System and method for sharing an IP address

• US 7,782,878 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Upland Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: I2 Telecom Ip Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Talucci, Fabrizio
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mais, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US11/202,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20060034296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/230.1, 370/230, 370/231, 370/235, 370/389, 370392-394, 370/395.21, 370/396, 370/399, 370/401, 370/412, 370/413, 370/420, 370428- 29, 370464-466, 370/474, 370/475, 370/395.1, 370/429, 709/200, 709/221, 709/223, 709/224, 709/231, 709/232, 709/220
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2517 using port numbers

Abstract

Means for sharing an IP address between a first and second network device, the first device having an assigned IP address and the second network device having one or more port numbers reserved for use solely by the second network device. The second network device is connected serially between the first network device and an Internet access device. The second network device creates packets using the IP address and one of the one or more reserved port numbers and sends the packets to the Internet access device.

Claims

1. A method of sharing an IP address, the method comprising:

receiving, at a VoIP subscriber gateway, data indicating assignment of an external IP address by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to a computer coupled to the VoIP subscriber gateway, the external IP address enabling the computer to communicate over the Internet via an Internet access device coupled to the VoIP subscriber gateway and via the ISP;

reserving, at the VoIP subscriber gateway, a port number for use solely by the VoIP subscriber gateway for a telephone coupled to the VoIP subscriber gateway;

creating, at the VoIP subscriber gateway, packets related to the data received from the telephone using the external IP address assigned to the computer and the port number reserved by the VoIP subscriber gateway;

sending the packets over the Internet to a VoIP service provider gateway via the Internet access device and the ISP;

receiving at the VoIP subscriber gateway at least one packet from the computer, wherein the at least one packet from the computer contains a source IP address and a source port number;

sending the at least one packet received at the VoIP subscriber gateway over the Internet via the Internet access device using the external IP address when the at least one packet received from the computer uses the external IP address as the source address and does not use the port number reserved by the VoIP subscriber gateway as the source port number; and

discarding the at least one packet received at the VoIP subscriber gateway from the computer when the at least one packet uses the external IP address as the source address and uses the port number reserved by the VoIP subscriber gateway as the source port number.

2. The method of sharing an IP address of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving at the VoIP subscriber gateway at least one incoming packet addressed to the external IP address via the ISP; and

sending voice data of the at least one incoming packet to the telephone coupled to the VoIP subscriber gateway when the at least one incoming packet is directed to the reserved port number.

3. The method of sharing an IP address of claim 1, wherein the computer is selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, and a personal digital assistant.

4. The method of sharing an IP address of claim 1, wherein the VoIP subscriber gateway communicates with the ISP via an Internet access device that comprises at least one of a dial-up modem, a DSL modem, a wireless modem, and a cable modem.

7. The method of sharing an IP address of claim 1, further comprising setting up a call via the VoIP subscriber gateway in response to the data received from the telephone.

8. The method of sharing an IP address of claim 2, further comprising sending the at least one incoming packet to the computer when the at least one incoming packet is addressed to the external IP address and is directed to a port number other than the reserved port number.

5. A system for sharing an IP address comprising:

a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscriber gateway adapted to be connected serially between a computer and an Internet access device, the Internet access device being coupled to an Internet service provider (ISP) to provide the VoIP subscriber gateway and the computer access to the Internet;

wherein the VoIP subscriber gateway is adapted to receive data from a telephone coupled to the VoIP subscriber gateway;

wherein the VoIP subscriber gateway is adapted to create packets based on the data received from the telephone using an external IP address assigned to the computer by the ISP and a port number reserved for use by the VoIP subscriber gateway;

wherein the VoIP subscriber gateway is adapted to send the packets over the Internet using the external IP address to a VoIP service provider gateway via the Internet access device and the ISP;

wherein the VoIP subscriber gateway is adapted to receive at least one packet from the computer, wherein the at least one packet from the computer includes the external IP address as a source IP address;

wherein the VoIP subscriber gateway is adapted to send the at least one packet received from the computer over the Internet via the Internet access device using the external IP address as the source IP address when the at least one packet has a source port number that is not the port number reserved for use by the VoIP subscriber gateway; and

wherein the VoIP subscriber gateway is adapted to discard packets received from the computer when the packets include the port number reserved by the VoIP subscriber gateway as the source port number and include the external IP address as the source IP address.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the VoIP subscriber gateway is further adapted to:

receive at least one incoming packet addressed to the external IP address via the Internet access device; and

send voice data of the at least one incoming packet to the telephone when the at least one incoming packet is directed to the port number reserved by the VoIP subscriber gateway.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the VoIP subscriber gateway is further adapted to send the at least one packet received from the computer to the Internet access device when the at least one packets uses the external IP address as the source IP address and uses a port number other than the port number reserved by VoIP subscriber gateway.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the VoIP subscriber gateway is further adapted to send the at least one incoming packet to the computer when the at least one incoming packet is addressed to the external IP address and is directed to a port number other than the port number reserved by VoIP subscriber gateway.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program instructs a microprocessor of a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscriber gateway, when executed, comprising:

logic to select a port number and to block data packets using the selected port number from being sent to an Internet Access device coupled to the VoIP subscriber gateway from a computing device coupled to the VoIP subscriber gateway;

logic to determine an external IP address assigned to the computing device by an Internet Service Provider (ISP);

logic to receive voice data input from a telephone device coupled to the VoIP subscriber gateway;

logic to create VoIP data packets related to the voice data input using the external IP address assigned to the computing device as a source IP address of the VoIP data packets and using the selected port number as a source of the VoIP data packets;

logic to send at least one VoIP data packet over the Internet to a VoIP service provider gateway via the Internet access device and the ISP;

logic to receive at least one computer data packet from the computing device, wherein the at least one computer data packet uses the external IP address assigned to the computing device by the ISP as a source IP address; and

logic to send the at least one computer data packet received from the computing device over the Internet via the Internet access device when the at least one computer data packet does not use the selected port number as a source port number of the computer data packet.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one VoIP data packet includes a call setup data packet.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising

logic to process VoIP data packets addressed to the external IP address and received from the VoIP service provider gateway and

logic to provide output voice data to the telephone device.