Data transmission in communication system

• US 20050281256A1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Borgman, Jouni, Taipale, Pekka
• Granted Patent: US 7,486,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2517 using port numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2528 Translation at a proxy
• 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 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures

Abstract

A method for transmitting data in a communications system and a communication arrangement comprising a first network entity (10) and a second network entity (20), the arrangement being configured to transmit data in messages between the first network entity (10) and one or more third network entities (41, 42, 43) through the second network entity (20) by using the TCP/IP or UDP/IP transport protocol, wherein each message comprises a port number parameter indicating a TCP or UDP port number, respectively, and to use a modified port number parameter further indicating an identity of the third network entity (41, 42, 43), to/from which a message is transmitted, in the transmission of such a message between the first network entity (10) and the second network entity (20).

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data in a communication system comprising a first system entity, a second system entity and at least one third system entity, the method comprising:

transmitting data in messages between a first system entity and at least one third system entity through a second system entity by using a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) or a User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol (UDP/IP) transport protocol, wherein each message comprises a port number parameter indicating a TCP or UDP port number, respectively, and

using a modified port number parameter further indicating an identity of the at least one third system entity, to which and from which a message is transmitted, in the transmission of such a message between the first system entity and the second system entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the use of a modified port number parameter comprises:

including, in the first system entity, the identity of the at least one third system entity to which a message is transmitted in the port number parameter of the message;

transmitting the message to the second system entity; and

removing, in the second system entity, the identity of the at least one third system entity from the port number parameter of the message before transmitting the message to the at least one third system entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the use of a modified port number parameter comprises:

including, in the second system entity, the identity of the at least one third system entity from which a message is transmitted in the port number parameter of the message; and

transmitting the message to the first system entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the at least one third system entity comprises a physical address of the at least one third system entity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the physical address of the at least one third system entity comprises one or both of an interface unit number and an interface port number of the second system entity to which the at least one third system entity is connected.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identity of the at least one third system entity is included in the port number parameter of the message by re-calculating the port number parameter according to the following formula:

re-calculated port number parameter value=10000+protocol number*3000+interface unit number*100+interface port number, wherein

protocol number=predefined protocol sequence number.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identity of the at least one third system entity is removed from the port number parameter of the message by replacing the re-calculated port number parameter value with a TCP or UDP port number corresponding to the protocol indicated by the re-calculated port number parameter value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system entity comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) customer premises equipment management system, the second system entity comprises a DSL access multiplexer and the third system entity comprises a DSL customer premises equipment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data transmitted in messages between the first system entity and the at least one third system entity through the second system entity comprises management data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a common IP address for the transmission of data from the first system entity to at least two third system entities.

11. A communication arrangement, comprising:

a first network entity and a second network entity;

the arrangement being configured to transmit data in messages between the first network entity and at least one third network entity through the second network entity by using a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) or a User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol (UDP/IP) transport protocol, wherein each message comprises a port number parameter indicating a TCP or UDP port number respectively; and

wherein the arrangement is further configured to use a modified port number parameter further indicating an identity of the at least one third network entity, to which and from which a message is transmitted, in the transmission of such a message between the first network entity and the second network entity.

12. The communication arrangement of claim 11, wherein

the first network entity is configured to include the identity of the at least one third network entity to which a message is transmitted in the port number parameter of the message when transmitting the message to the at least one third network entity through the second network entity;

and

the second network entity is configured to remove the identity of the at least one third network entity from the port number parameter of the message before forwarding the message to the at least one third network entity.

13. The communication arrangement of claim 11, wherein

the second network entity is configured to include the identity of the at least one third network entity from which a message is transmitted in the port number parameter of the message before forwarding the message to the first network entity.

14. The communication arrangement of claim 11, wherein the identity of the at least one third network entity comprises a physical address of the at least one third network entity.

15. The communication arrangement of claim 14, wherein the physical address of the at least one third network entity comprises one or both of an interface unit number and an interface port number of the second network entity to which the at least one third network entity is connected.

16. The communication arrangement of claim 15, wherein the first and second network entity is configured to include the identity of the at least one third network entity in the port number parameter of the message by recalculating the port number parameter according to the following formula:

re-calculated port number parameter value=10000+protocol number*3000+interface unit number*100+interface port number, wherein

protocol number=predefined protocol sequence number.

17. The communication arrangement of claim 16, wherein the first and second network entity is configured to remove the identity of the at least one third network entity from the port number parameter of the message by replacing the re-calculated port number parameter value with a TCP or UDP port number corresponding to the protocol indicated by the re-calculated port number parameter value.

18. The communication arrangement of claim 11, wherein the first network entity comprises a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) customer premises equipment management system and the second network entity comprises a DSL access multiplexer.

19. The communication arrangement of claim 18, wherein the data transmitted in messages between the first network entity and the at least one third network entity through the second network entity comprises management data.

20. The communication arrangement of claim 11, wherein the arrangement is configured to use a common IP address for the transmission of data from the first network entity to at least two third network entities.

21. A communication system element, the system element being configured to:

transmit data in messages to at least one third system element through a second system element by using a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) or a User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol (UDP/IP) transport protocol, wherein each message comprises a port number parameter indicating a TCP or UDP port number, respectively; and

to include an identity of the at least one third system element, to which a message is transmitted, in the port number parameter of the message when transmitting the message to the at least one third system element through the second system element.

22. The communication system element of claim 21, wherein the identity of the at least one third system element comprises a physical address of the at least one third system element.

23. The communication system element of claim 22, wherein the physical address of the at least one third system element comprises one or both of an interface unit number and an interface port number of the second system element to which the at least one third system element is connected.

24. The communication system element of claim 23, the system element being configured to include the identity of the at least one third system element in the port number parameter of the message by re-calculating the port number parameter according to the following formula:

re-calculated port number parameter value=10000+protocol number*3000+interface unit number*100+interface port number, wherein

protocol number=predefined protocol sequence number.

25. The communication system element of claim 21, the system element comprising a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) customer premises equipment management system.

26. A communication system element, the system element being configured to forward messages between a first system element and at least one third system element, wherein the messages are a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) or a User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol (UDP/IP) transport protocol messages and wherein each message comprises a port number parameter indicating a TCP or UDP port number, respectively, wherein the system element is further configured to:

include an identity of at least one third system element, from which a message is transmitted, in a port number parameter of the message before forwarding the message to a first system element; and

remove the identity of the at least one third system element, to which a message is transmitted, from the port number parameter of the message before forwarding the message to the at least one third system element.

27. The communication system element of claim 26, wherein the identity of the at least one third system element comprises a physical address of the at least one third system element.

28. The communication system element of claim 27, wherein the physical address of the at least one third system element comprises one or both of an interface unit number and an interface port number of a second system element to which the third system element is connected.

29. The communication system element of claim 28, the system element being configured to include the identity of the at least one third system element in the port number parameter of the message by re-calculating the port number parameter according to the following formula:

re-calculated port number parameter value=10000+protocol number*3000+interface unit number*100+interface port number, wherein

protocol number=predefined protocol sequence number.

30. The communication system element of claim 29, the system element being configured to remove the identity of the at least one third system element from the port number parameter of the message by replacing the recalculated port number parameter value with a TCP or UDP port number corresponding to the protocol indicated by the re-calculated port number parameter value.

31. The communication system element of claim 26, the system element further comprising a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) access multiplexer.