Communications system for establishing PPP connections between IEEE 1394 terminals and IP networks

• US 20030131133A1
• Filed: 01/07/2003
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nyu, Takayuki, Ishimoto, Yuta
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks

Abstract

A packet repeater is connected between an IEEE-1394 host terminal and a PPP server. The host terminal transmits a PPP packet containing the physical address of an IEEE-1394 device. During a discovery stage of a PPP connection, the packet repeater receives a PPP packet from the terminal, copies the physical address contained in the packet to an entry of a management table, and successively receives packets from the server and copies the physical address of the server and a session identifier respectively contained in the packets to that entry of the table. During a session stage of the connection, the packet repeater receives a PPP packet either from the terminal or the server and determines the destination of the packet according to the physical address of one of the terminal and the server which is set in the table corresponding to a session identifier of the packet.

Claims

1. A packet repeater adapted for connection between an IEEE 1394 terminal and a PPP (point-to-point protocol) server, comprising:

a destination management table having an entry corresponding to said terminal; and

a controller operable during a discovery stage of a PPP connection for receiving a PPP packet from said terminal, copying a physical address of a device of said terminal contained in the packet to said entry of the destination management table, and successively receiving PPP packets from said server and copying a physical address of the server and a session identifier respectively contained in the packets to said entry of said table, said controller, operable during a session stage of said PPP connection,

receiving a PPP packet either from said terminal or said server and determining the destination of the packet according to the physical address of one of said terminal and said server which is set in said destination management table corresponding to a session identifier of the packet.

4. The packet repeater of claim 1 or 2, wherein said physical address of the device comprises a global unique identifier and a register address, and the physical address of the server is a MAC address.

5. The packet repeater of claim 1 or 2, wherein said PPP server is a PPPoE (point-to-point protocol over Ethernet) server.

2. A packet repeater adapted for connection between an IEEE 1394 terminal and a PPP (point-to-point protocol) server, comprising:

a node table having an entry corresponding to said terminal;

a destination management table having an entry corresponding to said terminal; and

a controller for detecting an IP address assigned to said terminal in a DHCP process, sending an ARP request packet destined to said IP address, receiving an ARP reply packet from the terminal containing logical and physical addresses of a device of the terminal, and copying the logical and physical addresses of the ARP reply packet to said entry of said node table,

said controller, operable during a discovery stage of a PPP connection, for receiving a PPP packet from said terminal, copying the logical and physical addresses of the node table corresponding to a logical address of the packet to said entry of said destination management table, successively receiving PPP packets from said server, copying a physical address of the server and a session identifier respectively contained in the packets to said entry of said destination management table,

said controller, operable during a session stage of said PPP connection, for receiving a PPP packet either from said terminal or said server and determining the destination of the packet according to the physical address of one of said terminal and said server which is set in said destination management table corresponding to a session identifier of the packet.

3. The packet repeater of claim 2, further comprising a DHCP server for performing said DHCP process in response to a DHCP discovery packet from said terminal and assigning said IP address to said terminal when a DHCP request packet is received from said terminal.

6. A method of establishing a PPP connection between an IEEE 1394 terminal and a PPP server by using a destination management table having an entry corresponding to said terminal, comprising the steps of:

a) during a discovery stage of a PPP connection, (a₁) receiving a PPP packet from said terminal and copying a physical address of a device of said terminal contained in the packet to said entry of the destination management table, and (a₂) successively receiving PPP packets from said server and copying a physical address of the server and a session identifier respectively contained in the packets to said entry of the destination management table; and

b) during a session stage of said PPP connection, receiving a PPP packet either from said terminal or said server and determining the destination of the packet according to the physical address of one of said terminal and said server which is set in said destination management table corresponding to a session identifier of the packet.

9. The method of claim 6 or 7, wherein said physical address of the device comprises a global unique identifier and a register address, and the physical address of the server is a MAC address.

10. The method of claim 6 or 7, wherein said PPP server is a PPPoE (point-to-point protocol over Ethernet) server.

7. A method of establishing a PPP connection between an IEEE 1394 terminal and a PPP (point-to-point protocol) server by using a node table having an entry corresponding to said terminal and a destination management table having an entry corresponding to said terminal, comprising the steps of:

a) detecting an IP address assigned to said terminal in a DHCP process;

b) sending an ARP request packet destined to said IP address;

c) receiving an ARP reply packet from the terminal and copying logical and physical addresses of a device of the terminal contained in the ARP reply packet to said entry of said node table,

d) during a discovery stage of a PPP connection, (d₁) receiving a PPP packet from said terminal and copying the logical and physical addresses of the node table corresponding to a logical address of the packet to said entry of said destination management table, and (d₂) receiving PPP packets in succession from said server and copying a physical address of the server and a session identifier respectively contained in the packets to said entry of the destination management table; and

e) during a session stage of said PPP connection, receiving a PPP packet either from said terminal or said server and determining a destination site of the packet according to the physical address of one of said terminal and said server which is set in said destination management table corresponding to a session identifier of the packet.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

performing said DHCP process in response to a DHCP discovery packet from said terminal; and

assigning said IP address to said terminal when a DHCP request packet is received from said terminal.

