Network connection apparatus, connection system, and network connection method

• US 20040243722A1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsui, Yasunori
• Granted Patent: US 7,484,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for connecting networks that can automatically avoid address clashes to maintain communication in inter-network communication, which includes a storage unit (5) for storing a table, a comparison unit (2) for comparing an interface address which has been set up in a first interface A1 with a second interface address which is set up in a second interface B1, a network suspension unit for, in response to address clash of the addresses compared by the comparison unit (2), suspending connection between the second network B and an apparatus for connecting networks (1), a readout unit for reading out addresses including a first interface address which is different from the second interface address out of the table stored in the storage unit (5), and an address change unit for changing the interface address which has been set up in the first interface A1 to the first interface address included in the addresses read out by the readout unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for connecting networks which connects a first network, to which a plurality of terminal units belong, and a second network through a first interface and a second interface, comprising:

storage means for storing a table having arranged therein a plurality of addresses consisting of a first interface address and a plurality of terminal unit addresses which specify presences of the first interface and of the plural terminal units in the first network, and can be set up in the first interface and in the plural terminal units, respectively;

comparison means for, in response to connection between the second network and the apparatus for connecting networks after a second interface address which specifies presence of the second interface in the second network is set up in the second interface, comparing an interface address which has been set up in the first interface with the second interface address which is set up in the second interface;

network suspension means for, in response to address clash of the interface address which has been set up in the first interface and the second interface address which is set up in the second interface after comparison by the comparison means, suspending connection between the second network and the apparatus for connecting networks;

readout means for, in response to suspension of the second network from the apparatus for connecting networks by the network suspension means, reading out addresses including a first interface address which is different from the second interface address out of the table stored in the storage means;

address change means for changing the interface address which has been set up in the first interface to the first interface address included in the addresses read out by the readout means;

first transmission means for sending an address change message that the interface address which has been set up in the first interface is changed to the first interface address by the address change means to the plural terminal units;

reception means for, in response to change of terminal unit addresses of the plural terminal units by the terminal units after receiving the address change message sent from the first transmission means, receiving address change confirmation messages that the terminal unit addresses of the plural terminal units are changed which are sent from the respective terminal units; and

second transmission means for, in response to reception of the address change confirmation messages sent from the plural terminal units by the reception means, sending an address change end message that the entire terminal unit addresses of the plural terminal units are changed to the plural terminal units.

2. The apparatus for connecting networks as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

second reception means for, in response to transmission of the address change message by the first transmission means, receiving terminal unit address transmission requirements which are sent from the terminal units; and

third transmission means for, in response to the terminal unit address transmission requirements received by the second reception means, sending the terminal unit addresses included in the addresses read out by the readout means out of the table stored in the storage means to the respective plural terminal units belonging to the first network.

3. The apparatus for connecting networks as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plural addresses arranged in the table stored in the storage means have given thereto indexes to identify the respective addresses.

4. The apparatus for connecting networks as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first transmission means adds indexes of the addresses, to which the first interface address changed by the address change means belongs, to the address change message, and sends the address change message to the plural terminal units.

5. The apparatus for connecting networks as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first interface address, the terminal unit addresses, and the second interface address are private IP (Internet Protocol) addresses which can be set up arbitrarily by a user in a closed network.

6. A system for connecting networks which has an apparatus for connecting networks which connects a first network and a second network through a first interface and a second interface, and a plurality of terminal units which belong to the first network,

the apparatus for connecting networks comprising:

first storage means for storing a first table having arranged therein a plurality of addresses consisting of a first interface address and a plurality of terminal unit addresses which specify presences of the first interface and of the plural terminal units in the first network, and can be set up in the first interface and in the plural terminal units, respectively;

address comparison means for, in response to connection between the second network and the apparatus for connecting networks after a second interface address which specifies presence of the second interface in the second network is set up in the second interface, comparing an interface address which has been set up in the first interface with the second interface address which is set up in the second interface;

network suspension means for, in response to address clash of the interface address which has been set up in the first interface and the second interface address which is set up in the second interface after comparison by the address comparison means, suspending connection between the second network and the apparatus for connecting networks;

readout means for, in response to suspension of the second network from the apparatus for connecting networks by the network suspension means, reading out addresses including a first interface address which is different from the second interface address which is set up in the second interface out of the first table stored in the first storage means;

first address change means for changing the interface address which has been set up in the first interface to the first interface address included in the addresses read out by the readout means;

first transmission means for sending an address change message that the interface address which has been set up in the first interface is changed to the first interface address by the address change means to the plural terminal units;

first reception means for receiving address change confirmation messages that the terminal unit addresses of the plural terminal units are changed which are sent from the respective terminal units; and

second transmission means for, in response to reception of the address change confirmation messages sent from the plural terminal units by the first reception means, sending an address change end message that the entire terminal unit addresses of the plural terminal units are changed to the plural terminal units,

and each of the terminal units comprising;

second reception means for receiving the address change message sent from the first transmission means of the apparatus for connecting networks;

second address change means for, in response to reception of the address change message by the second reception means, changing an address of the terminal unit to the terminal unit address;

third transmission means for sending the address change confirmation message that the terminal unit address is changed by the second address change means to the apparatus for connecting networks; and

third reception means for receiving the address change end message sent from the second transmission means of the apparatus for connecting networks.

