Telecommunications apparatus and method, storage medium, and program

• US 20060153096A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Takehiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,656,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic

Abstract

The present invention relates to a telecommunications apparatus and a method, a storage medium, and a program for determining whether or not the other side communicating content data is located on a LAN or across a WAN. In step S13, the difference between a counter value in a received check packet and a value in a register is computed. In step S14, the resultant difference is checked to determine if it is equal to a constant value X. If it is determined that the difference is equal to the constant value X, the counter value in the packet is stored in the register in step S15. In step S16, it is determined whether or not all the predetermined number of check packets is received. If all the predetermined number of check packets is received, it is determined that the communication takes place over a LAN connection in step S17. If, in step S14, it is determined that the difference is not equal to the constant value X, it is determined that the communication takes place across a WAN connection in step S18. The present invention can be applied to a personal computer on a wireless LAN.

Claims

1. A transmitting apparatus located on a local area network, said apparatus comprising:

a transmission unit configured to transmit a check packet to a receiving apparatus;

a control unit configured to receive an acknowledgment message to the check packet from the receiving apparatus, the acknowledgment message including acknowledgment information;

a timer configured to determine a response time of the acknowledgment message; and

a judgment unit configured to judge whether the receiving apparatus is located on the local area network based on the acknowledgement information and the response time.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the timer is further configured to measure the response time between transmitting the check packet and receiving the acknowledgement message.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the timer is further configured to determine if the response time of the acknowledgement message is less than a predetermined time.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said transmission unit is further configured to transmit plural check packets to the receiving apparatus.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 4, wherein the transmission unit is further configured to transmit each of the plural check packets including a sequential counter value corresponding to a respective check packet in the plural transmitted check packets.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to receive the acknowledgement message that includes acknowledgement information based on shared data shared between the transmitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 6 further comprising:

a computing unit configured to compute an expected acknowledgment information based on the shared data shared with said receiving apparatus.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 7 further comprising:

an comparing unit configured to produce a comparison result for said receiving apparatus based on the acknowledgment information and the expected acknowledgement information.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein the judgment unit is further configured to judge whether said receiving apparatus is located on the local area network based on the comparison result and the response time.

10. A transmitting method comprising steps of:

transmitting a check packet from a transmitting apparatus on a local area network to a receiving apparatus;

receiving, at the transmitting apparatus, an acknowledgment message to the check packet from the receiving apparatus, the acknowledgment message including acknowledgment information;

determining a response time of the acknowledgement message; and

judging whether said receiving apparatus is located on the local area network based on the acknowledgement information and the response time.

11. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the determining the response time of the acknowledgement message includes measuring a time between transmitting the check packet and receiving the acknowledgement message.

12. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the determining the response time further comprise determining whether the response time of the acknowledgement message is less than a predetermined time.

13. The method recited in claim 10, wherein said transmitting further comprises transmitting plural check packets to the receiving apparatus.

14. The method recited in claim 13, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting each of the plural check packets including a sequential counter value corresponding to a respective check packet in the plural transmitted check packets.

15. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the receiving the acknowledgement message further comprises receiving the acknowledgement message including acknowledgement information based on shared data shared with the receiving apparatus.

16. The method recited in claim 15 further comprising:

computing an expected acknowledgment information based on the shared data shared with said receiving apparatus.

17. The method recited in claim 16 further comprising:

producing a comparison result for said receiving apparatus based on the acknowledgment information and the expected acknowledgement information.

18. The method recited in claim 17, wherein the judging further comprises judging whether said receiving apparatus is located on the local area network based on the comparison result and the response time.

19. A computer program product having computer program instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the following steps:

transmitting a check packet from a transmitting apparatus on a local area network to a receiving apparatus;

receiving, at the transmitting apparatus, an acknowledgment message to the check packet from the receiving apparatus, the acknowledgment message including acknowledgment information;

determining a response time of the acknowledgement message; and

judging whether said receiving apparatus is located on the local area network based on the acknowledgement information and the response time.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 19, wherein the determining the response time of the acknowledgement message includes measuring a time between transmitting the check packet and receiving the acknowledgement message.

21. The computer program product recited in claim 19, wherein the determining the response time further comprise determining whether the response time of the acknowledgement message is less than a predetermined time.

22. The computer program product recited in claim 19, wherein said transmitting further comprises transmitting plural check packets to the receiving apparatus.

23. The computer program product recited in claim 22, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting each of the plural check packets including a sequential counter value corresponding to a respective check packet in the plural transmitted check packets.

24. The computer program product recited in claim 19, wherein the receiving the acknowledgement message further comprises receiving the acknowledgement message including acknowledgement information based on shared data shared with the receiving apparatus.

25. The computer program product recited in claim 24 further comprising:

computing an expected acknowledgment information based on the shared data shared with said receiving apparatus.

26. The computer program product recited in claim 25 further comprising:

producing a comparison result for said receiving apparatus based on the acknowledgment information and the expected acknowledgement information.

27. The computer program product recited in claim 26, wherein the judging further comprises judging whether said receiving apparatus is located on the local area network based on the comparison result and the response time.

28. A transmitting apparatus located on a local area network, said apparatus comprising:

a transmission unit configured to transmit a check packet to a receiving apparatus;

a control unit configured to receive an acknowledgment message to the check packet from the receiving apparatus, the acknowledgment message including acknowledgment information;

a timer configured to determine a response time of the acknowledgment message; and

means for judging whether said receiving apparatus is located on the local area network based on the acknowledgement information and the response time.

