Patent ID: 8103784
Filing Date: 2012-01-24
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A communication device for carrying out communications according to a prescribed control protocol on a network of a prescribed network layer protocol, comprising: an interface unit configured to make connections to the network of the prescribed network layer protocol; a control protocol processing unit configured to carry out processing regarding data of the prescribed control protocol that are transmitted and received through the network of the prescribed network layer protocol; a memory unit configured to store a table of address correspondence information that indicates a correspondence between a network layer address to be used by a particular communication device on the network of the prescribed network layer protocol and a prescribed address to be used by the particular communication device in the prescribed control protocol; a transmission and reception unit configured to carry out transmission and reception of packets of the prescribed network layer protocol, in which packets of the prescribed control protocol are encapsulated; and a determination unit configured to set a prescribed bit sequence value of the network layer address or a datalink layer address of the communication device that is different than the prescribed address listed in the table of address correspondence information as a candidate for the prescribed address, transmit an inquiry packet for inquiring whether the prescribed bit sequence value is identical to the prescribed address used by each one of other communication devices or not, to each one of the other communication devices connected to the network of the prescribed network layer protocol, and determine the prescribed bit sequence value as the prescribed address of the communication device when the prescribed bit sequence value is judged as not identical to any of prescribed addresses used by the other communication devices; wherein the network layer address is an IP address and the prescribed address is an Echonet address.