Packet communication method, node apparatus and packet communication system

• US 7,002,959 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Okajima, Ichiro, Umeda, Narumi, Shinozaki, Takuya, Suzuki, Yoshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sefcheck, Gregory B.
• Application Number:
  US09/741,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20010014092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 370/315, 370/328, 370/360, 370/384, 370/392, 370396-397, 3703953-39532, 370/395.52, 370/395.54, 370/400, 370/401, 370/409, 370/471, 370/475, 370/389, 370/393, 709/238, 709/242, 709/245, 709/249, 709/250
• US Class Current: 370/393
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/087 for preserving data network PoA address despite hand-offs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A packet communication method of performing communication employing a packet having a transmission-source address and destination address, comprises the steps of: making a predetermined number of bits of the transmission-source address and a predetermined number of bits of destination address be fixed addresses; a repeating node for repeating a packet from a transmission-source terminal first converting the fixed address of the transmission-source address of the received packet into an address of an higher-rank station of the repeating node; and the repeating address converting the fixed address of the destination address of the received packet into an address of an higher-rank station of a last repeating node for a destination terminal, and transferring the packet.

Claims

1. A packet communication method of communication employing a packet having a transmission-source address and a destination address, comprising the steps of:

a) making a predetermined number of bits of the transmission-source address and a predetermined number of bits of the destination address of the packet be predetermined address portions;

b) sending the packet from a transmission-source terminal to a source-side repeating node, and then converting at the source-side repeating node the predetermined address portion of the transmission-source address into an address of a higher-rank station for said a source-side repeating node; and

c) said source-side repeating node converting the predetermined address portion of the destination address into an address of a higher-rank station of a last destination-side repeating node for a destination terminal, and transferring the packet.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the address of the higher-rank station of the last destination-side repeating node for the destination terminal is not known, the source-side repeating node, converts the predetermined address portion of the transmission-source address into an address of a node having a table that includes addresses for higher-rank stations for last repeating nodes of respective terminals, and transfers the packet.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the node having the table converts its own address in the predetermined address portion of the destination address into the address of the higher-rank station of the last destination-side repeating node for a destination terminal, and then transfers the packet.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the higher-rank station of the source-side repeating node transfers the packet without changing the predetermined address portion of the transmission-source address when the address of the higher-rank station in the predetermined address portion of the transmission-source address of the packet coincides with its own address, namely the address of the higher-rank station of the source-side repeating node, and

when the address of the higher-rank station in the predetermined address portion of the transmission-source address of the received packet does not coincide with its own address, converts the address of the higher-rank station in the predetermined address portion of the transmission-source address into its own address, and then transfers the packet.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the address of the higher-rank station in the predetermined address portion of the transmission-source address does not coincide with its own address, the higher-rank station of the source-side repeating node further instructs the higher-rank station having the predetermined address portion of the transmission-source address originally written in the received packet to transfer a packet addressed to said transmission-source terminal to the higher-rank station of the source-side repeating node, and

further instructs a node having a table of addresses of respective higher-rank stations of last repeating nodes for for respective terminals to update said table.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

when the address of the higher-rank station in the destination address coincides with its own address, and no transfer instructions are given for the destination terminal, the higher-rank station of the last destination-side repeating node for the destination terminal transfers the received packet without changing the destination address, and

when the address of the higher-rank station in the destination address of the received packet coincides with its own address and transfer instructions are given for the destination terminal, the higher-rank station of the last destination-side repeating node converts the address of the higher-rank station of the destination address into an address of a higher-rank station of the destination as described in the transfer instructions, and then transfers the packet.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

when the address of the higher-rank station in the destination address of the received packet does not coincide with its own address, the higher-rank station of the last destination-side repeating node for the destination terminal transfers the packet.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the last destination-side repeating node for the destination terminal converts addresses of the higher-rank stations in the transmission-source address and destination address of the received packet into the predetermined address portions, and transfers the packet to the destination terminal.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a case where the destination terminal belongs to another network,

the transmission-source terminal transmits the packet having an address given to the destination terminal as the destination address thereof;

the source-side repeating node converts the predetermined address portion of the transmission-source address of the received packet into the address of the higher-rank station of said source-side repeating node, and transfers the packet to a gateway station which provides an interface with the other network; and

said gateway station converts the address of the higher-rank station of the received packet into the predetermined address, and transfers the packet into said other network.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a case where the transmission-source terminal belongs to another network,

said transmission-source terminal transmits the packet having an address given to the destination terminal as the destination address thereof;

and

a gateway station which provides an interface with said other network converts the predetermined address portion of the destination address of the received packet into the address of the higher-rank station of the last destination-side repeating node for said destination terminal, and then transfers the packet.

