Lawful Interception Administration Function Event Subscription via NEF

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current 5G Lawful Interception (LI) standards do not adequately support the use of Network Exposure Function (NEF) for public safety purposes, such as reporting monitoring events to Law Enforcement Monitoring Facilities (LEMF), limiting the utilization of LI system information beyond its typical scope.

Innovation Solution

A method is introduced that allows the Lawful Interception Administration Function (LI ADMF) to subscribe to notification events from a Network Exposure Function (NEF), which translates and forwards these events to a Mediation and Delivery Function 2 (MDF2) device, enabling the conversion and transmission of event information via the Lawful Interception Handover Interface 2 (LI_HI2) to a Law Enforcement Monitoring Facility (LEMF).

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If existing LI architectures are used, then traditional LI functionality is maintained, but the capability to report monitoring events for public safety purposes from NEF to LEMF is missing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapability to report monitoring events for public safetyVSAvoidmonitoring events information not transmitted to LEMF

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extends the Lawful Interception system to serve multiple purposes: traditional LI functionality for law enforcement monitoring, and new public safety monitoring capabilities through NEF integration. The NEF is configured to subscribe to monitoring events and forward them to LEMF, making the LI infrastructure universally applicable to both traditional and public safety use cases.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The Network Exposure Function (NEF) acts as an intermediary component between the monitoring event sources and the Law Enforcement Monitoring Facility. The NEF subscribes to monitoring events, translates them into appropriate formats, and forwards them to LEMF, enabling information flow that was previously blocked in traditional LI architectures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If NEF is integrated with LI system, then public safety monitoring capability is enhanced, but system complexity increases due to additional interfaces and message translations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepublic safety monitoring capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity with additional interfaces

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The NEF is designed to handle multiple functions: it serves as a standard 5G network exposure function for public safety applications, while simultaneously acting as an event subscription and translation mechanism for the LI system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The NEF autonomously subscribes to monitoring events, performs message translation, and forwards events to LEMF without requiring manual configuration or additional intermediary components. The system configures itself to bridge the gap between monitoring events and LEMF integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If standard 5G SBA is used, then service flexibility is improved, but LI-specific event reporting to LEMF is not supported

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice flexibilityVSAvoidLI event reporting reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The solution leverages the universal service-based architecture of 5G SBA while adding LI-specific functionality. The NEF uses standard SBA interfaces for service flexibility, while simultaneously implementing LI event subscription and translation capabilities to ensure reliable event reporting to LEMF.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The NEF acts as an intermediary that translates between standard 5G SBA service interfaces and LI-specific event reporting requirements. This translation layer maintains service flexibility while ensuring reliable LI event reporting to LEMF.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20240381098A1Methods, devices and system for lawful interception by subscribing to a notification

Publication Date: 2024.11.14 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

A method performed by a Lawful Interception Administration Function device (102) is disclosed. The method comprises receiving from a Law Enforcement Agency (101), a first request message for subscribing to a notification of an event, wherein the event is a monitoring event or a Non-IP Data Delivery event; sending a second request message, to a Network Exposure Function, NEF, device (103) comprising an Intercept Related Information Point of Interception, IRI-POI, (104) to subscribe to the notification of the event by provisioning the IRI-POI in the NEF device; and receiving a subscribe response message from the NEF device confirming the subscription to the notification of the event. Further, the embodiments relate to the NEF device, the LI ADMF device, the Mediation and Delivery Function 2 device, their corresponding methods as well as computer programs, carriers of such computer programs and computer program products of such computer programs.