Creating a public identity for an entity on a network

• US 7,937,471 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F Poszat Hu LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Inpro Network Facility LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Alkhatib, Hasan S., Tobagi, Fouad A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza; Faruk
• Application Number:
  US10/161,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20030233454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,256 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/203, 709/246, 709/238, 709225-227, 709/242, 709/249
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2525 Translation at a client
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2567 for reachability, e.g. inquiring the address of a correspondent behind a NAT server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

A system is disclosed for establishing a public identity for an entity on a private network. In one embodiment, a first entity can initiate a request to create a binding of a public address to a private address for itself. The existence of this public address for the first entity can be made known so that other entities can use the public address to communicate with the first entity. The present invention allows entities outside of a private network to initiate communication with an entity inside a private network.

Claims

1. A method for allowing entities outside of a private network to communicate with an entity inside said private network, comprising operations performed by said entity including:

acquiring a private address for use within said private network;

broadcasting a discover message to other entities in said private network to discover a gateway device configured to provide public addresses for entities in said private network;

in response to discovering said gateway device, sending a request to cause said gateway device to provide a public address;

receiving said public address from said gateway device, and storing said public address;

in response to receipt of said public address;

sending an acknowledgement message to cause said gateway device to bind said public address to said private address; and

publishing, outside of said private network, said public address and an identifier of said entity to enable communications to said entity using said public address with entities outside of said private network; and

communicating with one or more entities outside of said private network using said public address.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said entity broadcasts said discover message in response to said entity connecting to said private network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said entity is a mobile computing device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said private address and said public address comprises an IP address.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said identifier comprises a domain name of said entity.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a request for resolution of said domain name for said entity from a host outside said private network;

sending to the host said public address responsive to the request for resolution;

creating a message, wherein a destination address of said message is said public address; and

sending said message.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

sending said message for receipt at a gateway, said message configured to cause translating of said message at said gateway to provide a translated message which is addressed to said private address.

8. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

forwarding said request for resolution to a server, said request for resolution including a domain name and configured to cause the server to perform operations in response to the forwarded request including;

accessing a data structure of domain names and public addresses;

determining whether a valid entry for said domain name exists in said data structure;

accessing said public address in said data structure based on said domain name; and

sending a message from said server to said host in response to said request for resolution, wherein said message includes said public address.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said publishing comprises:

requesting an update of DNS resource records for said entity to make said entity available to entities outside said private network.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said publishing comprises:

sending a message to a server outside said private network requesting an update of an address value for said entity.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said publishing comprises:

sending a message to a server, said message includes a domain name for said entity and said public address.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said message is configured to cause said server to perform acts responsive to receiving said message at said server including:

accessing said domain name and public address at said server;

determining that a data structure on said server stores an entry for said domain name; and

updating said entry for said domain name with said public address.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein said message is configured to cause said server to perform acts responsive to receiving said message at said server including:

accessing said domain name and public address at said server; and

creating an entry in a data structure on said server, said entry stores said domain name and said public address.

14. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an initiation of communication from an entity outside of said private network.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed responsive to a communication from a host outside said private network.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein said communicating includes:

creating a message including a public source address that comprises said public address, at said entity; and

sending said message from said entity to an entity outside of said private network.

17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message, at said entity, said message including a public destination address that comprises said public address.

18. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message, at said entity, said message including a private destination address that comprises said private address.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein said requesting and receiving use said private address.

20. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message from a host outside of said private network

said message including said public address and not including said private address, said private network not including subnets.

21. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving by said entity a message from a host outside of said private network, said message including said public address and not including said private address, wherein said public address is a host specific address with a subnet mask of all ones, said message routed to said entity based on said host specific address.

22. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving by said entity a message from a host outside of said private network to a gateway for said private network, said message including said public address and being forwarded from said gateway to said entity based on at translation of said public address to said private address.

23. A method according to claim 1, wherein said entity receives information indicating how long said entity can use said public address.

