A1
• Filed: 11/15/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SS8 Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ulysses Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Dikmen, Cemal Tamer
• Granted Patent: US 7,133,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres

Abstract

Method and apparatus for conducting surveillance in a SS7 Intelligent Network (IN) or Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) provides in the case of AIN that an Info Analyzed trigger is armed in an end office switch and notifies a delivery function when a call is processed. The delivery function instructs the end office switch to forward the call to the delivery function, where it is accessed for monitoring forwarded back to the end office switch. A similar method is used to process calls received by the SUS. In the case of IN, the identity of a line card assigned to a subscriber under surveillance (SUS) is changed to a number dedicated to surveillance subjects. Calls originated by the SUS are forwarded to a delivery function, which identifies the SUS based on the dedicated number of the calling party, intercepts call content, and forwards the call back to the end office switch with the called party id aid the original number and id of the SUS. The end office switch then completes the call. A similar method is used to process calls received by the SUS.

Claims

1. A method of intercepting calls for a subject under surveillance (SUS) in a Signaling System 7 (SS7) Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) compliant telephone system, comprising:

arming an AIN call processing trigger in an end-office switch for a SUS'"'"'s subscriber line;

the trigger causing a message to be sent to a delivery function unit upon the SUS originating a call to a called party, or upon the SUS receiving a call from a calling party, on the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line;

in response to the message, the delivery function unit instructing the switch to forward the call to the delivery function unit;

the delivery function unit forwarding the call back to the switch to be connected to the SUS or to the called party; and

obtaining the call content using the delivery function unit while the call is being forwarded through the delivery function unit.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the trigger is an InfoAnalyzed trigger armed to detect calls to the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the trigger is an InfoCollected trigger armed to detect calls originated by the subscriber.

4. A method according to claim 1 further wherein the delivery function unit sends the obtained call content to a remote location.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the remote location includes a collection function for collecting the call content.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein a call to a SUS'"'"'s subscriber line is connected to the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line using a call waiting feature of the switch.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein a call originated on a SUS'"'"'s subscriber line is originated using a three way calling feature of the switch.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein a call to a SUS'"'"'s subscriber line is forwarded by the switch using a call forward feature.

9. A delivery function apparatus for use with a telephone system compliant with the SS7 Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN), comprising a SS7 message processing unit receiving a SS7 AIN message indicating a call to a subscriber line for a suspect under surveillance (SUS) or a call originated on the subscriber line, the message processing unit further outputting an AIN message indicating that the call should be forwarded to a call receiving unit in the delivery function apparatus, the call receiving unit receiving a call forwarded in response to the output AIN message and outputting the call with an AIN message routing the call back to where it originated, and outputting call content to a collection function.

10. A method of intercepting calls for a subject under surveillance (SUS) in a Signaling System 7 (SS7) Intelligent Network (IN) compliant telephone system, wherein the SUS is provided an apparent telephone number that others use to call the subscriber, comprising:

in an end office switch, configuring the identity of the line card for the SUS to a surveillance telephone number assigned for surveillance purposes so that calls placed by the SUS identify the calling party by the surveillance telephone number;

configuring the routing table of the end office switch so that the calls placed by the SUS are forwarded to a delivery function unit, and so that calls placed to the SUS using the apparent telephone number are forwarded to the delivery function unit;

the delivery function unit receiving the forwarded calls, and identifying the SUS by the surveillance telephone number as the calling party or by the apparent telephone number as the called party;

the delivery function unit forwarding calls placed by the SUS back to the switch with the calling party identified with the SUS'"'"'s apparent telephone number and with the called party telephone number provided by the SUS so that the switch forwards the call to the called party, and forwarding calls placed to the SUS to switch with the surveillance telephone number as the called party telephone number and with the calling party telephone number the same as received from the switch so that the call is terminated in the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line; and

the delivery function unit further obtaining a copy of the call content for a call forwarded through the delivery function unit.

11. A method according to claim 10 further wherein the delivery function unit sends the obtained call content to a remote location according to one or more court orders pertinent to the SUS.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the remote location includes a collection function for collecting the call content.

13. A method according to claim 10 wherein a call to a SUS'"'"'s subscriber line is connected to the SUS'"'"'s subscriber line using a call waiting feature of the switch.

14. A method according to claim 10 wherein a call originated on a SUS'"'"'s subscriber line is originated using a three way calling feature of the switch.

15. A method according to claim 10 wherein a call to a SUS'"'"'s subscriber line is forwarded by the switch using a call forward feature.

16. A delivery function apparatus for use with a telephone system compliant with the SS7 Intelligent Network (IN), comprising a SS7 IN compatibloe call processing unit receiving a forwarded SS7 call wherein the identifying information for the forwarded call indicates that the call was placed by a calling party that is under surveillance and outputting the forwarded call with a different calling party telephone number that is the same as the telephone number provided to the suspect under surveillance, and receiving a forwarded SS7 call wherein the identifying information for the call indicatest that the called party is the SUS, and outputting the forwarded call with different called party telephone number which is the telephone number of the SUS'"'"'s line card, so that the forwarded call is connected to the, the call processing unit further outputting call content to a collection function.