Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at separate stations – Having measuring – testing – or monitoring of system or part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-20
2001-05-01
Trost, William G. (Department: 2681)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at separate stations
Having measuring, testing, or monitoring of system or part
C455S410000, C455S560000, C455S012100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226498
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and a configuration for monitoring a communications link in a mobile radio system, in particular in a satellite-based mobile radio system.
In terrestrial mobile radio systems, such as the GSM mobile radio system (Global System for Mobile Communications), methods and configurations are known, through the use of which it is possible to monitor and record information transmitted via communications links. Since the network structure is configured on a national basis, and the mobile radio networks are thus separated, every nation has legal rights so that, for example, a French subscriber may be monitored only in the French mobile radio system. However, it is not possible to use this method to distinguish between monitoring authorizations based on regions of a country.
In the future, when satellite-based mobile radio systems are built, such as IRIDIUM, as is known for instance from the article by J. Huber “Zukunftsmarkt satellitengestutzte Mobilkommunikation”, telcom report 17 (1994) [Future market for satellite-based mobile communication] Issue 5, pages 180 to 183, no direct guarantee of the legal rights of the individual nations will be possible either, since, for example, there will be only one satellite mobile switching center for all subscribers in Central Europe. This satellite mobile switching center will be used to switch the communications links of all those subscribers who are located in the area covered by one or more satellites, which are connected by radio to the satellite mobile switching center via an earth terminal controller, and/or to produce the interface to further terrestrial fixed networks or mobile radio networks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method and a configuration for monitoring communications links in a mobile radio system which overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known methods and configurations of this general type and which will ensure the legal rights of regions and nations to monitor communications links of subscribers of a mobile radio system or a satellite mobile radio system.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for monitoring communications links, the method including the steps of:
providing, in a mobile radio system, a mobile switching center connected to a further mobile switching center or a communications network;
assigning, with a radio network management device, radio resources to a communications link within a geographical subarea, the radio network management device being connected to a base station for transmitting and receiving information via the communications link to/from a mobile station of a mobile subscriber located in the geographical subarea;
storing a correspondence table, e.g. an MC-LAC table, in an interception unit of the mobile switching center, and assigning, in the correspondence table, a local area code of the geographical subarea to an authorization organization number of an authorization organization, the authorization organization being a regional, a national or an international authorization organization;
storing a supervision file in the interception unit, and entering, into the supervision file, an international mobile subscriber number for the mobile subscriber to be monitored by the authorization organization;
using the correspondence table for determining whether the authorization organization is authorized to monitor the communications link in the geographical subarea identified by the local area code, if an attempt to set up a connection from/to the mobile station of the mobile subscriber is made;
assigning the authorization organization number to the international mobile subscriber number in the supervision file when an authorization for monitoring exists; and
recording one of information transmitted from the mobile station and information received by the mobile station via the communications link.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, information recorded in the mobile switching center is switched and transmitted to the authorization organization identified by the authorization organization number when the communications link has been cleared.
In accordance with yet another mode of the invention, information from the mobile switching center is diverted to the authorization organization identified by the authorization organization number, and the information is recorded in a monitoring device in the authorization organization.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, parameters in the correspondence table and in the supervision file are initialized and administered by an interception control center connected to the mobile switching center.
In accordance with a further mode of the invention, the authorization for monitoring information on the communications link is determined when the mobile subscriber enters a further geographical subarea or periodically at given time intervals.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, at least one supervision report with subscriber-relevant and connection-relevant information for the international mobile subscriber number entered in the supervision file is stored in the interception unit.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, a supervision report is transmitted to the authorization organization and/or an interception control center. The supervision report is then stored in a storage device of the authorization organization and/or the interception control center.
In accordance with a further mode of the invention, the authorization for monitoring the communications link is determined for a most recently known local area code when no local area code can be assigned to the mobile subscriber.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, a satellite-based mobile radio system and a satellite mobile switching center is used. Radio signals are transmitted or received to/from a satellite via an earth terminal controller. The satellite supplies a geographical area with the radio resources.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, in the correspondence table, a plurality of local area codes of the geographical subarea are assigned to respective authorization organization numbers of the authorization organization. Given ones of the authorization organization numbers are assigned to the international mobile subscriber number in the supervision file when the authorization for monitoring exists.
With the objects of the invention in view there is also provided, a configuration for monitoring communications links in a mobile radio system, including:
a mobile switching center to be connected to a further mobile switching center or a communications network;
a radio network management device connected to the mobile switching center, the radio network management device assigning radio resources to a communications link within a geographical subarea;
a base station to be connected to a base station controller for transmitting and receiving information via the communications link to/from a mobile station of a mobile subscriber;
an interception unit associated with the mobile switching center;
the interception unit having a correspondence table storage for storing a correspondence table, the correspondence table assigning a local area code of the geographical subarea to an authorization organization number of an authorization organization;
the interception unit having a supervision file storage for storing a supervision file containing an international mobile subscriber number entered for the mobile subscriber to be monitored by the authorization organization; and
a monitoring device, connected to the mobile switching center, for recording one of information transmitted from the mobile station and information received by the mobile station via the communications link.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, an interception control center is connected to the mobile switching center and is a
Gabe Axel
Grohs Jürgen
Iberl Robert
Tschorn Hans-Jürgen
Greenberg Laurence A.
Lerner Herbert L.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Stemer Werner H.
Trost William G.
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