Network connection apparatus

• US 7,233,994 B1
• Filed: 11/02/2000
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1999
• 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: Koga, Naoki, Miyazaki, Tomiya, Kawata, Souichi, Imahashi, Naoya, Kikuchi, Shoichiro, Furukawa, Hideyuki, Tobeta, Tetsuya, Koba, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang; Paul H.
• Application Number:
  US09/703,802
• Time in Patent Office: 2,420 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250, 709/239, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/227, 709/229, 709/220, 709/249, 345/91, 345/82, 370/357, 370/352, 370/328, 707/511
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a network connection apparatus for connecting a plurality of network terminals to an external network such as the Internet. In accordance with the present invention, there provides an easy-to-use network connection apparatus capable of building up an easy and flexible network system by providing the user with plurality types of interface. Specifically, the network connection apparatus comprises a first interface unit including at least one physical layer for connecting to an external network, a second interface unit including a plurality of physical layers for connecting to an internal network, and a controller for controlling the first interface unit and the second interface unit, wherein the second interface unit is capable of independent operation from the first interface unit, and the controller transmits and receives information between the first interface unit and second interface unit, and between the second interface units.

Claims

1. A network connection apparatus comprising:

at least one external interface unit including at least one physical layer for connecting to an external network,

a first internal interface unit including a first type of physical layer for connecting to an internal network,

a second internal interface unit including a second type of physical layer, which is different from said first type of physical layer, for connecting to the internal network, and

a controller for controlling said at least one external interface unit, and said first and second internal interface units,

wherein one of said first and second internal interface units is capable of independent operation from said at least one external interface unit, and

said controller transmits and receives information between said first and second internal interface units,

wherein said network connection apparatus further comprises;

an access information acquiring unit for acquiring information about first access from an Internet service provider connected through said at least one external interface unit, and an access information applying unit for providing a client connected to one of said first and second internal interface units with information about second access,

wherein said controller further acquires the information about first access from said access information acquiring unit when it is recognized that said at least one external interface unit is connected to the Internet service provider, and provides said client with the information about second access by said access information applying unit when it is recognized that the client is connected to one of said first and second internal interface units.

2. The network connection apparatus of claim 1, wherein said access information acquiring unit acquires the information about access from said Internet service provider, relating to media access control (MAC) address of the client connected to one of said first and second internal interface units.

3. The network connection apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the information about first access is a first IP address, and the information about second access is a second IP address.

4. The network connection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the number of second IP addresses is variable, and the number of connected clients is controlled.

5. The network connection apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an IP address varying unit for translating said first IP address and second IP address.

6. The network connection apparatus of claim 4, further comprising an IP address varying unit for translating said first IP address and second IP address.