Communication apparatus and applications thereof

• US 20050083917A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Kazuaki, Hirono, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 7,843,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9078 using an external memory or storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/165 Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A technology for efficiently processing data communication using a plurality of communications protocols is provided. In the Internet phone apparatus, when a network interface section receives packets, a protocol detecting section determines whether the received packets are TCP packets or UDP packets. In the case TCP packets, a CPU, a general-purpose circuit, processes the packets using software. In the case of UDP packets, a UDP processing section, a dedicated circuit, processes the packets. Audio data transmitted and received in UDP packets are decoded by a codec processing section and output to a speaker.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a receiving section for receiving a packet transmitted via a network;

a general-purpose circuit for subjecting the packet to a software processing if the received packet is a packet transmitted using a first communication protocol requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses prior to transmission and reception of data; and

a dedicated circuit for processing the packet transmitted using a second communication protocol not requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitting section for transmitting a packet via a network, wherein

if a packet for transmission is transmitted using the first communication protocol, the packet is processed by said general-purpose circuit, and

if a packet for transmission is transmitted using the second communication protocol, the packet is processed by said dedicated circuit.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detecting section for identifying a communication protocol used for transmission of the received packet.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when said detecting section-detects a packet transmitted using the first communication protocol, said detecting section sends the packet to said dedicated circuit bypassing said general-purpose circuit.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a security processing section for encrypting or decrypting data constituting the packet.

2. A communication apparatus comprising:

a receiving section for receiving a packet transmitted via a network;

a general-purpose circuit for subjecting the packet to a software processing if the received packet is a packet transmitted using a first communication protocol requiring acknowledgement of a transmitted packet; and

a dedicated circuit for processing the packet transmitted using a second communication protocol not requiring acknowledgement of a transmitted packet.

7. A communication apparatus comprising:

a receiving section-for receiving a packet transmitted via a network; and

a first determination section for transferring, when the received packet is a fragmented packet, the received packet to a general-purpose circuit for software processing, and transferring, when the received packet is a non-fragmented packet, the received packet to a first dedicated circuit for hardware processing.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a second determination section for transferring, when the packet processed by said first dedicated circuit is a packet transmitted using a first communication protocol requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses, the packet to said general-purpose circuit, and transferring, when the packet processed by said first dedicated circuit is a packet transmitted using a second communication protocol not requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses, the packet to a second dedicated circuit for hardware processing.

9. A communication apparatus comprising:

a determination section for determining whether a packet received via a network includes data requiring real-time processing or not;

a buffer for temporarily storing the packet; and

a control section for controlling storage of the packet in said buffer, wherein

said control section permits storage of the packet including data requiring real-time processing in said buffer and prohibits storage of the packet not including data requiring real-time processing in said buffer, when a free area available in said buffer falls below a predetermined threshold level.

10. A communication apparatus comprising:

a determination section for determining whether a packet received via a network is a packet transmitted using a first communication protocol requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses prior to transmission and reception of data, or a packet transmitted using a second communication protocol not requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses;

a buffer for temporarily storing the packet; and

a control section for controlling storage of the packet in said buffer, wherein

said control section permits storage of the packet transmitted using the second communication protocol in said buffer and prohibits storage of the packet transmitted using the first communication protocol in said buffer, when a free area available in said buffer falls below a predetermined threshold level.

11. A communication apparatus comprising:

a determination section for determining a type of a packet received via a network;

a buffer for temporarily storing the packet; and

a control section for controlling storage of the packet in said buffer, wherein

said control section stores a plurality of threshold levels corresponding to packet types for determination of permission or prohibition of storage of the packet in said buffer, and prohibits storage in said buffer of the packet of a packet type for which the free area available in said buffer falls below the threshold level.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the threshold level for a type of a packet requiring real-time processing is configured to be lower than the threshold level for a type of a packet not requiring real-time processing.

