Home gateway apparatus

• US 7,551,605 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyajima, Akira, Shino, Tomonori, Bando, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US10/974,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/261, 370/352, 370/356, 370/392, 370/395.52, 370/401, 379/196, 379/207.02, 379/207.11, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/220.01, 707/102, 709/226, 709/245
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols

Abstract

A home gateway apparatus is connected to a DNS server that stores and manages telephone numbers and an external NAPTR record corresponding to each telephone number. The home gateway apparatus also includes and mutually connects a plurality of internal terminals. The home gateway apparatus includes an NAPTR record generator that generates an internal NAPTR record of all internal terminals; an internal NAPTR memory area that stores the generated internal NAPTR record; an external NAPTR memory area that stores an external NAPTR record, which is selected from the internal NAPTR record to be allowed to be disclosed to the DNS server; and a self NAPTR record notification unit that notifies the DNS server of the external NAPTR record so that the DNS server can register the external NAPTR record in association with a telephone number.

Claims

1. A gateway apparatus that connects to a domain name system (DNS) server and a terminal apparatus via a network, and connects to a plurality of internal terminals via an internal network, the gateway apparatus comprising:

a memory that stores internal naming authority pointer record (NAPTR) records for the plurality of internal terminals, each of the internal NAPTR records comprising a service field and a uniform resource identifier (URI) scheme for an internal terminal, a subset of the internal NAPTR records comprising external NAPTR records, the external NAPTR records being internal NAPTR records which do not include private terminal information; and

a transmitter that transmits only the external NAPTR records in the memory to the DNS server to enable the DNS server to store and manage the external NAPTR records.

2. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller that receives a telephone number of a first internal terminal of the plurality of internal terminals from a second internal terminal of the plurality of internal terminals, and sends destination information of the first internal terminal to the second internal terminal according to the telephone number of the first internal terminal.

3. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detector configured to detect a power initiation of a first internal terminal of the plurality of internal terminals.

4. The gateway apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the memory is configured to store a telephone number and destination information of the first internal terminal when the detector detects the power initiation.

5. The gateway apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a prohibition specification unit that selects, from management information stored in the memory, information which is prohibited from being transmitted to the DNS server.

6. The gateway apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transmitter prohibits transmission of the selected information to the DNS server.

7. The gateway apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transmitter allows transmission of non-selected information to the DNS server, the non-selected information being information which is not selected, by the prohibition specification unit, from the management information stored in the memory.

8. A method of providing management information for a plurality of internal terminals connected to a gateway apparatus to a domain name system (DNS) server, the method comprising:

storing internal naming authority pointer record (NAPTR) records for each of the plurality of internal terminals in the gateway apparatus, each of the internal NAPTR records comprising a service field and a uniform resource identifier (URI) scheme for an internal terminal, a subset of the internal NAPTR records comprising external NAPTR records, the external NAPTR records being internal NAPTR records which do not include private terminal information; and

transmitting only the external NAPTR records stored in the gateway apparatus from the gateway apparatus to the DNS server to enable the DNS server to store and manage the external NAPTR records.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a telephone number of a first internal terminal of the plurality of internal terminals from a second internal terminal of the plurality of internal terminals; and

sending destination information of the first internal terminal to the second internal terminal according to the telephone number of the first internal telephone.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a power initiation of a first internal terminal of the plurality of internal terminals.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising storing a telephone number and destination information of the first internal terminal when the power initiation is detected.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

selecting, from management information stored in the gateway apparatus, information which is prohibited from being transmitted to the DNS server.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

prohibiting transmission of the selected information to the DNS server.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

allowing transmission of non-selected information to the DNS server, the non-selected information being information which is not selected from the management information as being prohibited from being transmitted.