Communication system and method

• US 8,761,046 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Delorme, Flavien, De Smet, Bruno, Belghoul, Farouk
• Primary Examiner(s): JAIN, RAJ K
• Application Number:
  US13/314,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20130148572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A modem is disclosed that, in one embodiment, includes: first interface apparatus comprising a first wireless transceiver arranged to connect to a wireless cellular network; second interface apparatus arranged to connect to the terminal; and processing apparatus configured as a wireless cellular modem for accessing packet-based communications. The processing apparatus is arranged to receive at least one first address from the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus, the first address being an address of a server of a name-to-address resolution system. The processing apparatus is further configured to intercept, via the second interface apparatus, a name-to-address resolution query being conveyed from the terminal to the wireless cellular network comprising a second address as a destination address, to translate the second address into the first address, and to retransmit the query to the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus with the first address as the destination address.

Claims

1. A modem for use at a terminal, the modem comprising:

first interface apparatus comprising a first wireless transceiver arranged to connect to a wireless cellular network;

second interface apparatus arranged to connect to the terminal; and

processing apparatus configured to perform operations of a wireless cellular modem so as to enable the terminal to access packet-based communications via the second interface apparatus, first interface apparatus and wireless cellular network;

wherein the processing apparatus is arranged to receive at least one first address from the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus, the first address being an address of a server of a name-to-address resolution system; and

wherein the processing apparatus is configured to intercept, via the second interface apparatus, a name-to-address resolution query being conveyed from the terminal to the wireless cellular network comprising a second address as a destination address, to translate the second address into the first address, and to retransmit the query to the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus with the first address as the destination address so as to access the packet-based communications.

2. The modem of claim 1, wherein:

the processing apparatus is configured such that said access to packet-based communications comprises access to a further, packet-based network via the wireless cellular network;

said query being so as to access the further network via the wireless cellular network.

3. The modem of claim 1, wherein:

the processing apparatus is configured to send a request message via the first interface apparatus requesting establishment of a context with the wireless cellular network, and in response to receive back an acceptance message from the wireless cellular network accepting establishment of the context, the acceptance message comprising said at least one first address.

4. The modem of claim 1, wherein:

the processing apparatus is configured to intercept at least one name-to-address resolution response being conveyed from the server comprising the first address as a source address, to translate the first address into the second address, and to retransmit said response to the wireless cellular network with the second address as the source address.

5. The modem of claim 1, wherein:

the processing apparatus is configured to receive a plurality of first addresses from the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus, each first address being an address of a respective server of a name-to-address resolution system; and

the processing apparatus is configured to intercept, via the second interface apparatus, a name-to-address resolution query being conveyed from the terminal to the wireless cellular network comprising any one of a plurality of second addresses as a destination address, to translate said one of the second addresses into a respective one of the first addresses, and to retransmit the query to the wireless cellular network with the respective first address as the destination address so as to access the packet-based communications.

6. The modem of claim 1, wherein the second address is a default address generated by the terminal.

7. The modem of claim 1, wherein the processing apparatus is unable to cause the terminal to accept the first address.

8. The modem of claim 1, wherein the processing apparatus is configured to detect that the second address is not the at least one first address, and to perform said translation on condition of said detection.

9. The modem of claim 6, wherein the processing apparatus is configured to detect that the second address is a default address, and to perform said translation on condition of said detection.

10. The modem of claim 6, wherein the second address is a default address generated by an operating system of the terminal.

11. The modem of claim 10, wherein the processing apparatus is unable to cause the terminal to accept the first address due to the operating system of the terminal.

12. The modem of claim 1, wherein the further network is the Internet.

13. The modem of claim 1, wherein the wireless cellular network is a 3GPP network.

14. The modem of claim 1, wherein the second interface apparatus comprises a wired connector or connection.

15. The modem of claim 1, wherein the modem comprises an external unit for use at the terminal.

16. The modem of claim 15, wherein the second interface apparatus comprises a wired connector.

17. The modem of claim 15, wherein the modem comprises a dongle housing said processing apparatus and for plugging into said terminal via the second interface apparatus.

18. The modem of claim 15, wherein the second interface apparatus comprises a second wireless transceiver for connecting to the terminal via a local wireless connection.

