Integrated IP network

• US 6,711,623 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2000
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Distribution Systems Research Institute (GS1 AISBL)
• Original Assignee: The Distribution Systems Research Institute (GS1 AISBL), Miyaguchi Research Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Furukawa, Hisao, Miyaguchi, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Hieu C.
• Application Number:
  US09/568,515
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 704/223, 704/224, 704/245, 704/227-228, 704/249, 704/238-239, 370/395.3, 370/395.31, 370/474
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/85 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2517 using port numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2535 Multiple local networks, e.g. resolving potential IP address conflicts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2564 for a higher-layer protocol, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2592 using tunnelling or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

To provide an integrated IP network containing therein a plurality of separated IP networks with a variety of characteristics, such as IP telephone network, IP video network, IP electronic text network, best effort network, IP data multicast network and IP-based TV broadcast network. In the integrated IP network there are virtually installed a plurality of IP networks with various features, such as IP telephone network, IP video network, IP electronic text network, best effort network, IP data multicast network and IP-based TV broadcast network. An address management table is set in each of the network node devices installed at input points through which the integrated IP network is accessed from outside. The address management table is registered beforehand with terminal addresses and port numbers identifying the application programs (AP) in the terminal. The address and port number written in the IP packet entered into the integrated IP network are compared with those registered in the address management table to route, inside the integrated IP network, the IP packet to an appropriate IP network. The port number may not be used and only the addresses may be compared.

Claims

1. An integrated IP network including:

a plurality of IP networks; and

a plurality of network node devices;

wherein the network node devices are each connected to one or more of the IP networks via communication circuits and have their network node-points connected to external terminals via communication circuits;

wherein, when one of the network node devices receives an IP packet from the external terminal, the following sequence of operations is performed;

in a first case where a network node-point address of a network node-point through which the received IP packet has passed is registered in an address management table as not specifying a virtual dedicated line connection, a source terminal address, a destination terminal address and a port number registered in the address management table are compared with a source terminal address, a destination terminal address, a source port number and a destination port number contained in the IP packet to find a record containing a network identifier indicating a destination IP network to which the IP packet is to be sent;

in a second case where a network node-point address of the network node-point through which the received IP packet has passed is registered in the address management table as specifying a virtual dedicated line connection, a record containing a network identifier indicating a destination IP network to which the IP packet is to be sent is detected;

after the procedure of the first case or the second case is completed, the source network node-point address and the destination network node-point address contained in the detected record are used to generate an integrated IP network packet which is then sent to the destination IP network;

the integrated IP network packet passes through an IP packet exchange point and the destination IP network and reaches another network node device where an integrated IP network header is removed from the integrated IP network packet to restore the received IP packet which is then sent to a destination IP terminal;

wherein the address management table is referenced to select a destination IP network to which the IP packet is to be transferred and the IP packet is sent to the destination IP network, and the integrated IP network packet is passed through two or more IP networks of different communication companies within the destination IP network and through IP packet exchange points.

2. An integrated IP network according to claim 1, wherein in the first case, a source terminal address and a destination terminal address registered in the address management table are compared with a source terminal address and a destination terminal address contained in the IP packet to find a record containing a network identifier indicating a destination IP network to which the IP packet is to be sent, characterized not comparing port numbers.

3. An integrated IP network according to claim 1, wherein, the integrated IP network includes a single IP network managed by a communication company, the integrated IP network packet is passed through within the said IP network, but wherein the integrated IP packet is not passed through two or more IP networks of different communication companies nor through any IP packet exchange points.

4. An integrated IP network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the network node devices is connected to an IP video network inside the IP network and, outside the IP network, is connected through the network node-point of the network node device to an IP video device.

5. An integrated IP network according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the network node devices is connected to an IP telephone network inside the IP network and, outside the IP network, is connected through the network node-point of the network node device to an IP telephone.

6. An integrated IP network including:

a plurality of IP networks; and

a plurality of network node devices;

wherein the network node devices are each connected to one or more of the IP networks via communication circuits and have their network node-points connected to external terminals via communication circuits;

wherein the IP networks each include a plurality of dedicated domain name servers;

the domain name servers each have a correspondence relationship between IP addresses of the external terminals and host names of the terminals;

upon receiving from an external source terminal an IP packet whose destination is one of the domain name servers, one of the network node devices transfers the received IP packet to the destination domain name server;

the destination domain name server retrieves an IP address of a destination terminal corresponding to the host name of the destination terminal contained in the received IP packet and returns the IP packet containing the destination terminal'"'"'s IP address obtained to the external source terminal;

the source terminal generates a new IP packet having the destination terminal'"'"'s IP address obtained from the domain name server and sends the generated new IP packet to one of the network node devices;

which device compares a source terminal address, a destination terminal address and a port number registered in the address management table with a source terminal address, a destination terminal address and a port number contained in the new IP packet to find a record specifying a destination IP network to which the integrated IP packet is to be sent, generates an integrated IP network packet by using the source network node-point address and the destination network node-point address contained in the detected record, and sends the generated integrated IP network packet to the destination IP network; and

the integrated IP network packet passes through the IP network and the IP packet exchange point and reaches another network node device where an integrated IP network header is removed from the integrated IP network packet to restore the new IP packet which is then sent to the destination IP terminal;

wherein the address management table is referenced to select a destination IP network to which the IP packet is to be transferred and the IP packet is sent to the destination IP network, and the integrated IP network packet is passed through two or more IP networks of different communication companies within the destination IP network and through IP packet exchange points.

7. An integrated IP network according to claim 6, wherein a source terminal address and a destination terminal address registered in the address management table are compared with a source terminal address and a destination terminal address contained in the IP packet to find a record containing a network identifier indicating a destination IP network to which the IP packet is to be sent, characterized not comparing port numbers.

8. An integrated IP network according to claim 6, wherein, the integrated IP network packet includes a single IP network managed by a communication company, the integrated IP network packet is passed through within the said IP netwrok, characterized that the integrated IP packet is not passed through two or more IP networks of different communication companies nor through any IP packets exchange points.

9. An integrated IP network according claim 6, wherein at least one of the network node devices is connected to an IP audio-visual network inside the IP network and, outside the IP network, is connected through the network node-point of the network node device to an IP audio-visual device.

10. An integrated IP network according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the network node devices is connected to an IP telephone network inside the integrated network and, is connected through the network node-point of one of the network node devices to an IP audio-visual device.

11. An integrated IP network according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the network node devices is connected to a best effort network inside the integrated IP network and, is connected through the network node-point of one of the network node devices to an IP terminal, IP telephone, or audio-visual device.

12. An integrated IP network according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the network node devices is connected to an IP data multicast network inside the IP network and, outside the IP network, is connected through the network node-point of the network node device to an IP terminal, IP telephone, or audio-visual device.

13. An integrated IP network according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the network node devices is connected to an IP-based TV broadcast network inside the IP network and, outside the IP network, is connected through the network node-point of the network node device to an IP terminal, IP telephone, or audio-visual device.

14. An integrated IP network according to claim 6, wherein an ATM network, an FR network or a WDM network having a function of transferring IP packets is included in the IP network.

15. An integrated IP network according to claim 6, wherein a DNS selection server having a function of selecting a single-purpose domain name server in the IP network is included in the IP network.