Electronic device, IP address determining method, and recording medium having IP address determining program stored therein

• US 7,646,783 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2006
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Uchida, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo; John
• Application Number:
  US11/365,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20060215658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 370/392, 370/389, 370/386, 370/419
• US Class Current: 370/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed that generates an interface identifier to determine an IP address to use. The electronic device comprises an interface identifier generating unit to generate the interface identifier, a temporary IP address determining unit to determine a temporary IP address containing the interface identifier and a prefix, a duplication determining unit to determine whether the temporary IP address is the same as an IP address of another electronic device, and an IP address determining unit to specify the temporary IP address as the IP address to use, when the duplication determining unit determines that the temporary IP address is not the same as the IP address of another electronic device, wherein the interface identifier generating unit generates another interface identifier when the duplication determining unit determines that the temporary IP address is the same as the IP address of another electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device including a processor that generates an interface identifier to determine an IP address to use, comprising:

an interface identifier generating unit configured to generate the interface identifier using a server based identifier management generating unit or a local interface identifier unit;

a temporary IP address generating unit configured to generate a temporary IP address containing the interface identifier generated by the interface identifier generating unit and a prefix;

a duplication determining unit configured to determine whether the temporary IP address generated by the temporary IP address generating unit is the same as an IP address of another electronic device; and

an IP address determining unit configured to specify the temporary IP address as the IP address to use, when the duplication determining unit determines that the temporary IP address is not the same as the IP address of said another electronic device;

wherein

when the duplication determining unit determines that the temporary IP address is the same as the IP address of said another electronic device, the interface identifier generating unit generates another interface identifier by using the local interface identifier unit for a pre-determined number of attempts,

when the pre-determined number of attempts is reached, the interface identifier generating unit generates the another interface identifier by using the server based identifier management generating unit, and

wherein the another interface identifier generated by local interface identifier unit is generated using a MAC address of the electronic device in which values excluding FFFE are inserted between high 24 bits and low 24 bits.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface identifier is generated by the interface identifier generating unit using a hash function.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface identifier is generated by the interface identifier generating unit using a server provided outside the electronic device.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface identifier is generated by the interface identifier generating unit using a MAC address of the electronic device in which values in a special address range for a vendor are changed.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface identifier is generated by the interface identifier generating unit using a MAC address of the electronic device in which values in a range not assigned to hardware by a vendor are changed.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface identifier is generated by the interface identifier generating unit according to an interface identifier generating method selected by a user.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the IP address is any one of a link local address, a stateless address, and a stateful address.

8. An IP address generating method of generating an interface identifier to determine an IP address of an electronic device using a computer, the method comprising:

generating an interface identifier using a server based identifier management generating unit or a local interface identifier unit;

generating, using the computer, a temporary IP address containing the interface identifier, generated in the step of generating an interface identifier, and a prefix;

determining whether the temporary IP address, generated in the step of generating a temporary IP address, is the same as an IP address of another electronic device; and

specifying the temporary IP address as the IP address of the electronic device, when it is determined that the temporary IP address is not the same as the IP address of said another electronic device;

generating, when it is determined by the determining step that the temporary IP address is the same as the IP address of said another electronic device, another interface identifier by using the local interface identifier unit for a pre-determined number of attempts, the another interface identifier being generated by the local interface identifier unit using a MAC address of the electronic device in which values excluding FFFE are inserted between high 24 bits and low 24 bits;

generating, when the pre-determined number of attempts is reached, the another interface identifier by using the server based identifier management generating unit.

9. The IP address generating method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the interface identifier is generated using a hash function.

10. The IP address generating method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the interface identifier is generated using a server provided outside the electronic device.

11. The IP address generating method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the interface identifier is generated using a MAC address of the electronic device in which values in a special address range for a vendor are changed.

12. The IP address generating method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the interface identifier is generated using a MAC address of the electronic device in which values in a range not assigned to hardware by a vendor are changed.

13. The IP address generating method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the interface identifier is generated according to an interface identifier generating method selected by a user.

14. The IP address generating method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the IP address is any one of a link local address, a stateless address, and a stateful address.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an IP address generating program that when executed by a computer performs a method comprising:

generating the interface identifier using a server based identifier management generating unit or a local interface identifier unit;

generating a temporary IP address containing the interface identifier, generated in the generating an interface identifier step, and a prefix;

determining whether the temporary IP address, generated in the generating a temporary IP address step, is the same as an IP address of another electronic device; and

specifying the temporary IP address as the IP address of the electronic device, when it is determined in the determining step that the temporary IP address is not the same as the IP address of said another electronic device;

generating, when it is determined that the temporary IP address is the same as the IP address of said another electronic device, another interface identifier by using the local interface identifier unit for a pre-determined number of attempts, the another interface identifier being generated by the local interface identifier unit using a MAC address of the electronic device in which values excluding FFFE are inserted between high 24 bits and low 24 bits;

generating, when the pre-determined number of attempts is reached, the another interface identifier by using the server based identifier management generating unit.