Lawful intercept service

A method for monitoring a location of a wireless unit of interest across multiple wireless networks, comprising the steps of:

• providing a system operative to procure location information for a wireless unit of interest from any of multiple location information sources associated with any of multiple wireless networks;
• establishing an interface for communications between said system and an entity requesting location information for said wireless unit of interest, wherein said interface defines a standardized format for requesting and providing said location information;
• verifying authorization for said entity to obtain location information for said wireless unit of interest independent of location finding preferences of said wireless unit of interest;
• obtaining, from said system, location information for said wireless unit of interest when said wireless unit of interest is within any of multiple location zones covered by at least one of the multiple wireless networks, the obtaining being performed without said wireless unit of interest being notified of said location information being procured;
• analyzing the location information to monitor a location of the wireless unit over time;
• and
• providing said monitored location information to a recipient associated with said request,
• wherein said establishing step allows a requesting entity to define at least one trigger event for triggering the monitoring of the location of the wireless unit of interest, the trigger event including at least one of a schedule, said wireless unit one of sending and receiving wireless communications, and said wireless unit being identified relative to an area of interest, and
• wherein said establishing step further allows a requesting entity to define at least one said area of interest, when used as a trigger event, including at least one of an address, a point and radius, another wireless unit, and a geographic boundary.

A method for monitoring a location of a wireless unit of interest across multiple wireless networks, comprising the steps of:

• providing a system in communication with a first wireless carrier network having a first subscriber set and a second carrier network having a second subscriber set, wherein said system is operative to provide location information for subscribers of either of said carrier networks;
• receiving a location information inquiry for a wireless unit of interest, wherein said inquiry requests said location information be provided independent of any location-finding preferences of said wireless unit of interest;
• obtaining multiple instances of said location information from said system independent of said location-finding preferences when said wireless unit of interest is within any of multiple location zones covered by at least one of the first and second wireless carrier networks, the obtaining including overriding a privacy setting associated with said wireless unit of interest where necessary to obtain the location information;
• analyzing the multiple instances of location information to monitor a location of the wireless unit over time;
• and
• providing said monitored location information to a location associated with said request,
• wherein said step of providing a system further allows a requesting entity to define at least one trigger event for triggering the monitoring of the location of the wireless unit of interest, the trigger event including at least one of a schedule, said wireless unit one of sending and receiving wireless communications, and said wireless unit being identified relative to an area of interest, and
• wherein said step of providing a system further allows a requesting entity to define the at least one said area of interest, when used as a trigger event, including at least one of an address, a point and radius, another wireless unit, and a geographic boundary.

A method for monitoring a location of a wireless unit of interest across multiple wireless networks, comprising the steps of:

• providing a system in communication with a first wireless carrier network having a first subscriber set and a second carrier network having a second subscriber set, wherein said system is operative to provide location information for subscribers of either of said carrier networks;
• receiving a location information inquiry for a wireless unit of interest, wherein said inquiry requests said location information be provided independent of any location-finding preferences of said wireless unit of interest;
• obtaining multiple instances of said location information from said system independent of said location-finding preferences when said wireless unit of interest is within any of multiple location zones covered by at least one of the first and second wireless carrier networks, the obtaining being performed free of said wireless unit of interest being notified of said location information being procured;
• analyzing the multiple instances of location information to monitor a location of the wireless unit over time;
• and
• providing said monitored location information to a location associated with said request,
• wherein said step of providing a system further allows a requesting entity to define at least one trigger event for triggering the monitoring of the location of the wireless unit of interest, the trigger event including at least one of a schedule, said wireless unit one of sending and receiving wireless communications, and said wireless unit being identified relative to an area of interest, and
• wherein said step of providing a system further allows a requesting entity to define the at least one said area of interest, when used as a trigger event, including at least one of an address, a point and radius, another wireless unit, and a geographic boundary.

A method for monitoring a location of a wireless unit of interest across multiple wireless networks, comprising the steps of:

• accessing a system operative to provide location information for wireless units from any of multiple location information sources associated with any of multiple wireless networks;
• identifying a wireless unit of interest;
• analyzing the location information to monitor a location of the wireless unit of interest over time, the monitoring including overriding a privacy setting associated with said wireless unit of interest when necessary to obtain location information;
• providing a recipient requesting the location information with an interface for defining at least one trigger event the occurrence of which will result in the provisioning of location information for said wireless unit of interest when said wireless unit of interest is within any of multiple location zones covered by at least one of the multiple wireless networks, the trigger event including at least one of a schedule, said wireless unit sending or receiving wireless communications, and said wireless unit being identified relative to an area of interest, wherein said location information is provided independent of any location-finding preferences of said wireless unit of interest, and wherein the recipient is able to define the area of interest where used for a trigger event to include at least one of an address, a point and radius, another wireless unit, and a geographical boundary;
• and
• providing said monitored location information to the recipient upon the occurrence of said event.

A method for monitoring a location of a wireless unit of interest across multiple wireless networks, comprising the steps of:

• accessing a system operative to provide location information for wireless units from any of multiple location information sources associated with any of multiple wireless networks;
• identifying a wireless unit of interest;
• analyzing the location information to monitor a location of the wireless unit of interest over time, the monitoring being performed free of said wireless unit of interest being notified of said location information being procured;
• providing a recipient requesting the location information with an interface for defining at least one trigger event the occurrence of which will result in the provisioning of location information for said wireless unit of interest when said wireless unit of interest is within any of multiple location zones covered by at least one of the multiple wireless networks, the trigger event including at least one of a schedule, said wireless unit sending or receiving wireless communications, and said wireless unit being identified relative to an area of interest, wherein said location information is provided independent of any location-finding preferences of said wireless unit of interest, and wherein the recipient is able to define the area of interest where used for a trigger event to include at least one of an address, a point and radius, another wireless unit, and a geographical boundary;
• and
• providing said monitored location information to the recipient upon the occurrence of said event.