Gateway apparatus connected to a plurality of networks forming respective different network segments, and program and method for transferring IP packets
First Claim
1. A gateway apparatus connected to a plurality of networks which form respective different network segments, said plurality of networks including first and second networks, said gateway apparatus having a first IP address for the first network and a second IP address for the second network, said gateway apparatus comprising:
- an information provision unit for receiving, from a second apparatus having a third IP address over the first network, a first IP packet representative of a search request for information resources which packet contains the third IP address as a source address;
a search unit for transmitting over the second network a second IP packet representative of a search request for information resources which packet contains the second IP address as a source address, in response to the first IP packet representative of the search request for information resources, and for receiving over the second network a third IP packet which contains a first information resource identifier representative of an information resource available with a third apparatus on the second network, said first information resource identifier containing a fourth IP address for the third apparatus;
a storage unit for storing the third and fourth IP addresses and the first information resource identifier in association with each other, wherein said information provision unit reads the first information resource identifier from said storage unit, and rewrites the read first information resource identifier to a second information resource identifier containing the first IP address for the first network wherein the fourth IP address within the first information resource identifier is rewritten to the first IP address, and said information provision unit then transmits a fourth IP packet containing the second information resource identifier and the third IP address as a destination address over the first network to the second apparatus; and
a transfer unit, wherein, when a fifth IP packet containing the third IP address as a source address and the first IP address as a destination address is received by said gateway apparatus from the second apparatus over the first network, said transfer unit rewrites the fifth IP packet to a sixth IP packet for the second network containing the second IP address as a source address and the fourth IP address as a destination address wherein the third IP address in the fifth packet is rewritten to the second IP address and the first IP address in the fifth packet is rewritten to the fourth IP address, and said transfer unit then transfers the sixth IP packet over the second network to the third apparatus having a desired information resource.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gateway apparatus has a first IP address for the first network and a second IP address for the second network. The gateway apparatus includes: an information provision unit for receiving, from a second apparatus having a third IP address over the first network, a first IP packet representative of a search request for information resources; and a search unit for transmitting over the second network a second IP packet representative of a search request for information resources which packet contains the second IP address as a source address and for receiving a third IP packet which contains a first information resource identifier representative of an information resource available with a third apparatus on the second network. The first information resource identifier contains a fourth IP address for the third apparatus. The information provision unit rewrites the first information resource identifier to a second information resource identifier containing the first IP address for the first network, and then transmits a fourth IP packet containing the second information resource identifier and the third IP address as a destination address over the first network to the second apparatus.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A gateway apparatus connected to a plurality of networks which form respective different network segments, said plurality of networks including first and second networks, said gateway apparatus having a first IP address for the first network and a second IP address for the second network, said gateway apparatus comprising:
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an information provision unit for receiving, from a second apparatus having a third IP address over the first network, a first IP packet representative of a search request for information resources which packet contains the third IP address as a source address;
a search unit for transmitting over the second network a second IP packet representative of a search request for information resources which packet contains the second IP address as a source address, in response to the first IP packet representative of the search request for information resources, and for receiving over the second network a third IP packet which contains a first information resource identifier representative of an information resource available with a third apparatus on the second network, said first information resource identifier containing a fourth IP address for the third apparatus;
a storage unit for storing the third and fourth IP addresses and the first information resource identifier in association with each other, wherein said information provision unit reads the first information resource identifier from said storage unit, and rewrites the read first information resource identifier to a second information resource identifier containing the first IP address for the first network wherein the fourth IP address within the first information resource identifier is rewritten to the first IP address, and said information provision unit then transmits a fourth IP packet containing the second information resource identifier and the third IP address as a destination address over the first network to the second apparatus; and
a transfer unit, wherein, when a fifth IP packet containing the third IP address as a source address and the first IP address as a destination address is received by said gateway apparatus from the second apparatus over the first network, said transfer unit rewrites the fifth IP packet to a sixth IP packet for the second network containing the second IP address as a source address and the fourth IP address as a destination address wherein the third IP address in the fifth packet is rewritten to the second IP address and the first IP address in the fifth packet is rewritten to the fourth IP address, and said transfer unit then transfers the sixth IP packet over the second network to the third apparatus having a desired information resource. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A gateway apparatus connected to at least first and second networks which form respective different network segments, said gateway apparatus having a first IP address for the first network and a second IP address for the second network, said gateway apparatus comprising:
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a search unit for regularly transmitting over the second network an IP packet representative of a search request for information resources which packet contains the second IP address as a source address and for receiving over the second network a response IP packet which contains an information resource identifier representative of an available information resource of an available apparatus on the second network, said information resource identifier containing an IP address of the available apparatus;