19. The modem of claim 1, wherein the modem comprises a mobile phone housing said processing apparatus and for connecting to said terminal via the second interface apparatus, the mobile phone thus being operable as a telephone and as an external wireless cellular modem for the terminal.

20. A computer program product for operating a modem for use at a terminal, the modem having a processing apparatus, a first interface apparatus comprising a first wireless transceiver for connecting to a wireless cellular network, and a second interface apparatus for connecting to the terminal;

wherein the computer program product comprises code embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and configured so as when executed on the processing apparatus of said modem to perform operations of a wireless cellular modem so as to enable the terminal to access packet-based communications via the second interface apparatus, first interface apparatus and wireless cellular network, including to perform operations of;

receiving a first address from the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus, the first address being an address of a server of a name-to-address resolution system;

intercepting, via the second interface apparatus, a name-to-address resolution query being conveyed from the terminal to the wireless cellular network comprising a second address as a destination address;

translating the second address into the first address; and

retransmitting the query to the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus with the first address as the destination address so as to access the packet-based communications.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein:

the code is configured such that said access to packet-based communications comprises access to a further, packet-based network via the wireless cellular network;

said query being so as to access the further network via the wireless cellular network.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein:

the code is configured so as when executed to send a request message via the first interface apparatus requesting establishment of a context with the wireless cellular network, and in response to receive back an acceptance message from the wireless cellular network accepting establishment of the context, the acceptance message comprising said at least one first address.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein:

the code is configured so as when executed to intercept at least one name-to-address resolution response being conveyed from the server comprising the first address as a source address, to translate the first address into the second address, and to retransmit said response to the wireless cellular network with the second address as the source address.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein:

the code is configured so as when executed to receive a plurality of first addresses from the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus, each first address being an address of a respective server of a name-to-address resolution system; and

the code is configured so as when executed to intercept, via the second interface apparatus, a name-to-address resolution query being conveyed from the terminal to the wireless cellular network comprising any one of a plurality of second addresses as a destination address, to translate said one of the second addresses into a respective one of the first addresses, and to retransmit the query to the wireless cellular network with the respective first address as the destination address so as to access the packet-based communications.

25. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the second address is a default address generated by the terminal.

26. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the code is unable to cause the terminal to accept the first address.

27. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the code is configured so as when executed to detect that the second address is not the at least one first address, and to perform said translation on condition of said detection.

28. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the code is configured so as when executed to detect that the second address is a default address, and to perform said translation on condition of said detection.

29. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the second address is a default address generated by an operating system of the terminal.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the code is unable to cause the terminal to accept the first address due to the operating system of the terminal.

31. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the further network is the Internet.

32. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the wireless cellular network is a 3GPP network.

33. A method of operating a modem connected to a terminal, the modem having a first interface apparatus comprising a first wireless transceiver for connecting to a wireless cellular network, a second interface apparatus for connecting to the terminal, and a processing apparatus for performing operations of a wireless cellular modem so as to enable the terminal to access packet-based communications via the second interface apparatus, first interface apparatus and wireless cellular network;

wherein the method comprises;

at the processing apparatus of said modem, receiving a first address from the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus, the first address being an address of a server of a name-to-address resolution system;

intercepting at the processing apparatus of said modem, via the second interface apparatus, a name-to-address resolution query being conveyed from the terminal to the wireless cellular network comprising a second address as a destination address;

at the processing apparatus of said modem, translating the second address into the first address; and

from the processing apparatus of said modem, retransmitting the query to the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus with the first address as the destination address so as to access the packet-based communications.

34. A system comprising:

a terminal;

a wireless cellular network; and

a modem for use at the terminal, the modem comprising a first interface apparatus comprising a first wireless transceiver for connecting to the wireless cellular network, a second interface apparatus for connecting to the terminal, and processing apparatus configured to perform operations of a wireless cellular modem so as to enable the terminal to access packet-based communications via the first interface apparatus, second interface apparatus and wireless cellular network;

wherein the processing apparatus is arranged to receive a first address from the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus, the first address being an address of a server of a name-to-address resolution system; and

wherein the processing apparatus is configured to intercept, via the second interface apparatus, a name-to-address resolution query being conveyed from the terminal to the wireless cellular network comprising a second address as a destination address, to translate the second address into the first address, and to retransmit the query to the wireless cellular network via the first interface apparatus with the first address as the destination address so as to access the packet-based communications.