COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20110044334A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Miyashita, Shigehiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,699,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

In a communication system in which computer 20 transmits an HTTP request to WWW server 70 via broadband router apparatus 30 and the Internet 50, and WWW server 70 transmits an HTTP response to computer 20 according to the received HTTP request, broadband router apparatus 30 establishes an IP phone session and a TCP connection with HTTP proxy server 620 upon receiving the HTTP request from computer 20, and transmits the received HTTP request to WWW server 70 via HTTP proxy server 620.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising a computer, a broadband router apparatus connected to the computer, and a WWW sever connected to the broadband router apparatus via the Internet, the computer transmitting an HTTP request to the WWW server via the broadband router apparatus, and the WWW server transmitting an HTTP response to the computer according to the received HTTP request, the communication system characterized in that:

the system comprises;

first IP phone means for establishing an IP phone session with the broadband router apparatus; and

first HTTP proxy means for establishing a TCP connection with the broadband router apparatus and terminating HTTP communication; and

the broadband router apparatus comprises;

second HTTP proxy means for terminating HTTP communication, and, upon receiving an HTTP request from the computer, transmitting an IP phone connection request; and

second IP phone means for, upon receiving the IP phone connection request, establishing an IP phone session with the first IP phone means and notifying the second HTTP proxy means to the effect that the IP phone session has been established;

when being notified by the second IP phone means that the IP phone session has been established, the second HTTP proxy means establishes a TCP connection with the first HTTP proxy means and transmits the HTTP request received from the computer to the first HTTP proxy means; and

the first HTTP proxy means transmits the HTTP request received from the second HTTP proxy means to the WWW server, and transmits the HTTP response to the HTTP request, which has been received from the WWW server, to the second HTTP proxy means.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, comprising:

a database storing a combination of an IP phone number and an URL of content on the WWW server as a unit, in association with authentication information for acquiring the content on the WWW server; and

storage means for storing an IP phone number and an IP address in association with each other;

wherein

the second IP phone means notifies the IP phone number and IP address of the broadband router apparatus to the first IP phone means during the process of establishing the IP phone session;

the first IP phone means transmits the IP phone number and IP address of the broadband router apparatus notified from the second IP phone means to the storage means when the IP phone session is established;

the storage means stores the received IP phone number and IP address of the broadband router apparatus in association with each other; and

when authentication information for acquiring content from the WWW server is requested in response to the HTTP request transmitted to the WWW server, the first HTTP proxy means acquires an IP phone number corresponding to the IP address of the HTTP request transmission source included in the HTTP request received from the second HTTP proxy means, from the storage means, acquires authentication information corresponding to a combination of the IP phone number and the URL of the content on the WWW server included in the HTTP request received from the second HTTP proxy means, from the database, and transmits both the HTTP request received from the second HTTP proxy means and the authentication information to the WWW server.

3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein

when the authentication information corresponding to the combination of the IP phone number and the URL of the content on the WWW server included in the HTTP request received from the second HTTP proxy means cannot be acquired from the database, the first HTTP proxy means notifies the second HTTP proxy means to that effect.

4. The communication system according to claim 2, comprising:

communication recording management means for accumulating and managing communication records, with a combination of an IP phone number and an URL as a unit;

wherein

upon receiving an HTTP response to the HTTP request transmitted to the WWW server together with the authentication information, the first HTTP proxy means acquires an IP phone number, corresponding to the IP address of the transmission source of the HTTP request received from the second HTTP proxy means, from the storage means, and transmits the IP phone number, the URL of the content on the WWW server included in the HTTP request received from the second HTTP proxy means and a communication recording start notification to the communication recording management means;

the communication recording management means manages the start of communication recording for the combination of the IP phone number and URL received from the first HTTP proxy means;

when communication of the HTTP response is completed, the first HTTP proxy means acquires an IP phone number, corresponding to the IP address of the transmission source of the HTTP request received from the second HTTP proxy means, from the storage means, and transmits the IP phone number, the URL of the content on the WWW server included in the HTTP request received from the second HTTP proxy means, and a communication recording stop notification to the communication recording management means; and

the communication recording management means manages stopping of communication recording for the combination of the IP phone number and URL received from the first HTTP proxy means.

5. A communication method in a communication system comprising a computer, a broadband router apparatus connected to the computer, a WWW sever connected to the broadband router apparatus via the Internet, and an HTTP proxy server establishing an IP phone session and a TCP connection with the broadband router apparatus and terminating HTTP communication, the computer transmitting an HTTP request to the WWW server via the broadband router apparatus, and the WWW server transmitting an HTTP response to the computer according to the received HTTP request, the method comprising the steps of:

the broadband router apparatus establishing an IP phone session with the HTTP proxy server upon receiving an HTTP request from the computer;

the broadband router apparatus establishing a TCP connection with the HTTP proxy server when the IP phone session is established;

the broadband router apparatus transmitting the HTTP request received from the computer to the HTTP proxy server when the TCP connection is established; and

the HTTP proxy server transmitting an HTTP response to the HTTP request, which has been received from the WWW server, to the broadband router apparatus.

6. The communication method according to claim 5, comprising the steps of:

storing a combination of an IP phone number and an URL of content on the WWW server as a unit, in association with authentication information for acquiring the content on the WWW server; and

the broadband router apparatus notifying the IP phone number and IP address of the broadband router apparatus to the HTTP proxy server during the process of establishing the IP phone session;

the HTTP proxy server storing the IP phone number and IP address of the broadband router apparatus notified to the HTTP proxy server from the broadband router apparatus in association with each other when the IP phone session is established;

the HTTP proxy server acquiring an IP phone number corresponding to the IP address of the HTTP request transmission source included in the HTTP request received from the broadband router apparatus when authentication information for acquiring the content from the WWW server is required to the HTTP request transmitted to the WWW server;

the HTTP proxy server acquiring authentication information corresponding to the combination of the IP phone number and the URL of the content on the WWW server included in the HTTP request received from the broadband router apparatus; and

the HTTP proxy server transmitting both of the HTTP request received from the broadband router apparatus and the authentication information to the WWW server.

7. The communication method according to claim 6, comprising:

a step of, when the authentication information corresponding to the combination of the IP phone number and the URL of the content on the WWW server included in the HTTP request received from the broadband router apparatus cannot be acquired, the HTTP proxy server notifying the broadband router apparatus to that effect.

8. The communication method according to claim 6, comprising the steps of:

the HTTP proxy server acquiring an IP phone number corresponding to the IP address of the transmission source of the HTTP request received from the broadband router apparatus when an HTTP response to the HTTP request transmitted to the WWW server together with the authentication information is received;

starting communication recording, with the combination of the IP phone number and the URL of the content on the WWW server included in the HTTP request that the HTTP proxy server has received from the broadband router apparatus as a unit;

the HTTP proxy server acquiring an IP phone number corresponding to the IP address of the transmission source of the HTTP request received from the broadband router apparatus when communication of the HTTP response ends; and

stopping communication recording for the combination of the IP phone number and the URL of the content on the WWW server included in the HTTP request that the HTTP proxy server has received from the broadband router apparatus.