a storage unit for storing the IP address of the available apparatus and the information resource identifier in association with each other;
an information provision unit for receiving, from a second apparatus having a third IP address over the first network, a first IP packet representative of a search request for information resources which packet contains the third IP address as a source address, wherein, when the first IP packet is received by said gateway apparatus, said information provision unit stores in a list form the third IP address in association with the IP address of the available apparatus and the information resource identifier, reads from said storage unit a first information resource identifier representative of an available information resource of an available third apparatus on the second network, the first information resource identifier containing a fourth IP address of the third apparatus, and rewrites the read first information resource identifier to a second information resource identifier for the first network containing the first IP address wherein the fourth IP address in the first information resource identifier is rewritten to the first IP address, and said information provision unit then transmits over the first network to the second apparatus a fourth IP packet containing the second information resource identifier in a list form and the third IP address as a destination address, and a transfer unit wherein, when a fifth IP packet containing the third IP address as a source address and the first IP address as a destination address is received by the gateway apparatus from the second apparatus over the first network, said transfer unit rewrites the fifth IP packet to a sixth IP packet for the second network containing the second IP address as a source address and the fourth IP address as a destination address wherein the third IP address in the fifth IP packet is rewritten to the second IP address and the first IP address in the fifth IP packet is rewritten to the fourth IP address, and said transfer unit then transmits the sixth IP packet over the second network to the third apparatus having a desired information resource.
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15. A program product stored on a storage medium for use in a gateway apparatus connected to a plurality of networks which form respective different network segments and for transferring an IP packet, said plurality of networks including first and second networks, said gateway apparatus having a first IP address for the first network and a second IP address for the second network, said program product is operable to effect the steps of:
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receiving, from a second apparatus having a third IP address over the first network, a first IP packet representative of a search request for information resources which packet contains the third IP address as a source address;
transmitting over the second network a second IP packet representative of a search request for information resources which packet contains the second IP address as a source address, in response to the first IP packet representative of the search request for information resources, and for receiving over the second network a third IP packet which contains a first information resource identifier representative of an information resource available with a third apparatus on the second network, said first information resource identifier containing a fourth IP address for the third apparatus;
storing in a memory the third and fourth IP addresses and the first information resource identifier in association with each other;
reading the first information resource identifier from said memory, rewriting the read first information resource identifier to a second information resource identifier containing the first IP address for the first network wherein the fourth IP address within the first information resource identifier is rewritten to the first IP address, and then transmitting a fourth IP packet containing the second information resource identifier and the third IP address as a destination address over the first network to the second apparatus; and
rewriting a fifth IP packet which contains the third IP address as a source address and the first IP address as a destination address to a sixth IP packet for the second network containing the second IP address as a source address and the fourth IP address as a destination address when the fifth IP packet is received from the second apparatus over the first IP network, wherein the third IP address in the fifth packet is rewritten to the second IP address and the first IP address in the fifth IP packet is rewritten to the fourth IP address, and then transferring the sixth IP packet over the second network to the third apparatus having a desired information resource.
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16. A method for transferring an IP packet in a gateway apparatus connected to a plurality of networks which form respective different network segments, said plurality of networks including first and second networks, said gateway apparatus having a first IP address for the first network and a second IP address for the second network, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from a second apparatus having a third IP address over the first network, a first IP packet representative of a search request for information resources which packet contains the third IP address as a source address;
transmitting over the second network a second IP packet representative of a search request for information resources which packet contains the second IP address as a source address, in response to the first IP packet representative of the search request for information resources, and for receiving over the second network a third IP packet which contains a first information resource identifier representative of an information resource available with a third apparatus on the second network, said first information resource identifier containing a fourth IP address for the third apparatus;
storing in a memory the third and fourth IP addresses and the first information resource identifier in association with each other;
reading the first information resource identifier from said memory, rewriting the read first information resource identifier to a second information resource identifier containing the first IP address for the first network wherein the fourth IP address within the first information resource identifier is rewritten to the first IP address, and then transmitting a fourth IP packet containing the second information resource identifier and the third IP address as a destination address over the first network to the second apparatus; and
rewriting a fifth IP packet which contains the third IP address as a source address and the first IP address as a destination address to a sixth IP packet for the second network containing the second IP address as a source address and the fourth IP address as a destination address when the fifth IP packet is received from the second apparatus over the first network, wherein the third IP address in the fifth IP packet is rewritten to the second IP address and the first IP address in the fifth IP packet is rewritten to the fourth IP address, and then transferring the sixth IP packet over the second network to the third apparatus having a desired information resource.
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Specification