TERMINAL, CONTROL DEVICE, COMMUNICATION METHOD, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION MODULE, PROGRAM, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE

• US 20130148500A1
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sonoda, Kentaro, Shimonishi, Hideyuki, Nakae, Masayuki, Yamagata, Masaya, Morita, Yoichiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,397,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/302 Route determination based on requested QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types

Abstract

A terminal communicating via a network including a forwarding device(s) for forwarding a packet and a control device for controlling the forwarding device(s) in accordance with a request from the forwarding device, includes: a communication unit that receives a processing rule specifying a process of adding, to a packet, quality information related to communication quality with respect to the terminal, from the control device, a memory unit that stores the received processing rule, and a processing unit that in a case of communicating via the network, adds quality information to a packet in accordance with a processing rule that corresponds to the packet by referring to the processing rule stored in the memory unit.

Claims

1. A terminal, communicating via a network including at least one forwarding device for forwarding a packet, and a control device for controlling said forwarding device(s) in accordance with a request from said forwarding device, said terminal comprising:

a communication unit that receives a processing rule specifying a process of adding, to a packet, quality information related to communication quality with respect to said terminal, from said control device;

a memory unit that stores said received processing rule; and

a processing unit that in a case of communicating via said network, adds quality information to a packet in accordance with a processing rule that corresponds to said packet by referring to said processing rule stored in said memory unit.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit receives a processing rule determined by said control device based on a prescribed condition.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit receives a processing rule determined by said control device based on a policy corresponding to a user of the terminal itself.

4. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit receives a processing rule determined by said control device based on a communication record of the terminal itself.

5. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit receives a processing rule determined by said control device based on information related to a location of the terminal itself.

6. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit further comprises a request transmission function that transmits an access request to said network, wherein said communication unit receives a processing rule determined by said control device in accordance with said access request.

7. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit further comprises a request transmission function that transmits an access request to said network, wherein said communication unit receives a processing rule determined by said control device in accordance with said access request transmitted via said forwarding device.

8. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit receives from said control device a second processing rule corresponding to a first processing rule set by said control device with respect to said forwarding device.

9. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit collates information included in a packet and a processing rule stored in said memory unit, and processes said packet in accordance with a processing rule corresponding to information included in said packet.

10. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit generates first information requested by a processing rule stored in said memory unit, and transmits said first information to said network so that at least one of either said control device or said forwarding device collates said first information and second information requested by said processing rule determined by said control device.

11. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein said quality information related to said communication quality comprises billing information of a user of said terminal.

12. A control device, that sets a processing rule for a packet with respect to at least one forwarding device for forwarding packets, said control device comprising:

a request receiving unit that receives an access request transmitted from a terminal for accessing a network in which said forwarding device processes a packet in accordance with said processing rule;

a control unit that generates a processing rule specifying a process of adding quality information related to communication quality with respect to said terminal, to said packet; and

a communication unit that transmits said generated processing rule to said terminal.

13. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said control unit determines a processing rule based on a prescribed condition.

14. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said control unit determines a processing rule based on a policy corresponding to a user of said terminal.

15. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said control unit determines a processing rule based on a communication record of said terminal.

16. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said control unit determines a processing rule based on information related to a location of said terminal.

17. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said control unit determines a processing rule in accordance with an access request transmitted via said at least one forwarding device.

18. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said control unit determines a second processing rule corresponding to a first processing rule set for said forwarding device, and

said communication unit transmits said second processing rule to said terminal.

19. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said control unit determines a processing rule for setting in said terminal, generates first information requested by said processing rule, and collates second information received from said terminal and said first information.

20. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said control unit determines a processing rule for setting in said terminal and generates first information requested by said processing rule, and

said communication unit transmits said first information to said forwarding device so as to collate second information transmitted from said terminal to said forwarding device and said first information.

21. The control device according to claim 12, wherein said quality information related to said communication quality comprises billing information of a user of said terminal.

