Method for setting up a communication between a device and a host application over an IP network, host application and DSL router, and software programs realizing said method

• US 20030084173A1
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: De Bruycker, Dirk, Deleu, Johan Ghislain, Cosemans, Peter Jozef Jeanne
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• 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 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming

Abstract

A method is described for setting up a communication between a device (R1;R2) and a host application (A11; A12; A21; A22) over an IP network, where this device has no externally known IP address. The method includes the steps of:

a. sending out a multicast discovery request by the host application to a specific multicast address and a specific port known by the device;

b. the device responding to the discovery message with a multicast discovery response to the specific multicast address and specific port number, the discovery response including a unique identification parameter proper to the device and the host IP address and application port number;

c. the host application accepting this identification message based on the host IP address and application port number and sending subsequent multicast messages to the specific multicast address and specific port and including the identification parameter;

d. the device accepting the subsequent multicast messages based on the identification parameter and sending subsequent multicast messages to the specific multicast address and specific port and including the identification parameter and the host IP address and application port number.

Claims

1. ) Method for setting up a communication between a device (R1;

R2) and a host application (A11;

A12;

A21;

A22) over an IP network, where said device has no externally known IP address, said method including the steps of;

a) sending out a multicast discovery request by said host application to a specific multicast address and a specific port known by said device;

b) said device responding to said discovery request with a multicast discovery response sent to said specific multicast address and specific port number, said identification message including a unique identification parameter proper to said device and host IP address and application port number as identified from said discovery request;

c) said host application accepting said discovery response based on said host IP address and application port number and sending subsequent multicast messages to said specific multicast address and specific port and including said identification parameter;

d) said device accepting said subsequent multicast messages based on said identification parameter and sending subsequent multicast messages to said specific multicast address and specific port and including said identification parameter and said host IP address and application port number.

2. ) Method according to claim 1 characterised in that said subsequent messages include information enabling said device, e.g. a DSL router to configure itself.

7. ) Software program for running on a host connected to an IP network to which also at least one device is connected, said device having an address that is not externally known, said software program when running realizing the steps a and c of the method according to claim 1.

8. ) Software program for running on a device connected to an IP network to which also at least one host is connected, said device having an address that is not externally known, said software program when running realizing the steps b and d of the method according to claim 1.

9. ) Software program for running on a host connected to an IP network to which also at least one device is connected, said device having an address that is not externally known, said software program when running realizing the steps a and c of the method according to claim 1.

3. ) Host application for being connected to an IP network to which also at least one device can be connected, said device having an IP address that is not externally known, said host application including generation means realised to generate a discovery request, transmission means realized to multicast said discovery request to a specific multicast address and specific port known by said device, reception means realized to receive a discovery response multicast by said device in response to said discovery request, to said specific multicast address and specific port, and including an identification parameter identifying said device and generation and realized to generate subsequent multicast messages including said identification parameter to multicast said subsequent multicast messages to said specific multicast address and specific port.

4. ) Host application according to claim 3, characterized in that said generation and transmission means are realized to include in said subsequent multicast messages information enabling said device, e.g. a DSL router to configure itself.

5. ) Device for being connected to an IP network to which also at least one host application can be connected, said device having an address that is not externally known, said device including reception means able to receive a discovery request multicast by said host application to a specific multicast address and specific port known by said device, transmission means realized to multicast a discovery response to said specific multicast address and specific port and including an identification parameter identifying said device and said host IP address and application port number, said reception means also being realized to accept subsequent multicast messages sent by said host to said specific multicast address and specific port and including said identification parameter.

6. ) Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said reception means are in addition realized to recognise in said subsequent messages information enabling configuration of said device, e;

g. a DSL router, and operation means realized to configure said device based on said information.