13. A telephone apparatus comprising:

an input section for inputting an audio;

a communication section for transmitting the audio inputted by said input section to other apparatus, and receiving an audio from other apparatus; and

an output section for outputting the audio received from other apparatus,

said communication section comprising;

a receiving section for receiving a packet transmitted via a network;

a detecting section for detecting a communication protocol for the received packet;

a general-purpose circuit for subjecting the packet to a software processing if the communication protocol is a first communication protocol requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses prior to transmission and reception of data; and

a dedicated circuit for processing the packet if the communication protocol is a second communication protocol not requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses, wherein

the audio is transmitted and received using the second communication protocol.

14. A video phone apparatus comprising:

an input section for inputting an audio and an image;

a communication section for transmitting the audio and the image inputted by said input section to other apparatus, and receiving an audio and an image from other apparatus; and

an output section for outputting the audio and the image received from other apparatus,

said communication section comprising;

a receiving section for receiving a packet transmitted via a network;

a detecting section for detecting a communication protocol for the received packet;

a general-purpose circuit for subjecting the packet to a software processing if the communication protocol is a first communication protocol requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses prior to transmission and reception of data; and

a dedicated circuit for processing the packet if the communication protocol is a second communication protocol not requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses, wherein

the audio and the image are transmitted and received using the second communication protocol.

15. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup section for picking up an image; and

a communication section for transmitting the image picked up by said image pickup section to other apparatus, and receiving an image from other apparatus,

said communication section comprising;

a receiving section for receiving a packet transmitted via a network;

a detecting section for detecting a communication protocol for the received packet;

a general-purpose circuit for subjecting the packet to a software processing if the communication protocol is a first communication protocol requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses prior to transmission and reception of data; and

a dedicated circuit for processing the packet if the communication protocol is a second communication protocol not requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses, wherein

the image is transmitted and received using the second communication protocol.

16. A communication method comprising:

detecting, when a packet is received, a communication protocol for the packet; and

transferring the packet to a circuit for processing the packet in accordance with the communication protocol.

17. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein said detecting determines whether the packet is a fragmented or non-fragmented packet by analyzing a header of the packet, and

said transferring includes transferring the fragmented packet to a general-purpose circuit for software processing and transferring the non-fragmented packet to a dedicated circuit for processing such packets.

18. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein said detecting determines whether the packet is a packet transmitted using a first communication protocol requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses prior to transmission and reception of data, or a packet transmitted using a second communications protocol not requiring establishment of connection between apparatuses, and

said transferring includes transferring the packet transmitted using the first communication protocol to a general-purpose circuit for software processing and transferring the packet transmitted using the second communication protocol to a dedicated circuit for processing such packets.

19. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein data not requiring real-time processing is transmitted and received using the first communication protocol and stream data requiring real-time processing is transmitted and received using the second communication protocol.

20. A communication method comprising:

detecting, when a packet is received, a type of the packet;

determining whether storage of the packet in a buffer for temporarily storing a packet is permitted or not, on the basis of a criteria set up for respective packet types;

storing the packet in the buffer when storage is permitted; and

discarding the packet when storage is not permitted.

21. A packet processing apparatus comprising:

a buffer for temporarily storing a packet retrieved via a network; and

a write control section for controlling storage of the packet in said buffer, wherein

said write control section discards destination address information included in header information of the packet before storing the packet in said buffer.

22. The packet processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said write control section stores, in place of the destination address information, management information including transmission type information indicating whether a packet is transmitted using unicast, multicast or broadcast.

23. The packet processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the management information further includes packet type information indicating a packet type and address information indicating a location of storage of a subsequent packet.

24. The packet processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said write control section fits the management information in one word and shapes subsequent data so as to fit a word configuration before storing the information and data in said buffer.

25. The packet processing apparatus comprising:

a buffer for temporarily storing packets retrieved via a network; and

a read control section for controlling read of the packets from said buffer, wherein

independent registers are assigned to header portions of the packets to enable random access, while data portions of the packets are read from said buffer via an access port register.

