Communication system, information processing system, information processing apparatus, tunnel management apparatus, information processing method, tunnel management method, and program

• US 20070174436A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Maekawa, Hajime, Ikeda, Takumi
• Application Number:
  US10/587,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174436A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling

Abstract

A tunnel managing apparatus is provided for managing a tunnel communication data for conducting a tunnel communication between a first data processing apparatus and a second data processing apparatus. According to the tunnel communication data, a sustain data for sustaining the tunnel communication is transmitted to the first data processing apparatus. The first data processing apparatus then controls the tunnel communication with the second data processing apparatus in response to the sustain data received from the tunnel managing apparatus. Accordingly, a communications system can be provided for controlling the tunnel communication with no use of any communication controlling server.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A tunnel communication managing method for controlling tunnel communication, by using an access apparatus for controlling the tunnel communication made by a data processing apparatus, comprising:

a sustain data demand receiving step, in which the access apparatus receives a demand for sustain data of tunnel communication transmitted from the data processing apparatus;

a sustain data demand transmitting step, in which the access apparatus transmits the demand for sustain data to a tunnel managing apparatus connected to the access apparatus through a communication line;

a sustain data receiving step, in which the access apparatus receives a sustain data based on tunnel communication data from the tunnel managing apparatus; and

a sustain data transmitting step, in which the access apparatus transmits the sustain data to the data processing apparatus.

34. A tunnel communication managing method according to claim 33, wherein the sustain data is used for the data processing apparatus to judge whether to cancel the tunnel communication or not.

35. A tunnel communication managing method according to claim 33, further comprising:

a tunnel control data receiving step, in which the access apparatus receives tunnel control data transmitted from the data processing apparatus;

a tunnel communication data modification judging step, in which the access apparatus judges whether to modify the tunnel communication data or not; and

a tunnel control data transmitting step, in which the access apparatus transmits the tunnel control data to the tunnel managing apparatus, in the case where it judged that the tunnel communication data should be modified.

36. A tunnel communication managing method according to claim 33, further comprising:

a tunnel control data receiving step, in which the access apparatus receives tunnel control data transmitted from a data processing apparatus other than the data processing apparatus;

a tunnel communication data modification judging step, in which the access apparatus judges whether to modify the tunnel communication data or not; and

a tunnel control data transmitting step, in which the access apparatus transmits the tunnel control data to the tunnel managing apparatus, in the case where it judged that the tunnel communication data should be modified.

37. A tunnel communication managing method according to claims 33, wherein the tunnel communication data indicates at least one of a data regarding the tunnel communication allow/disallow flag, a data regarding time of the tunnel communication, and a data regarding charging of the tunnel communication.

38. A tunnel communication managing method according to claim 33, wherein the access apparatus executes the sustain data demand receiving step at prescribed time intervals.

39. A tunnel communication managing method according to claim 33, further comprising:

an identifier registration step of registering identifier, in which the access apparatus identifies at least one of the addresses of tunnel communication, to be performed by the data processing apparatus and the data processing apparatus concerned, before executing the sustain data demand receiving step.

40. A tunnel communication managing method according to claim 36, wherein the tunnel communication data modification judging step judges if the identifier for identifying the different data processing apparatus is registered in advance in the access apparatus or not and, in the case where such identifier is registered, executes the tunnel control data transmitting step.

41. A tunnel communication managing method according to claim 33, wherein the tunnel communication data is controlled by the tunnel managing apparatus, and is used for controlling the tunnel communication.

42. An access apparatus for controlling tunnel communication performed by an data processing apparatus, comprising;

a sustain data demand receiving unit for receiving a demand for sustain data of tunnel communication transmitted from the data processing apparatus;

a sustain data demand transmitting unit for transmitting the demand for sustain data to a tunnel managing apparatus connected to the access apparatus through a communication line;

a sustain data receiving unit for receiving a sustain data based on tunnel communication data from the tunnel managing apparatus; and

a sustain data transmitting unit for transmitting the sustain data to the data processing apparatus.

43. An access apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the sustain data is used for the data processing apparatus to judge whether to cancel the tunnel communication or not.

44. An access apparatus according to claim 42, further comprising:

a tunnel control data receiving unit for receiving tunnel control data transmitted from the data processing apparatus;

a tunnel communication data modification judging unit for judging whether to modify the tunnel communication data or not; and

a tunnel control data transmitting unit for transmitting the tunnel control data to the tunnel managing apparatus, in the case where it judged that the tunnel communication data should be modified.

