System and method for dynamic simultaneous connection to multiple service providers
First Claim
1. A router for enabling simultaneous connection to two or more service providers during a packet session between a host connected to said router and a home one of said two or more service providers associated with said router, comprising:
- means for receiving a network address translation rule to be applied to packets transmitted to or from said host while said host is running a particular application during said packet session with said home service provider;
a memory for storing said network address translation rule, means for receiving a packet associated with said particular application for transmission to or from said host; and
means for translating an address of said packet between a first address identifying said host and associated with said home service provider and a second address identifying said host and associated with an additional one of said two or more service providers providing said particular application, using said network address translation rule.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A policy enables a subscriber to connect to multiple service providers simultaneously using a network address translation technique that translates an address identifying the subscriber and associated with a first service provider into an address identifying the subscriber and associated with a second service provider for a particular application. The subscriber registers with a single home service provider and connects to that single home service provider for a packet session. To connect to additional service providers that provide additional applications during the packet session, the NAT rule is downloaded from the home service provider to a router at the border between the subscriber and the access network of the home service provider. Each IP packet received at the router to or from the subscriber is filtered to determine the subscriber'"'"'s address and an application identifier. Based on the combination of both the subscriber'"'"'s address and the application identifier, the router translates the subscriber'"'"'s address into a new address, using the NAT rule. The new address is used to connect the subscriber to an additional service provider for a particular application during the packet session with the home service provider.
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. A router for enabling simultaneous connection to two or more service providers during a packet session between a host connected to said router and a home one of said two or more service providers associated with said router, comprising:
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means for receiving a network address translation rule to be applied to packets transmitted to or from said host while said host is running a particular application during said packet session with said home service provider;
a memory for storing said network address translation rule, means for receiving a packet associated with said particular application for transmission to or from said host; and
means for translating an address of said packet between a first address identifying said host and associated with said home service provider and a second address identifying said host and associated with an additional one of said two or more service providers providing said particular application, using said network address translation rule. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An access network of a home service provider for enabling a subscriber of said home service provider to connect to one or more additional service providers during a packet session with said home service provider in order to execute one or more applications provided by said one or more additional service providers, said access network comprising:
- means for receiving an identity of a selected one of said one or more applications from said subscriber;
means for configuring a network address translation rule for said selected application to be applied to packets transmitted to or from a host of said subscriber while said host is running said selected application during said packet session with said home service provider; and
means for downloading said network address translation rule to a router connected between said host and said access network to enable said router to translate an address of each of said packets between a first address identifying said host and associated with said home service provider and a second address identifying said host and associated with a select one of said one or more additional service providers providing said select application. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- means for receiving an identity of a selected one of said one or more applications from said subscriber;
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27. An access network of a first service provider for allowing a subscriber of a second service provider to access an application provided by said first service provider during a packet session with said second service provider, comprising:
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means for allocating a portion of a pool of addresses assigned to said first service provider to said second service provider; and
means for receiving a sent packet associated with said application from a host of said subscriber during said packet session between said host and said second service provider, said packet having a source address from said portion of said pool of addresses allocated to said second service provider, said source address having been translated from an original address identifying said host and associated with said second service provider using a network address translation rule applied to each packet transmitted to or from said host while said host is running said application. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A system for enabling a subscriber to simultaneously connect to two or more service providers to execute two or more applications, comprising:
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a first access network associated with a first one of said two or more service providers and connected to a host of said subscriber for a packet session, said first access network being configured to determine a network address translation rule to be applied to packets transmitted to or from said host while said host is running a particular application during said packet session with said first service provider;
a second access network associated with a second one of said two or more service providers for providing said particular application; and
a router connected between said host and said first access network for receiving said network address translation rule from said first access network, receiving a packet associated with said particular application transmitted to or from said host and translating an address of said packet between a first address identifying said host and associated with said first service provider and a second address identifying said host and associated with said second service provider, using said network address translation rule. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method for a router to enable simultaneous connection to two or more service providers during a packet session between a host connected to said router and a home one of said two or more service providers associated with said router, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a network address translation rule to be applied to packets transmitted to or from said host while said host is running a particular application during said packet session with said home service provider, receiving a packet associated with said particular application for transmission to or from said host;
translating an address of said packet between a first address identifying said host and associated with said home service provider and a second address identifying said host and associated with an additional one of said two or more service providers providing said particular application, using said network address translation rule; and
forwarding said packet to said additional service provider, using said second address. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method for dynamically enabling a subscriber of a home service provider to connect to one or more additional service providers during a packet session with said home service provider in order to execute one or more applications provided by said one or more additional service providers, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving an identity of a selected one of said one or more applications from said subscriber during said packet session;
configuring a network address translation rule for said selected application to be applied to packets transmitted to or from a host of said subscriber while said host is running said selected application during said packet session with said home service provider; and
downloading said network address translation rule to a router connected between said host and said access network to enable said router to translate an address of each of said packets between a first address identifying said host and associated with said home service provider and a second address identifying said host and associated with a select one of said one or more additional service providers providing said select application during said packet session. - View Dependent Claims (55)
- receiving an identity of a selected one of said one or more applications from said subscriber during said packet session;
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56. A method for enabling a subscriber of a home service provider to connect to one or more additional service providers during a packet session with said home service provider in order to execute one or more applications provided by said one or more additional service providers, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an identity of a selected one of said one or more applications from said subscriber;
configuring a network address translation rule for said selected application to be applied to packets transmitted to or from a host of said subscriber while said host is running said selected application during said packet session with said home service provider;
storing said network address translation rule within a subscriber profile associated with said subscriber;
initiating said packet session with said host; and
downloading said subscriber profile to a router connected between said host and said access network to enable said router to translate an address of each of said packets between a first address identifying said host and associated with said home service provider and a second address identifying said host and associated with a select one of said one or more additional service providers providing said select application during said packet session. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58)
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59. A method for enabling a subscriber to simultaneously connect to two or more service providers to execute two or more applications, comprising the steps of:
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establishing a packet session between a host of said subscriber and a first access network associated with a first one of said two or more service providers;
downloading a network address translation rule to be applied to packets transmitted to or from said host while said host is running a particular application during said packet session with said first service provider to a router connected between said host and said first access network;
receiving a packet associated with said particular application transmitted to or from said host at said router; and
translating an address of said packet between a first address identifying said host and associated with said first service provider and a second address identifying said host and associated with a second one of said two or more service providers providing said particular application, using said network address translation rule. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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Specification