Router, network system, and network setup method

• US 20030152038A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Toshihiro, Ozaki, Shuzo, Shinano, Shunji, Oshima, Tomohiro
• Application Number:
  US10/329,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20030152038A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• 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 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2567 for reachability, e.g. inquiring the address of a correspondent behind a NAT server

Abstract

A router facilitate a network setup including a Port No., and a network system employs the router. The router receives a transmission packet containing a MAC address broadcast from a terminal in a network. The router then relates the IP address and Port No. to the MAC address and store them as network information. The IP address and Port No. are different from those of a terminal already setup. This network information is sent by designating the MAC address. When a transmission packet designating Port No. of the terminal is received from an external network, the router forwards the transmission packet to the terminal whose Port No. stored matches the designated Port No.

Claims

1. A router connected between a private network to which a terminal is connected and an external network, said router:

receiving a transmission packet broadcast from said terminal, said transmission packet containing a MAC address; and

storing network information in which an IP address and Port No. are related to said MAC address, said IP address and Port No. being different from those of other terminal already setup.

2. The router as defined in claim 1, wherein said network information is transmitted by designating said MAC address.

3. The router as defined claim 1, wherein said router forwards said transmission packet to said terminal whose said Port No. stored is same as a Port No. contained in said transmission packet when said transmission packet designating said Port No. of said terminal is received from said external network.

7. The router as defined in claim 1, wherein said router requests for sending an image to said terminal, and sends a received display information containing image data to a computer connected to said external network when said router receives a packet designating Port No. of a web server of said router from said computer.

8. The router as defined in claim 7, wherein said router sends display information, containing image data indicating a need for authentication, to said computer when said terminal to which transmission of an image is requested requires authentication.

4. A router connected between a private network to which a terminal is connected and an external network, said router comprising:

a first controller for generating an IP address and Port No. on receiving a transmission packet broadcast from said terminal, said transmission packet containing a MAC address; and

a memory for storing said IP address and Port No. as network information related to said MAC address;

wherein said first controller generates said IP address and Port No. different from those of other terminal already stored in said memory.

5. The router as defined in claim 4 further comprising a second controller for sending said network information stored in said memory to said terminal via said private network by designating said MAC address.

6. The router as defined in claim 5, wherein said second controller forwards said transmission packet to said terminal whose Port No. stored in said memory matches a Port No. contained in said transmission packet when said transmission packet designating Port No. of said terminal is received from said external network.

9. The router as defined in claim 4 further comprising:

a first interface for linking to said private network; and

a second interface for linking to said external network;

wherein said router outputs said transmission packet via said first interface to said terminal whose Port No. matches a Port No. received from said memory when said transmission packet designating said Port No. of said terminal is received from said external network via said second interface.

10. A network system linked to an external network, said network system comprising:

a terminal which broadcasts a transmission packet containing its own MAC address to a connected network; and

a router which receives said transmission packet broadcast from said terminal, and stores an IP address and Port No. as network information related to said MAC address, said IP address and Port No. being different from those of a terminal already setup.

11. The network system as defined in claim 10, wherein said router requests to said terminal for sending an image, and sends display information including received image data to a computer connected to said external network when said router receives a packet designating Port No. of a web server of said router from said computer.

12. The network system as defined in claim 11, wherein said network system has a plurality of said terminals, said router allows said computer to directly access said terminal corresponding to said image data when said computer displays display information containing image data received and said image data is selected.

13. The network system as defined in claim 11, wherein said router sends display information containing image data indicating a need for authentication to said computer when said terminal requires authentication against a request made by said router to said terminal for sending an image.

14. The network system as defined in claim 10, wherein said terminal broadcasts said transmission packet in one of cases when:

said terminal is turned on;

said terminal is reset; and

said terminal is connected to said network.

15. The network system as defined in claim 10, wherein said terminal has a memory for storing said transmission packet.

16. The network system as defined in claim 15, wherein said memory further stores IP address and Port No. broadcast from said router.

17. A network setup method which assigns an IP address and Port No. to a terminal in a private network to which said terminal and a router are connected;

said method comprising;

broadcasting a transmission packet containing a MAC address from said terminal;

receiving said transmission packet by said router; and

storing said IP address and Port No. as network information related to said MAC address by said router, said IP address and Port No. being different from those of other terminal already setup.

18. The network setup method as defined in claim 17 further comprising a step of sending said network information by designating said MAC address.