7. The system for connecting networks as set forth in claim 6,

the terminal unit further comprising:

fourth transmission means for, in response to reception of the address change message by the second reception means, sending a terminal unit address transmission requirement,

and the apparatus for connecting networks further comprising;

fourth reception means for receiving the terminal unit address transmission requirements which are sent from the fourth reception means of the terminal units; and

fifth transmission means for, in response to the terminal unit address transmission requirements received by the fourth reception means, sending the terminal unit addresses included in the addresses read out by the readout means out of the first table stored in the first storage means to the respective plural terminal units belonging to the first network,

wherein the second address change means of the terminal unit changes an address of the terminal unit to the terminal unit address sent by the fifth transmission means.

8. The system for connecting networks as set forth in claim 6, wherein the plural addresses arranged in the first table stored in the first storage means of the apparatus for connecting networks have given thereto indexes to identify the respective addresses.

9. The system for connecting networks as set forth in claim 8,

the terminal unit further comprising:

second storage means for storing a second table in which terminal unit addresses which can be set up in the terminal unit correspond to the indexes,

wherein the first transmission means of the apparatus for connecting networks adds indexes of the addresses, to which the first interface address changed by the first address change means belongs, to the address change message, and sends the address change message to the plural terminal units, and

wherein, in response to reception of the address change message, to which the indexes are added, by the second reception means, the second address change means of the terminal unit refers to the second table stored in the second storage means to retrieve terminal unit addresses which correspond to the indexes added to the address change message, and changes an address of the terminal unit to thus retrieved terminal unit address.

10. The system for connecting networks as set forth in claim 6, wherein the first interface address, the terminal unit addresses, and the second interface address are private IP (Internet Protocol) addresses which can be set up arbitrarily by a user in a closed network.

11. A method for connecting networks for a system for connecting networks which has an apparatus for connecting networks which connects a first network and a second network through a first interface and a second interface, and a plurality of terminal units which belong to the first network,

comprising the steps, by the apparatus for connecting networks, of:

storing a first table having arranged therein a plurality of addresses consisting of a first interface address and a plurality of terminal unit addresses which specify presences of the first interface and of the plural terminal units in the first network, and can be set up in the first interface and in the plural terminal units, respectively, in a first storage means;

in response to connection between the second network and the apparatus for connecting networks after a second interface address which specifies presence of the second interface in the second network is set up in the second interface, comparing an interface address which has been set up in the first interface with the second interface address which is set up in the second interface;

in response to address clash of the interface address which has been set up in the first interface and the second interface address which is set up in the second interface after comparison in the comparison step, suspending connection between the second network and the apparatus for connecting networks;

in response to suspension of the second network from the apparatus for connecting networks, reading out addresses including a first interface address which is different from the second interface address which is set up in the second interface out of the first table stored in the first storage means;

changing the interface address which has been set up in the first interface to the first interface address included in the read out addresses; and

sending an address change message that the interface address which has been set up in the first interface is changed to the first interface address to the plural terminal units,

and comprising the steps, by each of the terminal units, of;

receiving the address change message sent from the apparatus for connecting networks;

in response to reception of the address change message, changing an address of the terminal unit to the terminal unit address; and

sending an address change confirmation message that the terminal unit address is changed to the apparatus for connecting networks,

and comprising the steps, by the apparatus for connecting networks, of;

receiving the address change confirmation messages which are sent from the respective terminal units; and

in response to reception of the address change confirmation messages sent from the plural terminal units, sending an address change end message that the entire terminal unit addresses of the plural terminal units are changed to the plural terminal units,

and comprising the step, by each of the terminal units, of;

receiving the address change end message sent from the apparatus for connecting networks.

12. The method for connecting networks as set forth in claim 11,

comprising the step, by each of the terminal units, of:

in response to reception of the address change message, sending a terminal unit address transmission requirement,

and comprising the steps, by the apparatus for connecting networks, of;

receiving the terminal unit address transmission requirements which are sent from the terminal units; and

in response to the received terminal unit address transmission requirements, sending the terminal unit addresses included in the addresses read out from the first table stored in the first storage means to the respective plural terminal units belonging to the first network,

wherein the terminal unit changes an address of the terminal unit to the terminal unit address sent from the apparatus for connecting networks.

13. The method for connecting networks as set forth in claim 11,

comprising the step, by each of the terminal units, of:

storing a second table in which terminal unit addresses which can be set up in the terminal unit correspond to indexes, which are given to identify the plural respective addresses arranged in the first table stored in the first storage means of the apparatus for connecting networks, in a second storage means,

wherein the apparatus for connecting networks adds indexes of the addresses, to which the changed first interface address belongs, to the address change message, and sends the address change message to the plural terminal units, and

wherein, in response to reception of the address change message, to which the indexes are added, the terminal unit refers to the second table stored in the second storage means to retrieve terminal unit addresses which correspond to the indexes added to the address change message, and changes an address of the terminal unit to thus retrieved terminal unit address.