Server for routing connection to client device

• US 20110138058A1
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freebit
• Original Assignee: Freebit
• Inventors: Ishida, Atsuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,984,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 and a server, said method implemented on an Internet connection system, said system comprising said client device, a relay device, and said server connected to the Internet network, said server also connected with said client device through said relay device and the Internet, comprising the steps of:

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

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

(c) based on information from said relay device or said client device, grouping by said relay device or said server a plurality of relay devices or client devices for each of which a tunneling connection with said server is established, wherein said plurality of relay devices or client devices are considered to be connected to one virtual private network.

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 assigned IP address of said server;

(b-2) notifying said relay device of an IP address of 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 the 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 said 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 the IP address of said relay device or said client device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the grouping of said step (c) is performed by assigning a specific virtual server provided within said server to client devices connected to an identical virtual private network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said step (c) includes the step of determining one of a plurality of groups to which said relay device or said client device belongs based on the information from said relay device or said client device, and grouping said relay device or said client device according to the determined group.

15. A network-enabled home appliance, comprising:

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 address of a server located on the Internet;

a tunneling establishing section for establishing a tunneling connection between said network-enabled home appliance and said server based on the global address of the server address;

a group information storage section for receiving from said server information of other network home appliances belonging to a same virtual private network group, and storing the information; and

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

16. The network-enabled home appliance of claim 15, comprising:

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.

17. The network-enabled home appliance of claim 15, comprising:

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.

18. The network-enabled home appliance of claim 15 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.

19. The network-enabled home appliance of claim 15, further comprising:

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 an address of said server from said mediation server.

20. A server used by an Internet connection system, said Internet connection system comprising a client device, a relay device, and said server connected to the Internet network, said server also connected with said client device through said relay device and the Internet, comprising:

a tunneling establishing section for establishing a tunneling connection with said relay device; and

a terminal group management section for building a virtual private network group with other relay devices or client devices connected with this server by tunneling based on information from said client device or said relay device.

21. The server of claim 20, 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.

22. The server of claim 21, 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.

23. The server of claim 20, 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.

24. The server of claim 20, 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

25. The server of claim 20, 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

26. The server of claim 20, 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.

27. The server of claim 20, 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.

28. The server of claim 27, 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.

29. A relay device for a virtual private network connection, comprising:

an interface, said interface appearing as a driver of a virtual network device when seen from a local communication protocol stack;

a server address storage section for storing a global address of a server located on the Internet;

a tunneling establishing section for connecting to said server based on the server global address, receiving an IP address for a virtual network connection, and establishing a tunneling connection between said relay device and said server; and

a routing processing section for capturing a request packet, said request packet including addresses of other relay devices on said virtual network, using said interface, adding the received IP address as a source address to said request packet and routing said request packet to said tunneling connection.

30. The relay device of claim 29, wherein:

said tunneling establishing section further receives a MAC address for the virtual network connection from said server; and

an address generation section for rewriting a source MAC address in said request packet to the MAC address received from said server for transmission if said request packet captured by said interface is an ARP request, and rewriting a source MAC address in an ARP response from the MAC address received from said server back to the original source MAC address.