Patent ID: 8170015
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An integrated gateway apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a policy storage for storing therein a first information on message filtering and switching policies for messages received from heterogeneous devices in lower networks via network interfaces; a device management unit for extracting a second information on the messages, the devices and the network interfaces; a layer-basis filter unit for performing, based on the first and the second information, the message filtering and switching on the messages on a layer basis; and an integrated switch management unit for providing the first information to the layer-basis filter unit and controlling the layer-basis filtering unit, wherein the second information includes MAC addresses, MAC (Medium Access Control) layer protocol information, IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, identification of the network interfaces and characteristics information of the messages; and wherein the layer-basis filter unit includes: a switch filter unit for performing, in a MAC layer, the message filtering and switching on the messages according to the MAC addresses and the MAC protocol information; a route filter unit for performing, in a network layer and a transport layer, the message filtering and switching on the messages according to the IP addresses; and a gateway filter unit for performing, in an application layer, the message filtering and switching on the messages according to the characteristics information of the messages.