Server for routing connection to client device

• US 8,984,141 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freebit
• Original Assignee: Freebit
• Inventors: Ishida, Atsuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B
• Application Number:
  US11/596,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20110138058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,588 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/238, 709217-219, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an Internet connection system capable of performing bidirectional communications between a home network and the Internet by relatively simple means and enabling manufacturers of client-side home network appliances to find a unique added value.

In order to attain the above object, according to a first primary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for connecting a client device to a server, comprising the steps of: (a) notifying a relay device of an IP address of the server; (b) establishing a TCP/IP session by a tunneling connection between the relay device and the server using the notified IP address; and (c) based on information of the relay device or the client device, grouping by the server a plurality of relay devices or client devices for each of which a tunneling connection with the server is established.

Claims

1. A method for connecting a client device to a virtual private network via a server on an Internet network via an Internet connection system, wherein said Internet connection system comprising said client device, a relay device connected to said client device in a private network, and said server connected to the Internet network, said server also connected with said client device through the Internet network and said relay device, comprising the steps of:

(a) notifying said relay device of an IP address of said server;

(b) establishing a TCP/IP session through a tunneling connection between said relay device and said server using the notified IP address; and

(c) based on information received from said relay device or said client device via the Internet, grouping a plurality of relay devices in different private networks or client devices connected to said plurality of relay devices, for each of said relay devices a tunneling connection with said server is individually established, wherein said plurality of relay devices or client devices are considered to be connected to one virtual private network, said grouping being carried out by said server,

the grouping in the step (c) further comprises;

assigning by said server a specific virtual server within the server to said client device;

routing communications by said virtual server between said client device and other client devices which belong to the same virtual private network;

determining by said server a model of the client device based on an IP address assigned to the client device; and

determining by said server based on this model the virtual private network to which said client device belongs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each of said relay devices is installed in a respective client device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in said step (a), said relay device connects to a tunneling mediation server provided on the Internet, and receives the IP address of said server from said tunneling mediation server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said step (b) includes the steps of;

(b-1) connecting to said server by said relay device using the notified IP address of said server;

(b-2) notifying said relay device of an IP address assigned for said relay device for establishing a TCP/IP session with tunneling; and

(b-3) establishing a TCP/IP session with tunneling between said server and said relay device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

in said step (b-2), said server notifies said relay device of the IP address of said relay device for establishing a TCP/IP session with tunneling.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

said step (b) further includes the step of;

(b-4) generating a MAC address for said relay device and notifying said relay device of said MAC address by said server.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein:

said step (b-1) includes the step of performing connection authentication for said relay device by said server; and

said step (b-2) includes the step of assigning an IP address for said relay device depending on a result of said connection authentication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

said step (b-2) further includes the step of assigning a MAC address for said relay device depending on a result of said connection authentication.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the grouping of said step (c) is performed based on the connection authentication of said step (b-1).

10. The method of claim 4, wherein:

in said step (a), said relay device connects to a tunneling mediation server provided on the Internet, and receives the IP address of said server from said tunneling mediation server; and

in said step (b-2), said tunneling mediation server notifies said relay device of the IP address of said relay device for establishing a TCP/IP session with tunneling.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

said step (b) further includes the step of;

(b-4) generating the MAC address for said relay device and notifying said relay device of said MAC address by said tunneling mediation server.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the grouping of said step (c) is performed based on an IP address of said relay device or said client device assigned by said server.

13. A server located on the Internet used by an Internet connection system,

wherein said Internet connection system comprises said server, a client device and a relay device connected to said client device within a private network, and said server connects with said client device through the Internet and said relay device,

said server comprising:

a tunneling establishing section for establishing tunneling connections with a plurality of said relay devices located in difference private networks; and

a terminal group management section configured to create a virtual private network group with the plurality of relay devices or client devices connected with this server by tunneling, based on information received from said client device or said relay device via the Internet,

wherein said server assigns a specific virtual server within the server to said client device;

wherein said virtual server routes communications between said client device and other client devices which belong to the same virtual private network;

wherein said server determines a model of the client device based on an IP address assigned to the client device; and

wherein said server determines based on this model the virtual private network to which said client device belongs.

14. The server of claim 13, further comprising:

a model identification section for determining if said client device and/or said relay device are/is of predetermined models,

wherein said terminal group management section manages the result from said model identification section in association with said client device.

15. The server of claim 14, further comprising:

a command conversion section for converting a command to be sent to said client device to a command in a predetermined format for controlling said client device based on a model determined by said model identification section.

