Dynamic internet gateway service
First Claim
1. In a network comprising a plurality of computing devices, each computing device having a memory and being capable of accessing the Internet, and at least one of the computing devices being capable of connecting to the Internet, each computing device capable of connecting to the Internet having a connection priority, a method for assigning an Internet gateway for the network, comprising the steps of:
- broadcasting to the network a request to become the gateway from one of the computing devices capable of connecting to the Internet, wherein the request to become the gateway includes the connection priority of the computing device broadcasting the request; and
assigning the computing device broadcasting the request as the gateway for the network if the computing device broadcasting the request does not receive a response from the other computing devices within a predetermined time period.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides for a local network comprising a plurality of interconnected computing devices that dynamically assigns a new Internet gateway server for the local network when the currently assigned Internet gateway is not connected to the local network and the Internet. Each one of the computing devices capable of connecting to the Internet is given a different connection priority, which indicates the desirability of assigning the respective computing device as the Internet gateway server. When a computing device in the local network is unable to access the Internet through the currently assigned Internet gateway server, the computing device broadcasts a message to the entire local network requesting to become the new Internet gateway server. The request to become the gateway includes the connection priority of the computing device. Each computing device on the local network capable of connecting to the ISP responds to each request to become the gateway having a lower connection priority by broadcasting its own request to become the gateway. The computing device having the highest connection priority in the local network receives no response from the other computing devices to its requests to become the gateway. When this occurs, the computing device having the highest connection priority assigns itself as the new Internet gateway for the local network.
30 Citations
24 Claims
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1. In a network comprising a plurality of computing devices, each computing device having a memory and being capable of accessing the Internet, and at least one of the computing devices being capable of connecting to the Internet, each computing device capable of connecting to the Internet having a connection priority, a method for assigning an Internet gateway for the network, comprising the steps of:
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broadcasting to the network a request to become the gateway from one of the computing devices capable of connecting to the Internet, wherein the request to become the gateway includes the connection priority of the computing device broadcasting the request; and assigning the computing device broadcasting the request as the gateway for the network if the computing device broadcasting the request does not receive a response from the other computing devices within a predetermined time period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A storage medium readable by a computing device and having instructions encoded thereon for causing the computing device to perform, in a network comprising a plurality of computing devices, each computing device having a memory and being capable of accessing the Internet, and at least one of the computing devices being capable of connecting to the Internet, each computing device capable of connecting to the Internet having a connection priority, a method for assigning an Internet gateway for the network, the method comprising the steps of:
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broadcasting to the network a request to become the gateway from one of the computing devices capable of connecting to the Internet, wherein the request to become the gateway includes the connection priority of the computing device broadcasting the request; and assigning the computing device broadcasting the request as the gateway for the network if the computing device broadcasting the request does not receive a response from the other computing devices within a predetermined time period. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a network comprising a plurality of computing devices, each computing device having a memory and being capable of accessing the Internet, and at least on of the computing devices being capable of connecting to the Internet, each computing device capable of connecting to the Internet having a connection priority, a method for assigning an Internet gateway for the network, comprising the steps of:
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broadcasting to the network a request for a new gateway from one of the computing devices; in response to the request for new gateway, broadcasting to the network a request to become the gateway from each computing device capable of connecting to the Internet, wherein each request to become the gateway includes the connection priority of the respective computing device broadcasting the request to become the gateway; and in response to the request to become the gateway, performing by each computing device capable of connecting to the Internet steps of; determining whether the connection priority of the respective computing device is higher than the connection priority included in the broadcasted request to become the gateway;
if the connection priority of the respective computing device is not higher than the connection priority included in the broadcasted request to become the gateway, sending no response to the broadcasted request to become the gateway; and
if the connection priority of the respective computing device is higher than the connection priority included in the broadcasted request to become the gateway, performing the steps of;broadcasting to the network a request to become the gateway from the respective computing device within the predetermined time period, wherein the request to become the gateway includes the connection priority of the respective computing device; and assigning the respective computing device as the new gateway for the network if the respective computing device receives no response from the other computing devices within the predetermined time period. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A storage medium readable by a computing device and having instructions encoded thereon for causing the computing device to perform, in a network comprising a plurality of computing devices, each computing device having a memory and being capable of accessing the Internet, and at least one of the computing devices being capable of connecting to the Internet, each computing device capable of connecting to the Internet having a connection priority, a method for assigning an Internet gateway for the network, the method comprising the steps of:
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broadcasting to the network a request for a new gateway from one of the computing devices; in response to the request for the new gateway, broadcasting to the network a request to become the gateway from each computing device capable of connecting to the Internet, wherein each request to become the gateway includes the connection priority of the respective computing device broadcasting the request to become the gateway; and in response to the request to become the gateway, performing by each computing device capable of connecting to the Internet the steps of; determining whether the connection priority of the respective computing device is higher than the connection priority included in the broadcasted request to become the gateway; if the connection priority of the respective computing device is not higher than the connection priority included in the broadcasted request to become the gateway, sending no response to the broadcasted request to become the gateway; and if the connection priority of the respective computing device is higher than the connection priority included in the broadcasted request to become the gateway, performing the steps of; broadcasting to the network a request to become the gateway from the respective computing device within the predetermined time period, wherein the request to become the gateway includes the connection priority of the respective computing device; and assigning the respective computing device as the gateway for the network if the respective computing device receives no response from the other computing devices within the predetermined time period. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification