Mechanism for conducting in-band communications between terminal adapter and digital terminal device during internet session

• US 20040008671A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Lin Yow-Chern, Goodwin, C. Brian, Farnsworth, Kyle A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,928,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0471 Terminal access circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13202 Network termination [NT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13296 Packet switching, X.25, frame relay
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13396 Signaling in general, in-band signalling

Abstract

A communication control mechanism installable in the communications controller of an ISDN terminal adapter is operative to conduct in-band communications with its digital terminal device during an internet communication session between the digital terminal device and a digital communication network interface of an internet service provider. The terminal adapter monitors the data link establishment communication exchange between the network access server and the personal computer, to identify and capture internet protocol addresses for the digital terminal device and the network access interface. These addresses are then used by the terminal adapter to communicate in-band with the digital terminal device using user datagram protocol (UDP)-based messages.

Claims

1. For use with a terminal adapter, through which a digital terminal device is coupled to a digital communication network interface that provides internet communication service to said digital terminal device, a method of enabling said terminal adapter to conduct in-band communications with said digital terminal device during an internet communication session between said digital terminal device and said digital communication network interface, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring digital communication signals passing through said terminal adapter between said digital communication network interface and said digital terminal device, during a data link establishment communication exchange between said digital communication network interface and said digital terminal device, to identify an internet protocol address of said digital terminal device and an internet protocol address of said digital communication network interface for said internet communication session; and

(b) during said internet communication session between said digital terminal device and said digital communication network interface, assembling in-band communication signals to be transmitted to said digital terminal device that contain internet protocol addresses identified in step (a).

2. A method according to claim 1, further including the step (c) of transmitting in-band communication signals assembled in step (b) in accordance with a prescribed digital data communication protocol, to a predetermined destination port employed by a communication control mechanism of said digital terminal device running said prescribed digital data communication protocol.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein digital communication signals conveyed between said digital communication network interface and said digital terminal device employ point-to-point protocol.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said prescribed digital data communication protocol comprises user datagram protocol.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein said terminal adapter is ported to at least one communication circuit exclusive of said digital terminal device and said digital communication network interface, and wherein said in-band communication signals assembled in step (b) are representative of information associated with said at least one communication circuit.

6. A method according to claim 5, further including the step (d) of, at said digital terminal device, receiving said in-band communication signals transmitted in step (c), and generating an indication to a user of said digital terminal device of said information associated with said at least one communication circuit.

7. A method according to claim 2, further including the step (d) of, at said digital terminal device, during said internet communication session between said digital terminal device and said digital communication network interface, assembling and transmitting further in-band communication signals to said terminal adapter device that contain said internet protocol addresses identified in step (a) and which are effective to modify an operational parameter of said terminal adapter.

8. A terminal adapter for coupling a digital terminal device to a digital communication network interface that provides internet communication service to said digital terminal device comprising:

a first digital communication port coupled to said digital terminal device;

a second digital communication port coupled to said digital communication network interface;

a digital communication signal monitor, which is coupled in circuit with said first and second digital communication ports, and is operative to monitor digital communication signals passing through said terminal adapter between said digital communication network interface and said digital terminal device, during a data link establishment communication exchange between said digital communication network interface and said digital terminal device, to identify an internet protocol address of said digital terminal device and an internet protocol address of said digital communication network interface for said internet communication session; and

a communications controller, which is operative to assemble and transmit in-band communication signals to said digital terminal device using internet protocol address information identified by said digital communication signal monitor, during said internet communication session between said digital terminal device and said digital communication network interface.

9. A terminal adapter according to claim 8, wherein said communications controller is configured to transmit said in-band communication signals using a prescribed digital data communication protocol, to a predetermined destination port employed by a communication control mechanism of said digital terminal device running said prescribed digital data communication protocol.

10. A terminal adapter according to claim 9, wherein digital communication signals conveyed between said digital communication network interface and said digital terminal device employ point-to-point protocol.

11. A terminal adapter according to claim 10, wherein said prescribed digital data communication protocol comprises user datagram protocol.

12. A terminal adapter according to claim 9, wherein said terminal adapter is ported to at least one communication circuit exclusive of said digital terminal device and said in-band communication signals are representative of information associated with said at least one communication circuit.

13. A terminal adapter according to claim 12, wherein said in-band communication signals are operative to cause said digital terminal device generate an indication to a user of said digital terminal device of said information associated with said at least one communication circuit.

14. A terminal adapter according to claim 9, wherein said communication controller is operative to capture further in-band communication signals transmitted from said digital terminal device to said terminal adapter.

15. A communication mechanism for enabling a terminal adapter to conduct digital communications with an associated digital terminal device during an active internet session between said digital terminal device and a network access server comprising a digital communication signal monitor, which is operative to monitor information contained within a data link establishment communication signal exchange carried out between the network access server and said digital terminal device, and to identify and capture internet protocol addresses for each of said digital terminal device and said network access interface, and a communication controller, which is operative to conduct digital communications with said digital terminal device, during said internet communication session between said digital terminal device and said digital communication network interface, using internet protocol address information identified by said digital communication signal monitor.

16. A communication mechanism according to claim 15, wherein said communication controller is operative to conduct digital communications with said digital terminal device, using a prescribed digital data communication protocol, and a predetermined destination port employed by a communication control mechanism of said digital terminal device running said prescribed digital data communication protocol.

17. A communication mechanism according to claim 16, wherein digital communication signals conveyed between said digital communication network interface and said digital terminal device employ point-to-point protocol, and said prescribed digital data communication protocol comprises user datagram protocol.

18. A communication mechanism according to claim 16, wherein said terminal adapter is ported to at least one communication circuit exclusive of said digital terminal device and said digital communication signals are representative of information associated with said at least one communication circuit.

19. A communication mechanism according to claim 18, wherein said digital communication signals are operative to cause said digital terminal device generate an indication to a user of said digital terminal device of said information associated with said at least one communication circuit.

20. A communication mechanism according to claim 15, wherein said communication controller is operative to capture digital communication signals transmitted from said digital terminal device to said terminal adapter.