Patent ID: 6580717
Filing Date: 2003-06-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A packet communication method in a network system comprising a first network corresponding to a first communication protocol, a second network corresponding to a second communication protocol and a plurality of packet communication apparatuses connected to at least one of said first network and said second network, comprising the steps of:in a first packet communication apparatus which is connected to said second network and in which an application program compatible with said first communication protocol can operate, storing correspondence between network addresses of a first type compatible with said first communication protocol and network addresses of a second type compatible with said second communication protocol for said plurality of packet communication apparatuses, respectively; upon packet communication between said application program and said second network in said first packet communication apparatus, performing address translation between said first type network address and said second type network address for a send destination address contained in the packet on the basis of the correspondence of said network addresses, to thereby perform header conversion between said first communication protocol and said second communication protocol for said packet; and when said application program sends a packet corresponding to said first communication protocol to said second network in said first packet communication apparatus, converting a send destination address contained in said packet for sending from said first type network address to said second type network address on the basis of the correspondence of said network addresses, to thereby convert a header of said packet for sending from a header of said first communication protocol to a header of said second communication protocol.