24. A method according to claim 1, wherein said entity broadcasts said discover message in response to said entity powering on.

25. A method according to claim 1, wherein said entity learns an address of said one or more other entities from a response sent by said one of said other entities, said response including said private address.

26. A method for allowing entities outside of a private network to communicate with an entity inside said private network, comprising:

said entity inside said private network receiving a private address;

subsequent to receipt of said private address, said entity requesting a public address from a gateway device;

said entity receiving said public address from said gateway device and storing said public address;

said entity inside said private network causing said gateway device to bind said public address to said private address to enable communications from entities outside of said private network to said entity using said public address; and

said entity inside said private network causing an entity outside said private network to publish, outside of said private network, said public address and an identifier associated with said entity.

27. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

receiving an initiation of communication from an entity outside of said private network, said initiation of communication including a message, said message including said public address.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein said requesting comprises:

broadcasting a message to discover an address provider; and

receiving, at said entity, a response from said address provider, said response including said public address.

29. A method according to claim 26, wherein to publish comprises:

requesting an update of DNS resource records for said entity.

30. A method according to claim 26, wherein to publish comprises:

sending a message to a server outside said private network requesting an update of an address value for said entity.

31. A method according to claim 26, wherein to publish comprises:

sending a message to a server outside said private network, said message includes a domain name for said entity and said public address.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein said message is configured to cause said server to perform acts responsive to receiving said message at said server including:

accessing said domain name and public address at said server;

determining that a data structure on said server stores an entry for said domain name; and

updating said entry for said domain name with said public address.

33. A method according to claim 31, wherein to said message is configured to cause said server to perform acts responsive to receiving said message at said server including:

accessing said domain name and public address at said server; and

creating an entry in a data structure on said server, said entry stores said domain name and said public address.

34. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

creating a message, at said entity, said message including a source address that comprises said public address, said source address is said public address; and

sending said message from said entity to an entity outside of said private network.

35. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

receiving a message at said entity, said message including a destination address that comprises said public address.

36. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

receiving a request for resolution of a domain name by said entity, wherein said request for resolution is received from a host;

causing said public address to be sent to said host in response to said request for resolution;

receiving a message created by said host and sent by said host to said entity, said message including a destination address, said destination address comprising said public address.

37. A method according to claim 36, further comprising:

forwarding said request for resolution to a server, said request for resolution including a domain name and configured to cause the server to perform operations in response to the forwarded request including;

accessing a data structure of domain names and public addresses;

determining whether a valid entry for said domain name exists in said data structure;

accessing said public address in said data structure based on said domain name; and

sending a message from said server to said host in response to said request for resolution, said message including said public address.

38. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors, included in an entity in a private network, programmed to;

broadcast a discover message to other entities in said private network, one of said other entities configured as a gateway device to respond to said discover message by providing a private address to said entity;

request a public address subsequent to receipt of said private address;

receive and store said public address at said entity;

send a message to said gateway device to cause the gateway device to bind said public address to said private address to enable communications outside of said private network using said public address; and

publish, outside of said private network by said entity, said public address and an identifier associated with said entity in response to receipt of said public address.

39. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein:

said entity is configured to broadcast said discover message in response to said entity connecting to said private network.

40. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said one or more processors are further configured to receive an initiation of communication from an entity outside of a said private network, said initiation of communication includes a message, said message includes a destination address that comprises said public address.

41. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said one or more processors are further configured to create a message that includes a source address that comprises said public address;

and

send said message to an entity outside of said private network.

42. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said one or more processors are further configured to receive a message routed from a router toward said entity based on a host specific address responsive to said message being sent from a host outside of said network to the router, wherein said message originally included said public address and does not include said private address, and said public address is a host specific address with a subnet mask of all ones.

43. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said one or more processors are further configured to receive a message from a gateway based on a private address that was translated by the gateway from a public address, wherein said message was sent from a host outside said network to said gateway and originally included said public address.