11. A communications network comprising:

an IEEE 1394 terminal;

a PPP (point-to-point protocol) server; and

a packet repeater connected between said IEEE 1394 terminal and said PPP server, the packet repeater comprising;

a destination management table having an entry corresponding to said terminal; and

a controller, operable during a discovery stage of a PPP connection, for receiving a PPP packet from said terminal, copying a physical address of a device of said terminal contained in the packet to said entry of the destination management table, and successively receiving PPP packets from said server and copying a physical address of the server and a session identifier respectively contained in the packets to said entry of the destination management table,

said controller, operable during a session stage of said PPP connection, receiving a PPP packet either from said terminal or said server for determining the destination of the packet according to the physical address of one of said terminal and said server which is set in said destination management table corresponding to a session identifier of the packet.

14. The communications network of claim 11 or 12, wherein said physical address of the device comprises a global unique identifier and a register address, and the physical address of the server is a MAC address.

15. The communications network of claim 11 or 12, wherein said PPP server is a PPPoE (point-to-point protocol over Ethernet) server.

12. A communications network comprising:

an IEEE 1394 terminal;

a PPP (point-to-point protocol) server; and

a packet repeater connected between said terminal and said server, the packet repeater comprising;

a node table having an entry corresponding to said terminal;

a destination management table having an entry corresponding to said terminal; and

a controller for detecting an IP address assigned by a DHCP process to said terminal, sending an ARP request packet destined to said IP address, receiving an ARP reply packet from the terminal containing logical and physical addresses of a device of the terminal, and copying the logical and physical addresses of the ARP reply packet to said entry of said node table,

said controller, operable during a discovery stage of a PPP connection, for receiving a PPP packet from said terminal, copying the logical and physical addresses of the node table corresponding to a logical address of the packet to said entry of said destination management table, successively receiving PPP packets from said server and copying a physical address of the server and a session identifier respectively contained in the packets to said entry of said destination management table,

said controller, operable during a session stage of said PPP connection, receiving a PPP packet either from said terminal or said server and determining the destination of the packet according to the physical address of one of said terminal and said server which is set in said destination management table corresponding to a session identifier of the packet.

13. The communications network of claim 12, wherein said packet repeater further comprises a DHCP server for performing said DHCP process in response to a DHCP discovery packet from said terminal and assigning said IP address to said terminal when a DHCP request packet is received from said terminal.

16. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for establishing a PPP connection between an IEEE 1394 terminal and a PPP server by using a destination management table having an entry corresponding to said terminal, said program comprising the steps of:

a) during a discovery stage of a PPP connection, (a₁) receiving a PPP packet from said terminal and copying a physical address of a device of said terminal contained in the packet to said entry of the destination management table, and (a₂) successively receiving PPP packets from said server and copying a physical address of the server and a session identifier respectively contained in the packets to said entry of the destination management table; and

b) during a session stage of said PPP connection, receiving a PPP packet either from said terminal or said server and determining the destination of the packet according to the physical address of one of said terminal and said server which is set in said destination management table corresponding to a session identifier of the packet.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 or 17, wherein said physical address of the device comprises a global unique identifier and a register address, and the physical address of the server is a MAC address.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 or 17, wherein said PPP server is a PPPoE (point-to-point protocol over Ethernet) server.

17. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for establishing a PPP connection between an IEEE 1394 terminal and a PPP (point-to-point protocol) server by using a node table having an entry corresponding to said terminal and a destination management table having an entry corresponding to said terminal, said program comprising the steps of:

a) detecting an IP address assigned to said terminal in a DHCP process;

b) sending an ARP request packet destined to said IP address;

c) receiving an ARP reply packet from the terminal and copying logical and physical addresses of a device of the terminal contained in the ARP reply packet to said entry of said node table,

d) during a discovery stage of a PPP connection, (d₁) receiving a PPP packet from said terminal and copying the logical and physical addresses of the node table corresponding to a logical address of the packet to said entry of said destination management table, and (d₂) receiving PPP packets in succession from said server and copying a physical address of the server and a session identifier respectively contained in the packets to said entry of the destination management table; and

e) during a session stage of said PPP connection, receiving a PPP packet either from said terminal or said server and determining a destination site of the packet according to the physical address of one of said terminal and said server which is set in said destination management table corresponding to a session identifier of the packet.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

performing said DHCP process in response to a DHCP discovery packet from said terminal; and

assigning said IP address to said terminal when a DHCP request packet is received from said terminal.