Relay information setting method and device

• US 7,675,914 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamamoto, Moe, Kokado, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar; Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, MARCUS
• Application Number:
  US11/632,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/255 Maintenance or indexing of mapping tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

The present invention improves the reliability and safety of communication in a communications system wherein communication is relayed. When an on-premise terminal 100 sets relay information, such as NAT information or the setting information of a packet filter, in a gateway 110, the relay information is set after confirming whether the NAT information for which a setting attempt is being made duplicates the NAT information of another on-premise terminal 101. The same applies to the case of deleting relay information. If the NAT information is duplicate, then interference with the communication of the other on-premise terminal 101 is prevented by modifying the relay information for which a setting attempt is being made, specifically the port number of the gateway 110 on a global network 001.

Claims

1. A relay information processing method wherein a first communication terminal sets and/or deletes first relay information included in relay information stored by a relay device that connects a first network and a second network, and the first relay information relaying a packet transmitted from a second communication terminal on said second network to said first communication terminal on said first network,

the method comprising:

a duplicate determining step wherein said first communication terminal acquires second relay information, which is already set in said relay device, prior to setting or deleting said first relay information in said relay device, and determines whether said relay information duplicates said first relay information;

a requesting step wherein said first communication terminal transmits a request to set or a request to delete said first relay information to said relay device only if it was determined that there is no duplication in said duplicate determining step; and

a relay information updating step wherein said relay device stores said first relay information or deletes said first relay information from said relay information in accordance with said setting request or said deletion request;

wherein each of said first and second relay information comprises a first parameter that includes at least port number information possessed by said relay device on said second network;

a second parameter that is the address of a communication terminal on said first network; and

a third parameter that includes port number information of the communication terminal on said first network;

said method further comprising;

a transferring step wherein said relay device transfers data that arrives at a port specified by said first parameter to a port specified by said third parameter from amongst the ports possessed by the communication terminal specified by said second parameter.

2. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 1, wherein

said duplicate determining step comprises:

a step wherein said first communication terminal transmits a duplicate confirmation request to said relay device; and

a step wherein said relay device transmits a duplicate confirmation response, which includes the second relay information, to said first communication terminal in response to said duplicate confirmation request;

said duplicate confirmation request comprises any port number that specifies a port possessed by said relay device on said second network; and

said duplicate confirmation response comprises the second relay information for the port number specified by said duplicate confirmation request.

3. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 2, wherein

said duplicate determining step further comprises a step wherein said first communication terminal compares the second parameter included in said second relay information in the duplicate confirmation response received from said relay device with the second parameter included in said first relay information, and, if both do not match, determines that said first relay information and said second relay information are duplicates.

4. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 2, wherein

said relay information further comprises an identifier as a parameter that uniquely specifies said first communication terminal;

in said requesting step, said first communication terminal transmits a request to set said relay information to said relay device; and

said duplicate determining step further comprises a step wherein said first communication terminal compares said identifier included in said second relay information in the duplicate confirmation response received from said relay device with said identifier included in said first relay information, and, if both do not match, determines that said first relay information and said second relay information are duplicates.

5. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 4, wherein

said duplicate determining step further comprises the following steps executed by said first communication terminal:

an identifier comparing step that compares said identifier included in said second relay information with said identifier included in said first relay information;

a first determining step that determines that said first relay information and said second relay information are not duplicates if said both identifiers match in said identifier comparing step;

a parameter comparing step that further compares the second parameter included in said first relay information with the second parameter included in said second relay information if said both identifiers did not match in said identifier comparing step;

a second determining step that determines that the first relay information and the second relay information are not duplicates if said both second parameters match in said parameter comparing step; and

a third determining step that determines that the first relay information and the second relay information are duplicates if said both second parameters did not match in said parameter comparing step.

6. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a resetting step wherein, if it was determined in said duplicate determining step that said first relay information and said second relay information are duplicates, then said first communication terminal modifies said first relay information to third relay information;

wherein,

said duplicate determining step, said requesting step, and said relay information updating step are executed for said third relay information.

7. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a connection confirming step wherein, if it was determined in said duplicate determining step that said first relay information and said second relay information are duplicates, then said first communication terminal confirms whether another communication terminal, for which said first relay information is set, is connected to said first network;

wherein,

if it was confirmed in said connection confirming step that said another communication terminal is not connected, then, in said requesting step, said first communication device transmits a request to set or a request to delete said first relay information to said relay device.

8. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 7, wherein

in said requesting step, prior to transmitting a request to set said first relay information, said first communication device transmits to said relay device a request to delete said second relay information that duplicates said first relay information.

9. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a resetting step wherein, if it was confirmed in said connection confirming step that another communication terminal is connected, then said first communication terminal modifies said first relay information to third relay information;

wherein,

said duplicate determining step, said connection confirming step, said requesting step, and said relay information updating step are executed for said third relay information.

10. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 1, wherein

said duplicate determining step further comprises:

a test data transmitting step wherein the communication terminal on said second network transmits to said relay device test data destined for said first communication terminal;

a test data determining step wherein said first communication terminal determines whether said test data has arrived at said first communication terminal; and

a duplicate presence determining step wherein said first communication terminal determines, based on the determination result in said test data determining step, the presence of said second relay information that duplicates said first relay information.

11. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 1, wherein

said requesting step further comprises:

a storing step wherein, if said first communication terminal has transmitted a request to set said first relay information, then said first communication terminal stores said first relay information until transmitting a request to delete said first relay information.

12. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 11, wherein

said duplicate determining step further comprises:

a step wherein said first communication terminal further determines whether said relay device is storing relay information that duplicates the first relay information stored in said storing step.

13. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 12, wherein

said duplicate determining step further comprises:

a step wherein, if it is determined that said relay device is storing relay information that duplicates said first relay information, then said first communication terminal further determines whether that relay information is set for said first communication terminal.

14. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a relay inquiring step wherein, prior to said requesting step, said first communication terminal inquires with said relay device as to whether it is possible to set or delete said relay information in said relay device;

wherein,

in said requesting step, said first communication terminal transmits said setting request or said deletion request to said relay device based on the response regarding whether said relay inquiry is possible.

15. A relay information processing method executed by a first communication terminal on a first network, a second communication terminal on a second network, and a relay device that connects said first network and said second network and that relays communication between said first and second networks based on relay information,

the method comprising:

a setting step wherein said first communication terminal sets, in said relay device, first relay information for relaying data transmitted from said second communication terminal to said first communication terminal;

a setting confirming step wherein said first communication terminal inquires with said relay device about the presence of the setting of said first relay information;

a setting determining step wherein said first communication terminal determines based on a response from said relay device to said inquiry, whether said first relay information is set in said relay device; and

a controlling step that periodically repeats said setting confirming step and said setting determining step

wherein each of said first and second relay information comprises a first parameter that includes at least port number information possessed by said relay device on said second network;

a second parameter that is the address of a communication terminal on said first network; and

a third parameter that includes port number information of the communication terminal on said first network;

said method further comprising;

a transferring step wherein said relay device transfers data that arrives at a port specified by said first parameter to a port specified by said third parameter from amongst the ports possessed by the communication terminal specified by said second parameter.

16. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 15, wherein

said setting determining step comprises:

a step wherein a duplicate confirmation request is transmitted from said first communication terminal to said relay device; and

a step wherein a duplicate confirmation response is transmitted from said relay device to said first communication terminal in response to said duplicate confirmation request;

said duplicate confirmation request comprises any port number that specifies a port possessed by said relay device on said second network; and

said duplicate confirmation response comprises the second relay information for the port number specified by said duplicate confirmation request.

17. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 16, wherein

said setting determining step further comprises a step wherein said first communication terminal compares the second parameter included in said second relay information in said duplicate confirmation response received from said relay device with the second parameter included in said first relay information, and, if both do not match, determines that said first relay information and said second relay information are duplicates.

18. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 16, wherein

said relay information further comprises an identifier as a parameter that uniquely specifies said first communication terminal;

said requesting step transmits a request to set said relay information that includes the identifier, which uniquely specifies said first communication terminal, to said relay device; and

said setting determining step further comprises a step wherein said first communication terminal compares said identifier included in said second relay information in said duplicate confirmation response received from said relay device with said identifier included in said first relay information, and, if both do not match, determines that said first relay information and said second relay information are duplicates.

19. A relay information processing method as recited in claim 18, wherein

said setting determining step further comprises the following steps executed by said first communication terminal:

an identifier comparing step that compares said identifier included in said second relay information with said identifier included in said first relay information;

a first determining step that, if said both identifiers match in said identifier comparing step, determines that said first relay information and said second relay information are not duplicates;

a parameter comparing step that, if said both identifiers did not match in said identifier comparing step, further compares the second parameter included in said first relay information with the second parameter included in said second relay information;

a second determining step that, if said both second parameters matched in said parameter comparing step, determines that the first relay information and the second relay information are not duplicates; and

a third determining step that, if said both second parameters did not match in said parameter comparing step, determines that the first relay information and the second relay information are duplicates.

20. A communication device that sets or deletes, in a relay device that connects a first network and a second network, first relay information included in relay information stored by said relay device, the first relay information relaying a packet transmitted from a second communication device on said second network to said first communication device on said first network, the device comprising:

a duplicate determining unit that acquires second relay information, which is already set in said relay device, prior to setting or deleting said first relay information in said relay device, and determines whether said second relay information duplicates said first relay information; and

a requesting unit that transmits a request to set or a request to delete said first relay information to said relay device only if it was determined that there is no duplication by said duplicate determining unit;

wherein each of said first and second relay information comprises a first parameter that includes at least port number information possessed by said relay device on said second network;

a second parameter that includes the address information of a communication device on said first network; and

a third parameter that includes the port number of the communication device on said first network.

21. A communication device as recited in claim 20, wherein

said duplicate determining unit comprises:

a unit for transmitting a duplicate confirmation request to said relay device; and

a unit for receiving from said communication device a duplicate confirmation response, which includes the second relay information, in response to said duplicate confirmation request;

said duplicate confirmation request comprises any port number that specifies a port possessed by said relay device on said second network; and

said duplicate confirmation response comprises the second relay information for the port number specified by said duplicate confirmation request.

22. A communication device as recited in claim 21, wherein

said duplicate determining unit further comprises a unit that compares the second parameter included in said second relay information in said duplicate confirmation response received from said relay device with the second parameter included in said first relay information, and, if both do not match, determines that said first relay information and said second relay information are duplicates.

23. A communication device as recited in claim 21, wherein

said relay information further comprises an identifier as a parameter that specifies said first communication terminal;

said requesting unit transmits a request to transmit said relay information that includes the identifier, which specifies said first communication terminal, to said relay device; and

said duplicate determining unit further comprises a unit that compares said identifier included in said second relay information in said duplicate confirmation response received from said relay device with said identifier included in said first relay information, and, if both do not match, determines that said first relay information and said second relay information are duplicates.

24. A communication device as recited in claim 23, wherein

said duplicate determining unit further comprises:

an identifier comparing unit that compares said identifier included in said second relay information with said identifier included in said first relay information;

a first determining unit that, if said identifier comparing unit determined that said both identifiers match, determines that said first relay information and said second relay information are not duplicates;

a parameter comparing unit that, if said identifier comparing unit determined that said both identifiers do not match, further compares the second parameter included in said first relay information with the second parameter included in said second relay information;

a second determining unit that, if said parameter comparing unit determined that said both second parameters match, determines that the first relay information and the second relay information are not duplicates; and

a third determining unit that, if said parameter comparing unit determined that said both second parameters do not match, determines that the first relay information and the second relay information are duplicates.