Providing SIP signaling data for third party surveillance

• US 9,667,664 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hearty, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Duc
• Application Number:
  US14/242,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20140341082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/00 Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00; network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorised activity G06F21/00
• 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: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A method for facilitating surveillance of a targeted user participating in communication sessions conducted over a communications network, such as a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network, that employs a session initiation protocol (SIP). The method includes receiving a subscription request from a third party subscriber, the subscription request identifying a targeted user to be monitored, monitoring communication sessions in which the targeted user is a participant, to detect SIP events corresponding to state transitions associated with the communication sessions. A system for facilitating surveillance of a targeted user includes an application programming interface (API) operable to receive a subscription request from a third party subscriber, the subscription request identifying the targeted user, wherein the third party subscriber is not a participant in the one or more communication sessions, and a SIP events monitoring module operable to detect one or more predetermined SIP events associated with the communication sessions based on the subscription request and notify the third party subscriber of the detected SIP events.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating surveillance of a targeted user associated with an initiation request received by a session initiation protocol (SIP) server requesting at least one communication session between the targeted user and one or more communicators, the method comprising:

receiving a surveillance subscription request from a third party subscriber identifying at least the targeted user to be monitored;

monitoring SIP events associated with the at least one communication session to detect occurrence of predetermined SIP events related thereto, wherein the predetermined SIP events correspond to state transitions associated with the communication sessions; and

notifying the third party subscriber of the detected SIP events;

wherein the monitoring and notifying are performed until an expiration date specified in either the subscription request or in a subscription response.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising notifying the third party subscriber that the subscription request has been accepted.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein monitoring comprises monitoring for designated types of SIP events, the designated types being selected from a group comprising a communication session setup attempt event, a communication session setup progress event, a communication session termination event, a communication session established event, a communication session attempt continuing event, and a communication session modification event.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein notifying comprises transferring a report to the third party subscriber, the report including one or more of a time stamp, an initiator identifier, a recipient identifier, a target user identifier, a communication session identifier, an event attribute, a replace element, a referred-by element, a state element, a duration element, and local and remote elements containing an identity element, a target element, and a session description element.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the notifying act comprises:

sending the third party subscriber SIP data comprising content contained in a SIP message body.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the communication session identifier comprises one or more data elements selected from a group consisting of:

a call-identifier from a SIP message associated with a communication session;

a local-tag from the SIP message;

a remote-tag from the SIP message;

a direction indicator, indicating whether the targeted user is the initiator of the communication session.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining whether the third party subscriber is authorized to monitor the targeted user.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising instantiating a third party agent operable to process SIP data on behalf of the third party subscriber.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein notifying comprises notifying the third party subscriber in real-time.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein notifying comprises collecting SIP data associated with a plurality of SIP events, grouping the SIP data, and transmitting the grouped SIP data to the third party subscriber.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the SIP data comprises SIP event data.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the SIP data comprises content contained in a SIP message body.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the third party subscriber is a law enforcement entity, and wherein the monitoring and notifying operations are performed in accordance with the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).

14. A method for facilitating surveillance of a targeted user associated with an initiation request received by a session initiation protocol (SIP) server requesting at least one communication session between the targeted user and one or more communicators, the method comprising:

providing, by the SIP server, an application programming interface (API) operable to receive a surveillance subscription request from a third party subscriber, the subscription request identifying at least the targeted user; and

detecting occurrence of one or more predetermined SIP events related to the at least one communication session;

notifying the third party subscriber of the one or more detected SIP events;

monitoring communication sessions of the targeted user for a duration specified in the subscription request; and

entering a plurality of states comprising a trying state, a proceeding state, an early state, a confirmed state, and a terminated state.

15. A system for facilitating surveillance of a targeted user associated with an initiation request received by a session initiation protocol (SIP) server requesting at least one communication session between the targeted user and one or more communicators, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory, operatively connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising;

receiving a surveillance subscription request from a third party subscriber identifying at least the targeted user to be monitored;

monitoring SIP events associated with the at least one communication session to detect occurrence of predetermined SIP events related thereto, wherein the predetermined SIP events correspond to state transitions associated with the communication sessions; and

notifying the third party subscriber of the detected SIP events;

wherein the monitoring and notifying are performed until an expiration date specified in either the subscription request or in a subscription response.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises notifying the third party subscriber that the subscription request has been accepted.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein monitoring comprises monitoring for designated types of SIP events, the designated types being selected from a group comprising a communication session setup attempt event, a communication session setup progress event, a communication session termination event, a communication session established event, a communication session attempt continuing event, and a communication session modification event.

18. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein notifying comprises transferring a report to the third party subscriber, the report including one or more of a time stamp, an initiator identifier, a recipient identifier, a target user identifier, a communication session identifier, an event attribute, a replace element, a referred-by element, a state element, a duration element, and local and remote elements containing an identity element, a target element, and a session description element.

19. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the notifying comprises:

sending the third party subscriber SIP data comprising content contained in a SIP message body.

20. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the communication session identifier comprises one or more data elements selected from a group consisting of:

a call-identifier from a SIP message associated with a communication session;

a local-tag from the SIP message;

a remote-tag from the SIP message;

a direction indicator, indicating whether the targeted user is the initiator of the communication session.

21. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises instantiating a third party agent operable to process SIP data on behalf of the third party subscriber.