45. An access apparatus according to claim 42, further comprising:

a tunnel control data receiving unit for receiving tunnel control data transmitted from a data processing apparatus other than the data processing apparatus;

a tunnel communication data modification judging unit for judging whether to modify the tunnel communication data or not; and

a tunnel control data transmitting unit for transmitting the tunnel control data to the tunnel managing apparatus, in the case where it judged that the tunnel communication data should be modified.

46. An access apparatus according to claims 42, wherein the tunnel communication data indicates at least one of a data regarding the tunnel communication allow/disallow flag, a data regarding time of the tunnel communication, and a data regarding charging of the tunnel communication.

47. An access apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the sustain data demand receiving unit receives the demand for sustain data from the data processing apparatus at prescribed time intervals.

48. An access apparatus according to claim 42, further comprising:

a communication controlling unit holding identifier for identifying at least one of the addresses of tunnel communication to be performed by the data processing apparatus and the data processing apparatus concerned.

49. An access apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the tunnel communication data modifying unit judges if the identifier for identifying the different data processing apparatus is registered in advance in the access apparatus or not and, in the case where such identifier is registered, transmits the tunnel control data to the tunnel managing apparatus.

50. An access apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the tunnel communication data is controlled by the tunnel managing apparatus, and is used for controlling the tunnel communication.

56. An access apparatus according to claims 43, wherein the tunnel communication data indicates at least one of a data regarding the tunnel communication allow/disallow flag, a data regarding time of the tunnel communication, and a data regarding charging of the tunnel communication.

57. An access apparatus according to claims 44, wherein the tunnel communication data indicates at least one of a data regarding the tunnel communication allow/disallow flag, a data regarding time of the tunnel communication, and a data regarding charging of the tunnel communication.

58. An access apparatus according to claims 45, wherein the tunnel communication data indicates at least one of a data regarding the tunnel communication allow/disallow flag, a data regarding time of the tunnel communication, and a data regarding charging of the tunnel communication.

51. A communication system comprising a tunnel managing apparatus and an access apparatus,

wherein

the access apparatus comprises:

a first demand receiving unit for receiving a demand for transmission of sustain data regarding sustaining of the tunnel communication performed by the data processing apparatus, from the data processing apparatus;

a demand transmitting unit for transmitting the demand for transmission concerned to the tunnel managing apparatus, in the case where the first demand receiving unit received the demand for transmission;

a sustain data receiving unit for receiving the sustain data transmitted from the tunnel managing apparatus; and

a first sustain data transmitting unit for transmitting the sustain data concerned to the data processing apparatus, in the case where the sustain data receiving unit received the sustain data;

while

the tunnel managing apparatus comprises;

a tunnel communication data controlling unit for controlling tunnel communication data regarding the tunnel communication;

a second demand receiving unit for receiving the demand for transmission transmitted from the access apparatus; and

a second sustain data transmitting unit for transmitting the sustain data to the access apparatus based on the tunnel communication data, in the case where the second demand receiving unit received the demand for transmission.

52. A communication system according to claim 51, wherein the tunnel communication data indicates at least one of a data regarding the tunnel communication allow/disallow flag, a data regarding time of the tunnel communication, and a data regarding charging of the tunnel communication.

53. A communication system according to claim 51,

wherein

the access apparatus further comprises:

a control data receiving unit for receiving tunnel control data regarding control of the tunnel communication from the data processing apparatus; and

a control data transmitting unit for transmitting the control data concerned to the tunnel managing apparatus, in the case where the control data receiving unit received the tunnel control data;

while

the tunnel managing apparatus further comprises;

a control data receiving unit for receiving the tunnel control data transmitted from the access apparatus; and

a data modifying unit for modifying the tunnel communication data controlled by the tunnel communication data controlling unit, based on the tunnel control data.

54. A communication system according to claim 51,

wherein

the access apparatus further comprises:

a modification judging unit for judging whether to modify the tunnel communication data or not, based on the tunnel control data concerned, in the case where the control data receiving unit received the tunnel control data from the data processing apparatus;

while

the control data transmitting unit transmits the tunnel control data to the tunnel managing apparatus, in the case where the modification judging unit judged that the tunnel communication data should be modified.

55. A communication system according to claim 51, wherein the tunnel control data is a data demanding modification of time when the data processing apparatus can perform the tunnel communication.