Method and device for connecting networks

• US 7,233,995 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2002
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Chimura, Yasubumi, Yamaguchi, Kohei, Sakano, Tsuneyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar; Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamza; Faruk
• Application Number:
  US10/121,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/223, 709/228, 709/245, 709/219, 709/217, 709/238, 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2564 for a higher-layer protocol, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

It is the subject of this invention to provide a method and a device that can process communications between all sorts of multi-media terminals.

The method or device of this invention is applied or equipped between different multi-media terminals, each of which exists in each different address space. It watches packets under each communication protocol. It automatically compiles and deletes address information for address translation. And it stands proxy for calling and connecting between each multi-media terminal and the other multi-media terminal according to this address information.

Claims

1. A network connecting method that processes communications between a first multi-media terminal having a first terminal address in a first address space and a second multi-media terminal having a second terminal address in a second address space, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a proxy device having a first proxy address in the first address space and a second proxy address in the second address space;

(b) transmitting packets from the first multi-media terminal to the proxy device using the first terminal address as a source address and the first proxy address as a destination address in headers of the packets, the packets also including the second terminal address in data areas of the packets;

(c) in the proxy device, modifying the packets received from the first terminal by translating the addresses in the headers and data areas of the packets, the source address being translated to the second proxy address and the destination address being translated to the second terminal address;

(d) transmitting the packets modified in step (c) from the proxy device to the second multi-media terminal;

(e) transmitting packets from the second multi-media terminal to the proxy device using the second terminal address as the source address and the second proxy address as the destination address in the headers of the packets and the first address in the data areas of the packets;

(f) in the proxy device, modify the packets received from the second multi-media terminal by translating the addresses in the headers and data areas of the packets, the source address being translated to the first proxy address and the destination address being translated to the first terminal address; and

(g) transmitting the packets modified in step (f) from the proxy device to the first multi-media terminal.

2. The network connecting method according to claim 1, further comprising

in the proxy device, establishing a correspondence between the first terminal address and the second proxy address, and also establishing a correspondence between the second terminal address and the first proxy address before the address translations in steps (c) and (f).

3. The network connecting method according to claim 2, wherein the proxy device processes a confirmation of corresponding address according to characteristics of the packets.

4. The network connecting method according to claim 1,

wherein the first multi-media terminal is an H323 multi-media terminal controlled by a first gate keeper in the first address space and the second multi-media terminal is an H323 multi-media terminal controlled by a second gate keeper in the second address space.

5. The network connecting method according to claim 4,

wherein the first gate keeper in the first address space inquires of the second gate keeper in the second address space, when the first gate keeper receives a calling and connecting request for the H323 first multi-media terminal, by a process that comprises the steps of:

translating, as the destination address, the first proxy address of the proxy device in the first address space to a second gate keeper address of the second gate keeper in the second address space, and

translating, as the source address, a first gate keeper address of the first gate keeper in the first address space to the second proxy address of the proxy device in the second address space.

6. The network connecting method according to claim 1, wherein the proxy device processes a priority connection according to characteristics of the packets.

7. The network connecting method according to claim 6, wherein the proxy device processes a confirmation of corresponding addresses according to characteristics of the packets.

8. The network connecting method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of assigning priorities, in the proxy device, for transmission of packets according to characteristics of the packets.

9. The network connecting method according to claim 1, wherein the first address space is a private address space and the second address space is a global address space.

10. The network connecting method according to claim 1, wherein the first address space is an IPV4 address space and the second address space is an IPV6 address space.

11. A proxy device that has a first proxy address in a first address space and a second proxy address in a second address space, and that is used in a network connecting method that processes communications between a first multi-media terminal having a first terminal address in the first address space and a second multi-media terminal having a second terminal address in the second address space, the network connecting method including the steps of (a) transmitting packets from the first multi-media terminal to the proxy device using the first terminal address as a source address and the first proxy address as a destination address in headers of the packets, the packets also including the second terminal address in data areas of the packets;

(b) in the proxy device, modifying the packets received from the first terminal by translating the address in the headers and data areas of the packets, the source address being translated to the second proxy address and the destination address being translated to the second terminal address;

(c) transmitting the packets modified in step (b) from the proxy device to the second multi-media terminal;

(d) transmitting packets from the second multi-media terminal to the proxy device using the second terminal address as the source address and the second proxy address as the destination address in the headers of the pockets and the first terminal address in the data areas of the packets;

(e) in the proxy device, modify the packets received from the second multi-media terminal by translating the address in the headers and data areas of the packets, the source address being translated to the first proxy address and the destination address being translated to the first terminal address; and

(f) transmitting the packets modified in step (e) from the proxy device to the first multi-media terminal, wherein said proxy device comprises;

an address translator that translates the addresses in the headers and data areas of packets received from the first multi-media terminal and that translates the addresses in the headers and data areas of packets received from the second multi-media terminal; and

a priority controller which processes a priority connection according to characteristics of the packets.

12. The proxy device according to claim 11, further comprising:

an automatic table compiler to compile an address corresponding table that correlates the first terminal address of the first multi-media terminal in the first address space with the second terminal address of the proxy device in the second address space, and that also correlates the second terminal address of the second multi-media terminal in the second address space with the first terminal address of the proxy device in the first address space, to permit said address translator to translate the addresses in accordance with said address corresponding table when packets are sent or received.

13. The network connecting proxy device according to claim 12 wherein said automatic table compiler compiles address correspondences in said address corresponding table for communication between at least one further multi-media terminal in the first address space and at least one further multi-media terminal in the second address space.

14. The network connecting proxy device according to claim 12 wherein said automatic table compiler deletes address correspondences for the each communication, when the communication ends.

15. The proxy device according to claim 11,

wherein the first multi-media terminal is an H323 multi-media terminal controlled by a first gate keeper in the first address space and the second multi-media terminal is an H323 multi-media terminal controlled by a second gate keeper in the second address space.

16. The proxy device according to claim 11,

wherein the address translator translates, as a the destination address, the first proxy address of the proxy device in the first address space to a second gate keeper address of the second gate keeper in the second address space, and translates, as a the source address, a first gate keeper address of the first gate keeper in the first address space to the second proxy address of the proxy device in the second address space.

17. The proxy device according to claim 11, further comprising a table confirmer which processes a confirmation of corresponding addresses according to characteristics of the packets.

18. The proxy device according to claim 17, further comprising a stationed thread which watches packets and compiles said address corresponding table from the received packets.

19. The proxy device according to claim 11, further comprising a stationed thread which watches packets and compiles said address corresponding table from the received packets.