11. A node apparatus used in a packet communication system of communication employing a packet having a transmission-source address and a destination address, comprising:

a repeating part configured to repeat the packet from a transmission-source terminal, said packet having a predetermined number of bits of the transmission-source address and a predetermined number of bits of the destination address thereof made to be predetermined address portions;

an address converting part configured to convert the predetermined address portion of the transmission-source address into an address of a higher-rank station of said node apparatus,

said address converting part further converting the predetermined address portion of the destination address into an address of a higher-rank station of a last destination-side repeating node for a destination terminal of the packet; and

a transferring part configured to transfer the packet.

12. The node as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

when the address of the higher-rank station of the last destination-side repeating node for the destination terminal is not known, said address converting part is configured to convert the predetermined address portion of the transmission-source address into an address of a node having a table that includes addresses for higher-rank stations of last repeating nodes for respective terminals.

13. A node apparatus used in a packet communication system that employs a packet having a transmission-source address and a destination address, each with predetermined address portions, comprising:

an address converting part, which has a table of addresses of higher-rank stations of last repeating nodes for each respective terminal, and is configured to convert in said packet its own address in the predetermined address portion of the destination address of a received packet into an address of the higher-rank station of a last destination-side repeating node for a destination terminal; and

a transferring part configured to transfer the packet.

14. A node apparatus used in a packet communication system that employs a packet having a transmission-source address and a destination address, each with predetermined address portions, comprising:

an address converting part configured to convert an address of a higher-rank station in the transmission-source address of a received packet into its own address when the address of the higher-rank station in the transmission-source address of the received packet does not coincide with its own address, before being transferred through a transferring part; and

said transferring part configured to transfer the received packet without changing the transmission-source address through said address converting part when the address of the higher-rank station in the transmission-source address of the received packet coincides with its own address.

15. The node as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

an instructing part configured to instruct a higher-rank station having the transmission-source address originally written in the received packet to transfer a packet addressed to said transmission-source terminal to node, when the address of the higher-rank station in the transmission-source address of the received packet does not coincide with the address of the node, and

further instructing another node that has a table of addresses of a higher-rank stations of last repeating nodes for respective of each terminal to update said table accordingly.

16. A node apparatus used in a packet communication system that employs a packet having a transmission-source address and a destination address, each with predetermined address portions, comprising:

an address converting part configured to convert an address of a higher-rank station of a predetermined portion of a destination address into an address of a higher-rank station of another destination that is identified in an instructed transfer, when the address of the higher-rank station in the predetermined portion of the destination address coincides with its own address and transfer instructions are given for the destination terminal, before being transferred through a transferring part; and

said transferring part configured to transfer the received packet without changing the destination address through the address converting part, when the address of the higher-rank station in the destination address coincides with its own address and no transfer instructions are given for the destination terminal.

17. A node apparatus used in a packet communication system that employs a packet having a transmission-source address and a destination address, each with predetermined address portions, comprising:

a determining part configured to determine whether an address of a higher-rank station in the destination address of a received packet does not coincide with an address of the node apparatus; and

a transferring part configured to transfer the packet, when the address of the higher-rank station in the destination address of the received packet does not coincide with the address of the node apparatus as a result of the determination result of said determining part.

18. A node apparatus used in a packet communication system that employs a packet having a transmission-source address and a destination address, each with predetermined portions, comprising:

an address converting part configured to convert addresses of higher-rank stations in transmission-source address and destination address of a received packet into predetermined addresses; and

a transferring part configured to transfer the packet to the destination terminal.

19. A node apparatus used in a packet communication system that employs a packet having a transmission-source address and a destination address, each with predetermined portions, said node providing an interface between different networks, comprising:

an address converting part configured to convert an address of a higher-rank station of a received packet into a predetermined address; and

a transferring part configured to transfer the packet into another network.

20. A node apparatus used in a packet communication system that employs a packet having a transmission-source address and a destination address, said node providing an interface between different networks, comprising:

an address converting part configured to convert a predetermined address in the destination address of a received packet into an address of a higher-rank station of a destination side last repeating node for a destination terminal of the packet; and

a transferring part configured to transfer the packet.

21. A packet communication system of communication employing a packet having a transmission-source address and a destination address, each with predetermined address portions, comprising:

a transmission-side terminal making a predetermined number of bits of the transmission-source address and a predetermined number of bits of the destination address of a packet to be the predetermined address portion; and

a source-side repeating node, which repeats the packet from said transmission-source terminal, is configured to convert the predetermined address of the transmission-source address of the received packet into an address of a higher-rank station of said source-side repeating node, wherein

said repeating node is configured to covert the predetermined address of the destination address of the received packet into an address of a higher-rank station of a last destination-side repeating node for a destination terminal, and transfer the packet.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein when the address of the higher-rank station of the last destination-side repeating node for the destination terminal is not known, said source-side repeating node, which repeats the packet from the transmission-source terminal, converts the predetermined address of the transmission-source address of the received packet into an address of a node having a table of addresses for a higher-rank stations of respective last repeating nodes for each terminal, and then transfers the packet.

23. The system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the node having the table converts its own address in the destination address of the received packet into the address of the higher-rank station of the last destination-side repeating node for a destination terminal, and then transfers the packet.

24. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein:

the higher-rank station of the source-side repeating node, transfers the received packet without changing the transmission-source address when the address of the higher-rank station in the transmission-source address of the received packet coincides with its own address, and

converts the address of the higher-rank station in the transmission-source address of the received packet into its own address when the address of the higher-rank station in the transmission-source address of the received packet does not coincide with its own address, and then transfers the packet.

25. The system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the higher-rank station of the source-side repeating node further instructs the higher-rank station having the transmission-source address originally written in the received packet to transfer a packet addressed to said transmission-source terminal to itself, when the address of the higher-rank station in the transmission-source address of the received packet does not coincide with its own address, and

further instructs a node having a table of addresses of higher-rank station of respective last repeating nodes for each terminal so as to update said table.

26. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the higher-rank station of the destination-side last repeating node transfers the received packet without changing the destination address, when the address of the higher-rank station in the destination address coincides with its own address and no transfer instructions are given for the destination terminal, and

converts the address of the higher-rank station of the destination address of the received packet into an address of a higher-rank station of a destination terminal identified in an instruction transfer, when the address of the higher-rank station in the destination address of the received packet coincides with its own address and transfer instructions are given for the destination terminal, and transfers the packet.

27. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the higher-rank station of the last destination-side repeating node for the destination terminal transfers the packet, when the address of the higher-rank station in the destination address of the received packet does not coincide with its own address.

28. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the last destination-side repeating node for the destination terminal converts the addresses of the higher-rank stations in the transmission-source address and destination address of the received packet into the predetermined addresses, and transfers the packet to the destination terminal.

29. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein, in a case where the destination terminal belongs to another network,

the transmission-source terminal transmits the packet having an address given to the destination terminal as the destination address thereof;

the repeating node, which repeats the packet from the transmission-source terminal first, converts the predetermined address in the transmission-source address of the received packet into the address of the higher-rank station of said repeating node, and transfers the packet to a gateway station which provides an interface with the other network; and

said gateway station converts the address of the higher-rank station of the received packet into the predetermined address, and transfers the packet into said other network.

30. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein, in a case where the transmission-source terminal belongs to another network,

said transmission-source terminal transmits the packet having an address given to the destination terminal as the destination address thereof;

and

a gateway station which provides an interface with said other network converts the predetermined address in the destination address of the received packet into the address of the higher-rank station of the last repeating node for said destination terminal, and transfers the packet.