Communication method and communication apparatus

• US 6,970,473 B1
• Filed: 02/17/2000
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hara, Kazuhiro, Fujii, Noboru
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Man U.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, THIEN D
• Application Number:
  US09/506,650
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/315, 370/316, 370/326, 370/401, 370/389, 370/390, 370/432, 370/323
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• 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 45/24 Multipath

Abstract

To allow bi-directional communication by using a bridge type feed and to reduce a load on equipment such as a receiver connected to a UDL network, a communication apparatus for carrying out communication on the Internet using an uni-directional communication line comprises an interface (5b) for receiving IP datagram to be transmitted to the communication line at the side for transmitting data to the communication line, and an interface (12) for realizing a virtual communication route from the receiving side to the transmitting side on the communication line, for carrying out bi-directional communication as UDLR. Moreover, the apparatus determines a destination of a packet inputted to the feed through a predetermined interface, then determines which network the packet should be transferred to in accordance with the determined destination of the packet, and then transfers the packet through a predetermined interface only when transfer is necessary.

Claims

1. A communication method comprising the steps of:

connecting a second communication line capable of bi-directional communication to bridge transmitting means for transmitting data to a first uni-directional communication line, thereby virtually carrying out the bi-directional communication over said first communication line, wherein said transmitting means automatically detects addresses of nodes connected to a network at the transmitting side; and

determining a destination of a packet inputted to said transmitting means through a predetermined interface, then determining which network the packet should be transferred to in accordance with the determined destination of the packet, and then transferring the packet through the predetermined interface only when transfer is necessary, wherein said transmitting means holds the automatically detected addressee of the nodes connected to the network at the transmitting side in the form of a list, and said transmitting means determines whether or not the packet is transferred in accordance with said list.

2. A communication method comprising the steps of:

connecting a second communication line capable of bi-directional communication to bridge transmitting means for transmitting data to a first uni-directional communication line, thereby virtually carrying out the bi-directional communication over said first communication line, wherein said transmitting means automatically detects addresses of nodes connected to a network at the transmitting side; and

determining a destination of a packet inputted to said transmitting means through a predetermined interface, then determining which network the packet should be transferred to in accordance with the determined destination of the packet, and then transferring the packet through the predetermined interface only when transfer is necessary,

wherein said transmitting means holds the automatically detected addressee of the nodes connected to the network at the transmitting side in the form of a list, determines whether or not the packet is transferred in accordance with said list, regularly updates said list of the automatically detected addresses of the nodes connected to the network at the transmitting side, and wherein said transmitting means deletes from said list the address of the node which does not transmit the packet for a fixed time period or longer.

3. A communication apparatus comprising:

a bridge transmitting means for transmitting data to a first uni-directional communication line;

an interface connected to a second communication line capable of bi-directional communication;

control means for determining a destination of a packet inputted through a predetermined interface, said control means includes detecting means for automatically detecting addresses of nodes connected to the network connected to the interface, then determining which network the packet is transferred to in accordance with the destination, and then executing transfer processing only when transfer is necessary; and

address storing means for holding the node addresses automatically detected by said detecting means in the form of a list, wherein said control means determines whether or not the packet is transferred in accordance with said list stored in said address storing means.

4. A communication apparatus comprising:

a bridge transmitting means for transmitting data to a first uni directional communication line;

an interface connected to a second communication line capable of bi directional communication;

control means for determining a destination of a packet inputted through a predetermined interface, said control means includes detecting means for automatically detecting addresses of nodes connected to the network connected to the interface, then determining which network the packet is transferred to in accordance with the destination, and then executing transfer processing only when transfer is necessary; and

address storing means for holding the node addresses automatically detected by said detecting means in the form of a list, wherein said control means determines whether or not the packet is transferred in accordance with said list stored in said address storing means, wherein said control means regularly updates said list stored in said address storing means, and said control means deletes from said list the address of the node which does not transmit the packet for a fixed time period or longer.