16. The server of claim 13, further comprising:

a protocol identification section for determining a protocol for controlling said client device,

wherein said terminal group management section builds a network group to which client devices belong, said client devices utilizing a same protocol, based on the result from said protocol identification section.

17. The server of claim 13, wherein:

said terminal group management section manages a plurality of virtual private network group, and selects a group to which said client device or said relay device should belong based on information from said client device or said relay device.

18. The server of claim 13, wherein:

said client device includes a peripheral device, said peripheral device communicable with said relay device but unable to connect to the Internet by itself.

19. The server of claim 13, further comprising:

a state information obtaining section for obtaining at least one of, or a plurality of;

an operation state, a usage state and location information of said client device and/or said relay device.

20. The server of claim 13, further comprising:

an address management section for assigning an IP address on a virtual private network to said client device and/or said relay device.

21. The server of claim 20, wherein:

said address management section assigns a unique MAC address to said client device and/or said relay device for connecting via said virtual private network.

22. An Internet connection system comprising:

a server located on the Internet and a plurality of network-enabled home appliances, each comprising a relay device adapted to receive an IP address of the server, said network-enabled home appliances, said relay device and said server connected to the Internet, said server also connected with said network-enabled home appliances through said relay device and the Internet, wherein, the server comprises;

a tunneling establishing section for establishing a tunneling connection with a network enabled home appliance;

a model identification section for determining a model of the network enabled home appliance based on an IP address assigned to the network enabled home appliance, wherein the server is adapted to determine based on this model a virtual private network group to which the network enabled home appliance belongs; and

the server is adapted to assign a specific virtual server within the server to the network enabled home appliance, the virtual server routing communications between the network enabled home appliance and other network enabled home appliances, for each of which a tunneling connection with the server is established and which belong to the same virtual private network group; and

each of the plurality of network-enabled home appliances comprises;

a control section for receiving a packet, said packet including a predetermined command, and controlling said network home appliance based on said command;

a server address storage section for storing a global IP address of the server;

a tunneling establishing section for establishing a tunneling TCP session between the relay device of each network-enabled home appliance and the server based on the global IP address of the server;

a group information storage section for receiving from said server an assigned terminal group to which the network enabled home appliance belongs and information of other network home appliances belonging to the same virtual private network group, and storing the information; and

a packet processing device for capsulating/decapsulating packets, said packets communicated with the server through said tunneling connection, and routing the packet including the predetermined command to the control section or routing packets destined to the other network home appliances to the server.

23. The Internet connection system of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of network-enabled home appliances further comprises:

a relay device address storage section for making an authenticated connection with said server before said tunneling establishing section establishes the tunneling connection, receiving from said server an IP address on virtual private network based on the authenticated connection, and storing the IP address.

24. The Internet connection system of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of network-enabled home appliances further comprises:

a relay device address storage section for making an authenticated connection with said server before said tunneling establishing section establishes the tunneling connection, receiving from said server an MAC address on virtual private network based on the authenticated connection, and storing the MAC address.

25. The Internet connection system of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of network-enabled home appliances further comprises an address generation section for rewriting a MAC address of a virtual network device in an address request/response packet to the MAC address received from said server when receiving from said server the information of other network home appliances belonging to the same virtual private network group.

26. The Internet connection system of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of network-enabled home appliances further comprises:

a mediation server address storage section for storing an address of a tunneling mediation server located on the Internet; and

a server address obtaining section for accessing said mediation server based on the mediation server address, and receiving said global address of said server from said mediation server.

27. A client device, comprising:

a server address storage section that stores a global address of a server located on the Internet;

a tunneling establishing section that establishes a TCP/IP session through a tunneling connection between said client device and said server based on the global address of the server;

a group information storage section that receives and stores an assignment of a virtual private network group from said server and information of other client devices located in different private networks that are separated by the Internet and belonging to the same virtual private network group;

a control section that receives a packet, said packet including a command in a predetermined format, and controlling said client device based on said command,

wherein said client device communicates to said other client devices via a virtual server that is located within said server, said client device and said other client devices belonging to the same virtual private network group,

wherein said server determines a model of the client device based on an IP address assigned to said client device, and

wherein said server determines based on this model the virtual private network group to which said client device belongs; and

a packet processing device that capsulates/decapsulates packets, said packets communicated with said server through said tunneling connection, and routing said packets to said control section or to said other client devices in said virtual private network group based on the information in the group information storage section, wherein said command routed to and received at said control section originated from one of said other client devices.