Proxy server apparatus, a proxy server system, and a server apparatus

• US 6,185,616 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1997
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Namma, Eimei, Kaga, Tomomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice L.
• Application Number:
  US08/897,323
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/249, 709/219, 709/217, 709/218, 709/228, 709/225, 370/352, 713/201
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/59 using proxies for addressing

Abstract

A proxy server apparatus (APP) coupled to a network and a TEL network is disclosed, which comprises: a receiving portion for receiving a request, from a client terminal coupled to the network, for connection to a desired server APP therethrough via the TEL network, the request including a name of the server; an address table for storing the name and corresponding TEL NO.; a PPP connection portion for dynamically assigning an IP address to the desired server APP from the name according to the address table and for providing PPP connection between the desired server APP and the proxy server APP; and a COMM providing portion for providing communication between the client terminal and the desired server APP using the IP address. A proxy server system including a plural proxy server APP is also disclosed, wherein a request is forwarded to a desired server according to a proxy server arrangement table in each proxy server APP and communication is routed through other server APP. The proxy server arrangement table is determined according to distance in TEL network or data rate of the proxy server APP. A server APP is disclosed which informs the proxy server coupled thereto of disconnection when all circuits to the proxy server are in non communication condition for a predetermined interval.

Claims

1. A proxy server apparatus coupled to a network and a public telephone network, said proxy server apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving a request from a client terminal coupled to said network, for connection to a desired server apparatus via said public telephone network, said request including a name of said server;

an address table for storing a name and corresponding telephone number;

point-to-point protocol connection means for dynamically assigning an Internet protocol address from predetermined Internet protocol addresses used in said network to said desired server apparatus from said name in accordance with said address table and releasing said Internet protocol address in response to disconnection request information from said desired server apparatus and for providing point-to-point protocol connection between said desired server apparatus and said proxy server apparatus; and

communication providing means for providing communication between said client terminal and said desired server apparatus using said Internet protocol address.

2. A proxy server apparatus coupled to a network controlled with Internet protocol addresses and a public telephone network, said proxy server apparatus comprising:

request receiving means for receiving a request from a client terminal through said network for communicating with a server apparatus to be coupled to a second network through said network and said public telephone network;

a connection condition control table for storing a name of said server apparatus and the corresponding telephone number in said public telephone network and correspondingly storing Internet protocol addresses while said server apparatus is connected thereto;

connection condition controlling means for checking whether a server apparatus is connected to said network in accordance with said connection condition control table and for receiving a disconnection request from said server apparatus and releasing said Internet protocol addresses corresponding to said server apparatus;

point-to-point protocol connection means for dynamically assigning one of said Internet protocol addresses to said server apparatus if said server apparatus is not being connected to said network by checking said connection condition controlling means and for providing a point-to-point connection if said server apparatus is not being connected to said network;

data communication means for providing data communication with said server apparatus with the dynamically assigned said one of Internet protocol addresses; and

request response means for transmitting a communication result from said data communication means as a reply in response to said communication request to said client terminal.

3. A proxy server system including a plurality of proxy server apparatuses coupled to a network controlled with Internet protocol addresses and a public telephone network, each proxy server apparatus comprising:

a proxy server apparatus arrangement table for representing corresponding relations between names of a plurality of server apparatuses and names of a plurality of server apparatuses in charge of said plurality of proxy server apparatuses;

receiving means for receiving a request from a client terminal coupled to said network directly or via one of said plurality of proxy server apparatuses for connection to one of said plurality of server apparatuses;

forwarding means for forwarding a request to one of said proxy server apparatuses in charge of one of said plurality of server apparatuses through said network in accordance with said proxy server apparatus arrangement table when said one of said plurality of server apparatuses is not in charge of a requested proxy server apparatus;

an address table for storing the name and corresponding telephone number of one of said plurality of server apparatuses in charge of a requested proxy server apparatus;

point-to-point protocol connection means for dynamically assigning an Internet protocol address from predetermined Internet protocol addresses to one of said plurality of server apparatuses from a name in accordance with said address table and for providing a point-to-point protocol connection between one of said server apparatuses and a requested proxy server apparatus, when said one of said plurality of server apparatuses is in charge of a requested proxy server apparatus; and

communication providing means for providing communication between said client terminal and said one of said plurality of server apparatuses using said Internet protocol address.

4. A proxy server system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said proxy server apparatus arrangement table is determined in accordance with distances in said public telephone network between said server apparatus and said plurality of proxy server apparatuses.

5. A proxy server system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said proxy server apparatus arrangement table is determined in accordance with data rates of said plurality of proxy server apparatuses.

6. A proxy server system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said proxy server apparatus arrangement table is determined in accordance with data rates of said plurality of proxy server apparatuses and distances in said public telephone network between said server apparatus and said plurality of proxy server apparatuses.

9. A proxy server system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said forwarding means is substantially directly connected to said proxy server apparatus arrangement table.

7. A proxy server apparatus coupled to a network controlled with Internet protocol addresses and a public telephone network, comprising:

a proxy server apparatus arrangement table for representing corresponding relations between names of said proxy server apparatuses and other proxy server apparatuses coupled to said network and names of a plurality of server apparatuses in charge of said proxy server apparatuses and said other proxy server apparatuses;

receiving means for receiving a request from a client terminal coupled to said network directly or via one of said other proxy server apparatuses, for connection to one of said plurality of server apparatuses;

forwarding means for forwarding a request to one of said other proxy server apparatuses in charge of one of said plurality of server apparatuses through said network in accordance with said proxy server apparatus arrangement table when said one of said plurality of server apparatuses is not in charge of said proxy server apparatus;

an address table for storing the name and corresponding telephone number of one of said plurality of server apparatuses in charge of a proxy server apparatus;

point-to-point protocol connection means for dynamically assigning an Internet protocol address from predetermined Internet protocol addresses to one of said plurality of server apparatuses from a name in accordance with said address table and for providing a point-to-point protocol connection between one of said server apparatuses and a proxy server apparatus, when said one of said plurality of server apparatuses is in charge of a proxy server apparatus; and

communication providing means for providing communication between said client terminal and said one of said plurality of server apparatuses using said Internet protocol address.

8. A proxy server system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said communication providing means provides said communication between said client terminal and said one of said plurality of server apparatuses via said another one of said plurality of proxy server apparatuses when said request is from said client terminal via said another one of said plurality of proxy server apparatuses.

10. A proxy server apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said forwarding means is substantially directly connected to said proxy server apparatus arrangement table.