Method of distributing information regarding one or more electrical devices and system for the same

• US 8,683,567 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Ryan Yong, Yerramsetti, Naga, Maurino, Ricardo Federico
• Primary Examiner(s): Moorthy, Aravind
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gao, Shu Chun
• Application Number:
  US13/077,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20120254961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 726 22- 25, 726/3, 726/7, 709/220
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2546 Arrangements for avoiding unnecessary translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2567 for reachability, e.g. inquiring the address of a correspondent behind a NAT server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

Some embodiments of a method can include: receiving in a first server a first request to register a first electrical device storing in the first server the unique identification information, the internal IP address, and the external IP address of the first electrical device receiving in the first server a first request for information regarding the first electrical device; using the first server to determine the external IP address of the first electrical device; redirecting the first request for the information to a first gateway device if an external IP address of a first client computer is identical to the external IP address of the first electrical device; and returning the external IP address of the first electrical device if the external IP address of the first client computer is different from the external IP address of the first electrical device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of distributing information regarding one or more electrical devices using a first server, each of the one or more electrical devices has unique identification information, an internal IP address, and an external IP address, the method comprising:

receiving in the first server a first request to register a first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices, the first request to register comprises the unique identification information, the internal IP address, and the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices;

storing in the first server the unique identification information, the internal IP address, and the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices;

receiving in the first server from a first client computer a first request for the information regarding the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices;

requesting first authentication information from the first client computer;

authenticating the first client computer based on the first authentication information before redirecting the first request for the information or returning the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical device;

using the first server to determine the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices;

redirecting the first request for the information to a first gateway device if an external IP address of the first client computer is identical to the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; and

returning the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices if the external IP address of the first client computer is different from the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices,

wherein;

the first gateway device is different from the first server; and

the first gateway device and the first electrical device are not using an UPnP (universal plug and play) standard;

receiving in the first server the first request to register the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices further comprises;

receiving second authentication information from the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices;

the first authentication information comprises a first username and a first password;

the second authentication information comprises a second username and a second password; and

authenticating the first client computer comprises;

authenticating the first client computer unless the first username and the first password of the first authentication information are different from the second username and the second password of the second authentication information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the first gateway device to return the internal IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices if the external IP address of the first client computer is identical to the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the second authentication information to a user of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for an IP address of the first server from the first client computer; and

providing the IP address of the first server to the first client computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a local network comprises the first gateway device, the first client computer, and the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; and

the first server is not part of the local network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a local network comprises the first gateway device and the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; and

the first server and the first client computer are not part of the local network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request to register a second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices, the second request to register comprises the unique identification information, the internal IP address, and the external IP address of the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; and

storing in the first server the unique identification information, the internal IP address, and the external IP address of the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving in the first server from the first client computer a second request for the information regarding the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices;

using the first server to determine the external IP address of the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices;

redirecting the second request for the information to the first gateway device if the external IP address of the first client computer is identical to the external IP address of the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; and

returning the external IP address of the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices if the external IP address of the first client computer is different from the external IP address of the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving in the first server from a second client computer a second request for the information regarding the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices;

using the first server to determine the external IP address of the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices;

redirecting the second request for the information to a second gateway device if an external IP address of the second client computer is identical to the external IP address of the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; and

returning the external IP address of the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices if the external IP address of the second client computer is different from the external IP address of the second electrical device of the one or more electrical devices.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving in the first server from a second client computer a second request for information regarding the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices;

using the first server to determine the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices;

redirecting the second request for the information to the first gateway device if an external IP address of the second client computer is identical to the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; and

returning the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices if the external IP address of the second client computer is different from the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the unique identification information of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices comprises a MAC address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first gateway device and the first electrical device are not using a DLNA (digital living network alliance) standard.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first gateway device and the first electrical device are not using a Bonjour protocol.