Automatic compiling of address filter information

• US 20050157733A1
• Filed: 02/03/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Jun, Parchem, John M., Shoff, Daniel J., Tjong, Soemin
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL

Abstract

Automatic compilation of address filter information permits a cable modem to route incoming data packets to destination devices. A cable modem uses address filter information, such as for example, a list of addresses of communication devices that have previously registered with the cable modem, to identify incoming data packets that are addressed to communication devices associated with the cable modem. Incoming data packets with addresses that are not in the address filter information are filtered out. However, the cable modem may have insufficient filter information, when, for instance, a new communication device is associated with the cable modem. In order to automatically register communication devices associated with the cable modem, the cable modem inspects the source addresses of outgoing data packets. If the source address is not included in the address filter information, the source address is added.

Claims

1. A computer system that automatically registers a new communication device so as to enable delivery of an incoming data packet to the new communication device only when the incoming data packet has a corresponding destination address that is determined to be associated with the new communication device, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors that execute computer-executable instructions;

a cable modem that is hosted by the computer system, the cable modem representing a physical layer of a cable modem protocol stack, wherein the cable modem is connected to at least one communication device and a cable network, and wherein the cable modem is capable of transmitting outgoing data packets from the at least one communication device over the cable network and further is capable of transmitting incoming data packets that are received from the cable network to the at least one communication device;

a media access controller representing a data link layer of the cable modem protocol stack;

a hardware abstraction interface layer between the data link layer and the physical layer of the cable modem protocol stack, the hardware abstraction interface layer comprising an application programming interface configured for separating hardware of the cable modem from software of the cable modem protocol stack;

one or more computer readable media with computer-executable instructions to be executed by the one or more processors, the computer-executable instructions comprising;

computer-executable instructions for preparing, by the media access controller, an outgoing data packet from the at least one communication device such that the outgoing data packet is compatible with a hardware abstraction interface layer between the data link layer and the physical layer of the cable modem protocol stack, the hardware abstraction interface layer comprising an application programming interface configured for separating hardware of the cable modem from software of the cable modem protocol stack;

computer-executable instructions for transmitting the outgoing data packet from the media access controller to an interface of the hardware abstraction interface layer;

computer-executable instructions for sending, by the interface, the outgoing data packet to the cable modem;

computer-executable instructions for receiving, by the cable modem, the outgoing data packet from the at least one communication device through the interface of the hardware abstraction interface layer, the outgoing data packet having an address that identifies the communication device;

computer-executable instructions for comparing, by the cable modem, the address with a list of addresses that identify any communication devices that have previously been registered with the cable modem;

computer-executable instructions for, upon the cable modem determining that the address is not included in the list, adding the address to the list of addresses, such that the communication device is automatically registered with the cable modem;

computer-executable instructions for, upon the cable modem receiving an incoming data packet from the cable network which includes a destination address, comparing the destination address of the incoming data packet to the list of addresses;

computer-executable instructions for transmitting, by the cable modem through the interface of the hardware abstraction interface layer, the incoming data packet to any of one or more communication devices that have been registered with the cable modem and that are associated with the destination address as determined by the list of addresses; and

computer-executable instructions for filtering, by the cable modem, the incoming data packet when the destination address is not associated with any of the one or more communication devices that have been registered with the cable modem, as determined by the list of addresses, and such that the cable modem effectively prevents the data packet from being delivered to any of the one or more communications devices through the cable modem.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the cable modem comprises a bridging component.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions for receiving the outgoing data packet further comprise:

computer-executable instructions for the communication device writing the outgoing data packet to a buffer accessible by the bridging component associated with the cable modem; and

computer-executable instructions for the bridging component accessing the outgoing data packet in the buffer.

4. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

computer-executable instructions for determining that the destination of the outgoing data packet is a communications device that is local to the computer system; and

computer-executable instructions for transmitting the outgoing data packet over the cable network.

5. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

computer-executable instructions for determining that the destination of the outgoing data packet is a communications device that is local to the computer system; and

computer-executable instructions for transmitting the outgoing data packet to the communications device that is local to the computer system.

6. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions for comparing comprises computer-executable instructions for the bridging component comparing the address with a list of addresses that identify any communication devices that previously have been registered with the bridging component.

7. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions for determining comprises computer-executable instructions for the bridging component determining that the address is not included in the list.

8. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions for adding comprises computer-executable instructions the bridging component adding the address to the list of addresses.

9. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise computer-executable instructions for the communication device generating the outgoing data packet.

10. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

computer-executable instructions for determining that the communication device cannot share a buffer with the cable modem associated with the cable modem;

computer-executable instructions for a bridging component creating a separate buffer for the communication device; and

computer-executable instructions for the communication device writing the outgoing data packet to the separate buffer.

11. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

computer-executable instructions for using the communication device for the first time to communicate over the cable network, so as to generate the outgoing data packet; and

computer-executable instructions for adding the address to the list of addresses resulting in the communication device being automatically registered by the cable modem.

12. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the cable modem comprises at least a portion of the communication device, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

computer-executable instructions for using the communication device for a first time to communicate over the cable network after a cable modem driver has been installed in the communication device; and

computer-executable instructions for using the processing device for a first time, resulting in the generation of the outgoing data packet.

13. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

computer-executable instructions for recognizing that the destination address matches the address that has been added to the list of addresses; and

computer-executable instructions for transmitting the incoming data packet to the communication device in response to recognizing that the destination address matches.

14. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions for receiving an incoming data packet further comprise:

computer-executable instructions for receiving the incoming data packet at the cable modem; and

computer-executable instructions for transmitting the incoming data packet to a cable modem driver.

15. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the cable modem is external to the processing device.

16. A computer system that automatically registers a new communication device so as to enable delivery of an incoming data packet to the new communication device only when the incoming data packet has a corresponding destination address that is determined to be associated with the new communication device, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors that execute computer-executable instructions;

a cable modem that is hosted by the computer system, the cable modem representing a physical layer of a cable modem protocol stack, wherein the cable modem is connected to at least one communication device and a cable network, and wherein the cable modem is capable of transmitting outgoing data packets from the at least one communication device over the cable network and further is capable of transmitting incoming data packets that are received from the cable network to the at least one communication device;

a media access controller representing a data link layer of the cable modem protocol stack;

a hardware abstraction interface layer between the data link layer and the physical layer of the cable modem protocol stack, the hardware abstraction interface layer comprising an application programming interface configured for separating hardware of the cable modem from software of the cable modem protocol stack;

one or more computer readable media with computer-executable instructions to be executed by the one or more processors, the computer-executable instructions comprising;

computer-executable instructions for preparing, by the media access controller, an outgoing data packet from the at least one communication device such that the outgoing data packet is compatible with a hardware abstraction interface layer between the data link layer and the physical layer of the cable modem protocol stack, the hardware abstraction interface layer comprising an application programming interface configured for separating hardware of the cable modem from software of the cable modem protocol stack;

computer-executable instructions for transmitting the outgoing data packet from the media access controller to an interface of the hardware abstraction interface layer;

computer-executable instructions for sending, by the interface, the outgoing data packet to the cable modem;

computer-executable instructions for receiving, by the cable modem, the outgoing data packet from the at least one communication device through the interface of the hardware abstraction interface layer, the outgoing data packet having an address that identifies the communication device;

computer-executable instructions for comparing, by the cable modem, the address with a list of addresses that identify any communication devices that have previously been registered with the cable modem; and

computer-executable instructions for, upon the cable modem determining that the address is not included in the list, adding the address to the list of addresses, such that the communication device is automatically registered with the cable modem.

17. The computer system according to claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

computer-executable instructions for, upon the cable modem receiving an incoming data packet from the cable network which includes a destination address, comparing the destination address of the incoming data packet to the list of addresses;

computer-executable instructions for transmitting, by the cable modem through the interface of the hardware abstraction interface layer, the incoming data packet to any of one or more communication devices that have been registered with the cable modem and that are associated with the destination address as determined by the list of addresses; and

computer-executable instructions for filtering, by the cable modem, the incoming data packet when the destination address is not associated with any of the one or more communication devices that have been registered with the cable modem, as determined by the list of addresses, and such that the cable modem effectively prevents the data packet from being delivered to any of the one or more communications devices through the cable modem.

18. The computer system according to claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

computer-executable instructions for determining whether the destination of the outgoing data packet is local to the computer system;

computer-executable instructions for transmitting the outgoing data packet over the cable network if the destination is not local; and

computer-executable instructions for transmitting the outgoing data packet to the destination if the destination is local.

19. A computer system that automatically registers a new communication device so as to enable delivery of an incoming data packet to the new communication device only when the incoming data packet has a corresponding destination address that is determined to be associated with the new communication device, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors that execute computer-executable instructions;

a cable modem that is hosted by the computer system, the cable modem representing a physical layer of a cable modem protocol stack, wherein the cable modem is connected to at least one communication device and a cable network, and wherein the cable modem is capable of transmitting outgoing data packets from the at least one communication device over the cable network and further is capable of transmitting incoming data packets that are received from the cable network to the at least one communication device;

a media access controller representing a data link layer of the cable modem protocol stack;

a hardware abstraction interface layer between the data link layer and the physical layer of the cable modem protocol stack, the hardware abstraction interface layer comprising an application programming interface configured for separating hardware of the cable modem from software of the cable modem protocol stack;

one or more computer readable media with computer-executable instructions to be executed by the one or more processors, the computer-executable instructions comprising;

computer-executable instructions for, upon the cable modem receiving an incoming data packet from the cable network which includes a destination address, comparing the destination address of the incoming data packet to the list of addresses;

computer-executable instructions for transmitting, by the cable modem through the interface of the hardware abstraction interface layer, the incoming data packet to any of one or more communication devices that have been registered with the cable modem and that are associated with the destination address as determined by the list of addresses; and

computer-executable instructions for filtering, by the cable modem, the incoming data packet when the destination address is not associated with any of the one or more communication devices that have been registered with the cable modem, as determined by the list of addresses, and such that the cable modem effectively prevents the data packet from being delivered to any of the one or more communications devices through the cable modem.

20. The computer system according to claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:

computer-executable instructions for preparing, by the media access controller, an outgoing data packet from the at least one communication device such that the outgoing data packet is compatible with a hardware abstraction interface layer between the data link layer and the physical layer of the cable modem protocol stack, the hardware abstraction interface layer comprising an application programming interface configured for separating hardware of the cable modem from software of the cable modem protocol stack;

computer-executable instructions for transmitting the outgoing data packet from the media access controller to an interface of the hardware abstraction interface layer;

computer-executable instructions for sending, by the interface, the outgoing data packet to the cable modem;

computer-executable instructions for receiving, by the cable modem, the outgoing data packet from the at least one communication device through the interface of the hardware abstraction interface layer, the outgoing data packet having an address that identifies the communication device;

computer-executable instructions for comparing, by the cable modem, the address with a list of addresses that identify any communication devices that have previously been registered with the cable modem; and

computer-executable instructions for, upon the cable modem determining that the address is not included in the list, adding the address to the list of addresses, such that the communication device is automatically registered with the cable modem.