26. The packet processing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said read control section sets a location at which a read operation by the access port register starts, in accordance with a type of a packet read.

27. The packet processing apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:

a header analyzing section which analyzes header information of a packet so as to discard an unnecessary packet, before storing the packet in said buffer; and

a checksum calculating section which calculates a checksum of a packet before storing the packet in said buffer so as to determine whether the calculated checksum matches a checksum stored in the header.

28. A telephone apparatus comprising:

an input section for inputting an audio;

a communication section for transmitting the audio inputted by said input section to other apparatus, and receiving an audio from other apparatus; and

an output section for outputting the audio received from other apparatus,

said communication section comprising;

a receiving section for receiving a packet transmitted via a network; and

a packet processing section for processing the received packet,

said packet processing section comprising;

a buffer for temporarily storing the packet; and

a write control section for controlling storage of the packet in said buffer, wherein

said write control section discards destination address information included in header information of the packet before storing the packet in said buffer.

29. A telephone apparatus comprising:

an input section for inputting an audio;

a communication section for transmitting the audio inputted by said input section to other apparatus, and receiving an audio from other apparatus; and

an output section for outputting the audio received from other apparatus,

said communication section comprising;

a receiving section for receiving a packet transmitted via a network; and

a packet processing section for processing the received packet,

said packet processing section comprising;

a buffer for temporarily storing the packet; and

a read control section for controlling read of the packet from said buffer, wherein

independent registers are assigned to header portions of the packets to enable random access, while data portions of the packets are read from said buffer via an access port register.

30. A packet processing method comprising:

temporarily storing a received packet in a buffer; and

discarding destination address information included in header information of the packet before storing the packet in the buffer.

31. A checksum calculating method comprising:

in order to assign a checksum to a data block, a data size of the data block being determined at a predetermined timing, calculating accumulated checksums from a head of a data unit including the data block at predetermined intervals prior to the timing; and

storing the accumulated checksums in a storage.

32. The checksum calculating method according to claim 31, wherein accumulated checksums before and after the data block are read from the storage once the data size of the data block is determined, so as to calculate the checksum for the data block.

33. The checksum calculating method according to claim 32, wherein the accumulated checksum for data immediately preceding the data block, and the accumulated checksum for the last data in the data block are read from the storage, and the checksum for the data block is calculated as a difference between the accumulated checksums thus read.

35. The checksum calculating method according to claim 31, wherein the data size of the data block is controlled to be an integral multiple of a unit length of the intervals.

34. A checksum calculating method comprising:

dividing a data unit including a data block into predetermined intervals prior to a timing when a data size of the data block is determined,-in order to assign a checksum to the data block; and

calculating checksums for the intervals and storing the calculated checksums in a storage.

36. A checksum recording method comprising:

calculating checksums for a data unit from the head of the data unit to the end thereof, at a plurality of locations in the data unit; and

holding the calculated checksums in the data unit.

37. A communication apparatus comprising:

an input section receiving input of a data unit;

a calculating section for calculating an accumulated checksum from a head of the data unit; and

a holding section for holding the accumulated checksum at predetermined intervals of the data unit.

38. The communication apparatus according to claim 37, further comprising:

an output section for dividing the data unit into a plurality of data blocks and transmitting the same via a network;

a control section for controlling a size of the data block to be transmitted subsequently; and

a second calculating section for retrieving the size of the data block to be transmitted subsequently, and reading the accumulated checksums before and after the data block from said holding section so as to calculate a checksum for the data block.

39. The communication apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said holding section holds accumulated checksums from the head of the data unit and at predetermined intervals, when the data unit is transmitted using a communication protocol in which the size of the data block to be transmitted is not determined, and holds the checksum for the data unit as a whole, when the data unit is transmitted using a communication protocol in which the size of the data block to be transmitted is predetermined.