Method and system of providing IPv6 packet transit between two IPv6 nodes of a utility network connected via an IPv4 network using encapsulation technique

• US 9,288,181 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2015
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vaswani, Raj, Pace, James, Ramasastry, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): PASIA, REDENTOR M
• Application Number:
  US14/600,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20150131533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17306 Intercommunication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/659 Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/741 Routing in networks with a plurality of addressing schemes, e.g. with both IPv4 and IPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• 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 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• 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 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 : Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 : using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/005 : Data network PoA devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

One example embodiment provides a method and system where a node in an IPv6 utility network communicates with an IPv6 destination node through and IPv4 network. IPv6 utility nodes are reachable through at least one access point. IPv6 packets to be transmitted between an IPv6 access point and an IPv6 destination node through a IPv4 communications network are encapsulated in IPv4 packets for transmission through the IPv4 communications network. Packets received after transmission through the IPv4 communications network at the destination node are extracted to retrieve the IPv6 packet.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between an IPv6 network and a remote node through an IPv4 network, wherein the IPv4 network is communicatively linked to the IPv6 network by an access point in the IPv6 network, the method comprising:

receiving, by the access point, a data packet from a node in the IPv6 network;

in the event that the data packet includes an IPv6 address of the node and includes a destination that is accessible through the IPv4 network, determining, by the access point, whether to transmit the data packet by tunneling or by encapsulating the data packet by the access point in one or more IPv4 data packets, in accordance with a communications capability of the access point and a communications capability of the destination, the communications capability of the access point including a capability of whether the access point is configured to communicate according to IPv4, IPv6, or both IPv4 and IPv6, and the communications capability of the destination including a capability of the destination to communicate according to IPv4, IPv6, or both IPv4 and IPv6; and

transmitting, by the access point, the data packet through the IPv4 network to the destination in accordance with the determination whether to use tunneling or encapsulation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the IPv4 network is one of the Internet, an intranet, and a wireless communications network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the IPv6 network is a wireless communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination is a back office system configured to transmit operating instructions to and receive operating data from at least one node in at least one of the IPv6 network and the IPv4 network.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

at the destination, receiving at least one encapsulated packet transmitted by the access point; and

extracting payloads of the received at least one encapsulated packet to retrieve the data packet.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein an IPv4 address associated with the access point is included in the at least one encapsulated packet.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the access point has an IPv4 address for use as an IPv6 encapsulation host.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the access point prepares a packet address header by prepending an IPv4 header with Protocol 41 to the IPv6 packet.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the access point extracts the IPv4 address of the destination from the data packet that the access point received from the node.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination sends IPv6 packets to the access point and one of a plurality of nodes in the IPv6 network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination has an IPv4 address for use as an IPv6 encapsulation host.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination prepares a packet address header by prepending a Protocol 41 header to an IPv4 header of the IPv6 address.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination is a node on a second IPv6 network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination extracts the IPv4 address of the destination from a IPv6 packet header.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point forwards the retrieved data packet to the destination.

16. An access point for communicating between an IPv6 network and a remote node through an IPv4 network, wherein the IPv4 network is communicatively linked to the IPv6 network by the access point in the IPv6 network, the access point comprising:

means for receiving a data packet from a node in the IPv6 network;

means for determining, in the event that the data packet includes an IPv6 address of the node and includes a destination that is accessible through the IPv4 network, whether to transmit the data packet by tunneling or by encapsulating the data packet by the access point in one or more IPv4 data packets, in accordance with a communications capability of the access point and a communications capability of the destination, the communications capability of the access point including a capability of whether the access point is configured to communicate according to IPv4, IPv6, or both IPv4 and IPv6, and the communications capability of the destination including a capability of the destination to communicate according to IPv4, IPv6, or both IPv4 and IPv6; and

means for transmitting the data packet through the IPv4 network to the destination in accordance with the determination whether to use tunneling or encapsulation.

17. The access point of claim 16, wherein the IPv4 network is one of the Internet, an intranet, and a wireless communications network.

18. The access point of claim 16, wherein the IPv6 network is a wireless communication network.

19. The access point of claim 16, wherein the destination is a back office system configured to transmit operating instructions to and receive operating data from at least one node in at least one of the IPv6 network and the IPv4 network.

20. The access point of claim 16, wherein the destination is a node configured to receive encapsulated packets transmitted by the access point, and to extract a payload of the received encapsulated packets to retrieve the IPv6 packet.

21. The access point of claim 20, wherein an IPv4 address associated with the access point is included in at least one of the encapsulated packets.

22. The access point of claim 21, wherein the access point has an IPv4 address for use as an IPv6 encapsulation host.

23. The access point of claim 21, wherein the access point prepares a packet address header by prepending an IPv4 header with Protocol 41 to the IPv6 packet.

24. The access point of claim 21, wherein the access point extracts the IPv4 address of the destination from the data packet received from the node.

25. The access point of claim 16, wherein the destination sends IPv6 packets to the access point and one of a plurality of nodes in the IPv6 network.

26. The access point of claim 16, wherein the destination prepares a packet address header by prepending a Protocol 41 header to an IPv4 header of the IPv6 address.

27. The access point of claim 16, wherein the destination has an IPv4 address for use as an IPv6 encapsulation host.

28. The access point of claim 16, wherein the destination is a node on a second IPv6 network.

29. The access point of claim 16, wherein the destination extracts the IPv4 address of the destination from a IPv6 packet header.

30. The access point of claim 16, wherein the access point forwards the retrieved data packet to the destination.