Control of access by intermediate network element for connecting data communication networks

• US 20050177865A1
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ng, Chan-Wah, Ue, Toyoki, Tan, Pek-Yew
• Granted Patent: US 7,784,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/741 Holding a request until resources become available
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

An access control method for a plurality of data communications networks is disclosed that enables a plurality of local nodes (101) to communicate with each other even if the connection between an intermediate node (103) and a global server (105) is momentarily lost. In this method, when the connection to the global server (105) breaks down, the intermediate node (103) temporarily grants access to the local nodes (101) instead of the global server (105) in accordance with a predetermined policy, thus allowing operation of local networks to function normally until connection to the global network (104) is resumed.

Claims

1. An access control method in an intermediate network element for connecting a plurality of data communication networks including a local network and a global network, comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not a connection from a local node in the local network to a global node in the global network is disconnected; and

accepting an access from the local node to the global node when the connection from the local node to the global node is determined to be disconnected in the step of determining.

2. The access control method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

rejecting an access from the local node to the global node when the connection from the local node to the global node is determined to be disconnected in the step of determining,

wherein the step of accepting and the step of rejecting are switched according to a course of action of the intermediate network element.

3. The access control method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transmitting a message to the local node which indicates that an access to the global node is accepted when an access from the local node to the global node is accepted in the step of accepting.

4. The access control method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

transmitting a message to the local node which indicates that an access to the global node is rejected when an access from the local node to the global node is rejected in the step of rejecting.