Method for Lawfully Intercepting Communication IP Packets Exchanged Between Terminals

Abstract

A method for lawfully intercepting communication IP packets exchanged between terminals is provided. The method involves assigning an IP address associated with a telecommunication service provider to, for example, a sending terminal for use as its IP address in communications with a receiving terminal, the telecommunication service provider providing SIP proxy services for establishing communication between the sending and receiving terminals. The communication IP packets are intercepted in such a way that the terminals are unaware of the interception.

1 .- 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A computer-implemented method for lawfully intercepting communication IP packets exchanged between a first terminal and a second terminal operatively connected to the Internet, the method comprising:
 a. a first equipment, operatively connected to a data network of a first communication service provider, transmitting data to the first terminal, the first terminal operatively in communication with the data network, the transmitted data useable to establish a communication tunnel in the data network usable by the first terminal;   b. receiving in the data network via the communication tunnel first communication session establishment messages from the first terminal, the first communication session establishment messages useable to establish a communication session between the first and second terminals, the first communications establishment messages using a first security communication protocol;   c. the first equipment or a second equipment operatively connected to the data network receiving at least some of the communication IP packets; and   d. intercepting the communication IP packets by an intercepting device operatively connected to the data network.   
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the first security communication protocol enables authentication of the first communications establishment messages. 
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the first security communication protocol enables replay protection of the first communications establishment messages. 
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the first security communication protocol enables encryption of the first communications establishment messages. 
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the first security communication protocol uses the Session Description Protocol Security for Media Streams. 
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the first security communication protocol uses the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. 
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the first security communication protocol comprises an IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) protocol. 
     
     
         41 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the first security communication protocol uses the IP Authentication Header protocol. 
     
     
         42 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the first security communication protocol uses the IP Encapsulation Security Payload protocol. 
     
     
         43 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the transmitted data is an IP address associated with the data network, the IP address designated to be incorporated into a field of the first communication establishment messages. 
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 43 , wherein the IP address is associated with the first equipment. 
     
     
         45 . A method according to  claim 44 , wherein the first equipment comprises one or more network interfaces, the IP address associated with the first equipment being an IP address of one of the one or more network interfaces. 
     
     
         46 . A method according to  claim 43 , wherein the first communication session establishment messages are first SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) messages and the field is an SDP (Session Description Protocol) connection field of the SIP messages. 
     
     
         47 . A method according to  claim 34 , further comprising:
 a. transmitting communication IP packets to the second terminal; and   b. the first equipment or the second equipment removing identifying information of the first terminal from the communication IP packets received from the first terminal before the communication IP packets are transmitted to the second terminal.   
     
     
         48 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the communication IP packets comprise RTP (Real Time Protocol) packets. 
     
     
         49 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the communication IP packets are intercepted by lawful intercepting equipment in the data network, the lawful intercepting equipment operatively connected to a law enforcement agency. 
     
     
         50 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the communication IP packets are intercepted in the data network when an identifier of a user of the first terminal is detected by the first equipment or the second equipment or third equipment in the data network. 
     
     
         51 . A method according to  claim 50 , wherein the identifier of the user of the first terminal is a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier). 
     
     
         52 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the communication IP packets are intercepted in the data network when an identifier of a user of the second terminal is detected by the first equipment or the second equipment or third equipment in the data network. 
     
     
         53 . A method according to  claim 52 , wherein the identifier of the user of the second terminal is a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier). 
     
     
         54 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the communication IP packets are intercepted in the data network when the first equipment or the second equipment or third equipment in the data network detect an identifier of a user of the first terminal, the identifier being a SIP URI (Session Initiation Protocol Uniform Resource Identifier). 
     
     
         55 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the communication IP packets are intercepted in the data network when an SIP URI (Session Initiation Protocol Uniform Resource Identifier) identifier of a user of the second terminal is detected by the first equipment or the second equipment or third equipment in the data network.