22. A communication method for controlling at least one terminal communicating via a network including at least one forwarding device for forwarding a packet, and a control device for controlling said forwarding device in accordance with a request from said forwarding device, said method comprising:

receiving a processing rule specifying a process of adding, to a packet, quality information related to service quality with respect to said terminal, from said control device;

storing said received processing rule; and

processing in a case of communicating via said network, adding quality information to a packet in accordance with a processing rule that corresponds to said packet by referring to said stored processing rule.

23. The communication method according to claim 22, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a processing rule determined by said control device based on a prescribed condition.

24. The communication method according to claim 22, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a processing rule determined by said control device based on a policy corresponding to a user of said terminal.

25. The communication method according to claim 22, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a processing rule determined by said control device based on a communication record of said terminal.

26. The communication method according to claim 22, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a processing rule determined by said control device based on information related to a location of said terminal.

27. The communication method according to claim 22, further comprising:

transmitting an access request to said network, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a processing rule determined by said control device in accordance with said access request.

28. The communication method according to claim 22, further comprising:

transmission step of transmitting an access request to said network, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a processing rule determined by said control device in accordance with said access request transmitted via said forwarding device.

29. The communication method according to claim 22, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a second processing rule corresponding to a first processing rule set by said control device for said forwarding device.

30. The communication method according to claim 22, wherein said processing comprises collating information included in a packet and a stored processing rule, and processing said packet in accordance with a processing rule corresponding to information included in said packet.

31. The communication method according to claim 22, wherein said processing comprises generating first information requested by a stored processing rule, and transmitting said first information to said network so that at least one of either said control device or said forwarding device collates said first information and second information requested by said processing rule determined by said control device.

32. The communication method according to claim 22, wherein said quality information related to said communication quality comprises billing information of a user of said terminal.

33. A communication system, including at least one forwarding device for forwarding a packet, a control device for controlling said forwarding device(s) in accordance with a request from said forwarding device, and at least one terminal communicating via a network including said at least one forwarding device and said control device, said system being in that:

said control device comprises a control unit that determines a processing rule specifying a process of adding, to a packet, quality information related to service quality with respect to said terminal; and

said terminal comprises;

a communication unit that receives said processing rule determined by said control device, from said control device;

a memory unit that stores said received processing rule; and

a processing unit that in a case of communicating via said network, adding quality information to a packet in accordance with a processing rule that corresponds to said packet by referring to said processing rule stored in said memory unit.

34. A communication module, installed in a terminal communicating via a network including at least one forwarding device for forwarding a packet, and a control device for controlling said forwarding device(s) in accordance with a request from said forwarding device, said module comprising:

a communication unit that receives a processing rule specifying a process of adding, to a packet, quality information related to service quality with respect to said terminal, from said control device;

a memory unit that stores said received processing rule; and

a processing unit that in a case where said terminal communicates with said network, adding quality information to a packet in accordance with a processing rule that corresponds to said packet by referring to said processing rule stored in said memory unit.

35. A computer program embodied in a non-transient recording medium, executing, in a terminal communicating via a network including at least one forwarding device for forwarding a packet, and a control device for controlling said forwarding device(s) in accordance with a request from said forwarding device:

a process of receiving a processing rule specifying a process of adding, to a packet, quality information related to service quality with respect to said terminal, from said control device;

a process of storing said received processing rule; and

a process of in a case where said terminal communicates via said network, adding quality information to a packet in accordance with a processing rule that corresponds to said packet by referring to said stored processing rule.

36. An information processing device, for transmitting to a terminal a computer program for executing, in said terminal that communicates with a network including at least one forwarding device for forwarding a packet, and a control device for controlling said forwarding device(s) in accordance with a request from said forwarding device:

a process of receiving a processing rule specifying a process of adding, to a packet, quality information related to service quality with respect to said terminal, from said control device;

a process of storing said received processing rule; and

a process of in a case where said terminal communicates with said network, adding quality information to a packet in accordance with a processing rule that corresponds to said packet by referring to said stored processing rule.