29. The apparatus recited in claim 28, wherein the timer is further configured to measure the response time between transmitting the check packet and receiving the acknowledgement message.

30. The apparatus recited in claim 28, wherein the timer is further configured to determine if the response time of the acknowledgement message is less than a predetermined time.

31. The apparatus recited in claim 28, wherein said transmission unit is further configured to transmit plural check packets to the receiving apparatus.

32. The apparatus recited in claim 31, wherein the transmission unit is further configured to transmit each of the plural check packets including a sequential counter value corresponding to a respective check packet in the plural transmitted check packets.

33. The apparatus recited in claim 28, wherein the control unit is further configured to receive the acknowledgement message that includes acknowledgement information based on shared data shared between the transmitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus.

34. The apparatus recited in claim 33 further comprising:

means for computing an expected acknowledgment information based on the shared data shared with said receiving apparatus.

35. The apparatus recited in claim 34 further comprising:

means for producing a comparison result for said receiving apparatus based on the acknowledgment information and the expected acknowledgement information.

36. The apparatus recited in claim 35, wherein the means for judging further comprises means for judging whether said receiving apparatus is located on the local area network based on the comparison result and the response time.

37. A receiving apparatus configured to use a predetermined content after a transmitting apparatus determines the receiving apparatus is located on a same network based on acknowledgement information and a response time, the receiving apparatus comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive a check packet from the transmitting apparatus;

an acknowledgment information generation unit configured to generate said acknowledgment information;

an acknowledgment message generation unit configured to generate an acknowledgment message to said check packet, said acknowledgement message including said acknowledgment information; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit said acknowledgement message to said transmitting apparatus.

38. The apparatus recited in claim 37, wherein said reception unit is further configured to receive plural check packets from the transmitting apparatus.

39. The apparatus recited in claim 38, wherein said reception unit is further configured to receive each of the plural check packets including a sequential counter value corresponding to a respective check packet in the plural transmitted check packets.

40. The apparatus recited in claim 37, wherein the acknowledgement information generation unit is further configured to generate said acknowledgement information based on shared data shared between the transmitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus.

41. The apparatus recited in claim 40, wherein the acknowledgement information generation unit further includes generating the acknowledgement information by subjecting said shared data to a predetermined process.

42. The apparatus recited in claim 37, wherein the transmission unit is further configured to transmit said acknowledgement message when said check packet is received from the transmitting apparatus.

43. A method for a receiving apparatus configured to use a predetermined content after a transmitting apparatus determines the receiving apparatus is located on the same network based on acknowledgement information and a acknowledgement message time, the receiving method comprising steps of:

receiving a check packet from the transmitting apparatus;

generating said acknowledgment information;

generating an acknowledgment message to said check packet, said acknowledgement message including said acknowledgment information; and

transmitting said acknowledgement message to said data transmitting apparatus when said check packet is received from said data transmitting apparatus.

44. The method recited in claim 43, wherein said receiving further comprises receiving plural check packets from the transmitting apparatus.

45. The method recited in claim 44, wherein said receiving further comprises receiving each of the plural check packets including a sequential counter value corresponding to a respective check packet in the plural transmitted check packets.

46. The method recited in claim 43, wherein the generating the acknowledgement information further comprises generating said acknowledgement information based on shared data shared between the transmitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus.

47. The method recited in claim 46, wherein generating the acknowledgement information further comprises generating said acknowledgement information by subjecting said shared data to a predetermined process.

48. The method recited in claim 43, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting said acknowledgement message when said check packet is received from the transmitting apparatus.

49. A computer program product having computer program instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the following steps:

receiving a check packet from a transmitting apparatus;

generating said acknowledgment information;

generating an acknowledgment message to said check packet, said acknowledgement message including said acknowledgment information; and

transmitting said acknowledgement message to said data transmitting apparatus.

50. The computer program product recited in claim 49, wherein said receiving further comprises receiving plural check packets from the transmitting apparatus.

51. The computer program product recited in claim 50, wherein said receiving further comprises receiving each of the plural check packets including a sequential counter value corresponding to a respective check packet in the plural transmitted check packets.

52. The computer program product recited in claim 49, wherein the generating the acknowledgement information further comprises generating said acknowledgement information based on shared data shared between the transmitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus.

53. The computer program product recited in claim 52, wherein generating the acknowledgement information further comprises generating said acknowledgement information by subjecting said shared data to a predetermined process.

54. The computer program product recited in claim 49, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting said acknowledgement message when said check packet is received from the transmitting apparatus.

55. A receiving apparatus configured to use a predetermined content after a transmitting apparatus determines the receiving apparatus is located on the same network based on acknowledgement information and a acknowledgement message time, the data receiving apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a check packet from the transmitting apparatus;

means for generating said acknowledgment information;

means for generating an acknowledgment message to said check packet, said acknowledgement message including said acknowledgment information; and

means for transmitting said acknowledgement message to said transmitting apparatus.

56. The apparatus recited in claim 55, wherein said reception unit is further configured to receive plural check packets from the transmitting apparatus.

57. The apparatus recited in claim 56, wherein said reception unit is further configured to receive each of the plural check packets including a sequential counter value corresponding to a respective check packet in the plural transmitted check packets.

58. The apparatus recited in claim 55, wherein the acknowledgement information generation unit is further configured to generate said acknowledgement information based on shared data shared between the transmitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus.

59. The apparatus recited in claim 58, wherein the means for generating acknowledgement information further includes subjecting said shared data to a predetermined process.

60. The apparatus recited in claim 55, wherein the transmission unit is further configured to transmit said acknowledgement message when said check packet is received from the transmitting apparatus.