Port forwarding configuration system and method for wire and wireless networks

• US 8,050,192 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Se-Dong
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HANH N
• Application Number:
  US11/598,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20070110039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/401, 370/338, 370/389, 370/395.1, 370/395.54, 709/223, 709/220, 709/230, 709/224, 709/245, 709/227, 709/225, 725/105, 455/517, 455/519
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

In a port forwarding configuration system and method for wire and wireless networks, when an Internet protocol (IP) is allocated according to a request from a wireless terminal of a private network and an initialization information message is transmitted by the terminal, a port to be used by the terminal is configured and a configured port information message is transmitted to the terminal so as to open a port for the terminal, thereby performing a remote connection of a user terminal to the wireless terminal through port forwarding.

Claims

1. A wire and wireless network system, comprising:

a terminal to transmit an initialization information message after being allocated a private Internet protocol (IP) address within a service area of a private network; and

a wire and wireless sharing device to allocate the IP address according to a request transmitted from the terminal, and when the initialization information message is transmitted by the terminal, the wire and wireless sharing device configures a port to be used by the terminal and transmits a configured port message to the terminal, with the port configured to connect the private network to an authorized Internet, thereby performing port forwarding to the terminal by the wire and wireless sharing device,

wherein the terminal comprises;

a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) client unit to request the wire and wireless sharing device for allocation of the private IP address;

a message transmitting unit to transmit the initialization information message and a life message to the wire and wireless sharing device;

a message receiving unit to receive the configured port message and a response message from the wire and wireless sharing device, the response message being received in response to the transmitted life message; and

a port configuring unit to configure the port according to port information provided by the configured port message transmitted by the wire and wireless sharing device.

2. The wire and wireless network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the initialization information message comprises a media access control (MAC) address and the private IP address of the terminal.

3. The wire and wireless network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal is allocated the private IP address by the wire and wireless sharing device in a DHCP manner.

4. The wire and wireless network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wire and wireless sharing device automatically allocates the private IP address to the terminal in the DHCP manner.

5. The wire and wireless network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wire and wireless sharing device comprises:

a DHCP server unit to allocate the private IP address according to the request received from the terminal;

a message receiving unit to receive the initialization information message and the life message transmitted by the terminal;

a port forwarding configuring unit to configure the port to be used by the terminal according to the private IP address provided in the initialization information message received by the message receiving unit;

a MAC address storage unit to map port information, configured by the port forwarding configuring unit, to the IP address and the MAC address provided in the initialization information message, and for storing the mapped port information;

a message transmitting unit to transmit the configured port message, configured by the port forwarding configuring unit, to the terminal; and

a display unit to display a connection state of at least one terminal according to a key input signal by a user.

6. The wire and wireless network system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the display unit displays MAC address list information of the terminal and a connection status of the terminal to the wire and wireless sharing device.

7. The wire and wireless network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein upon rebooting, the wire and wireless sharing device releases the configured port to the terminal and, when the terminal is reconnected, the wire and wireless sharing device checks a pre-stored MAC address of the terminal so as to configure a port according to information for the port originally configured.

8. The wire and wireless network system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wire and wireless sharing device receives life messages periodically transmitted by the terminal so as to check an operating state of the terminal, and when the life message is not transmitted for a certain period of time, the wire and wireless sharing device releases the configured port to the terminal so as to turn off a connection status thereof.

9. A port forwarding configuration method of a terminal, the method comprising:

requesting a wire and wireless sharing device for allocation of an Internet protocol (IP) address;

transmitting an initialization information message to the wire and wireless sharing device;

receiving a configured port message from the wire and wireless sharing device;

configuring a port according to port information provided by the configured port message transmitted by the wire and wireless sharing device;

transmitting a life message to the wire and wireless sharing device; and

receiving a response message from the wire and wireless sharing device, the response message being received in response to transmitting the life message,

wherein the life message is a message informing the wire and wireless sharing device that the terminal operates normally.

10. The port forwarding configuration method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the IP address allocation is allocated in a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) manner.

11. The port forwarding configuration method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the initialization information message comprises a media access control (MAC) address and the IP address of the terminal.

12. A port forwarding configuration method of a wire and wireless network system, the method comprising:

requesting, by a terminal, a wire and wireless sharing device to allocate an Internet protocol (IP) address;

allocating, by the wire and wireless sharing device, a private IP address according to a request transmitted from the terminal;

transmitting, by the terminal, an initialization information message to the wire and wireless sharing device;

configuring, by the wire and wireless sharing device, a port to be used by the terminal, with the port connecting a private network to an authorized Internet;

transmitting, by the wire and wireless sharing device, a configured port information message to the terminal;

receiving, by the terminal, the configured port information message from the wire and wireless sharing device;

configuring, by the terminal, the port according to the configured port information message transmitted by the wire and wireless sharing device;

transmitting, by the terminal, a life message to the wire and wireless sharing device; and

receiving, by the wire and wireless sharing device, the life message and transmitting a response message of the life message to the terminal after checking a media access control (MAC) address of the terminal,

wherein the life message is a message informing the wire and wireless sharing device that the terminal operates normally.

13. The port forwarding configuration method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

releasing, by the wire and wireless sharing device, the configured port to the terminal when the wire and wireless sharing device is rebooted; and

when the terminal is reconnected, checking, by the wire and wireless sharing device, a pre-stored MAC address of the terminal so as to configure a port according to information for the port originally configured.

14. The port forwarding configuration method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the initialization information message comprises a MAC address and the private IP address of the terminal.