Patent ID: 8683567
Filing Date: 2014-03-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of distributing information regarding one or more electrical devices using a first server, each of the one or more electrical devices has unique identification information, an internal IP address, and an external IP address, the method comprising: receiving in the first server a first request to register a first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices, the first request to register comprises the unique identification information, the internal IP address, and the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; storing in the first server the unique identification information, the internal IP address, and the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; receiving in the first server from a first client computer a first request for the information regarding the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; requesting first authentication information from the first client computer; authenticating the first client computer based on the first authentication information before redirecting the first request for the information or returning the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical device; using the first server to determine the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; redirecting the first request for the information to a first gateway device if an external IP address of the first client computer is identical to the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; and returning the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices if the external IP address of the first client computer is different from the external IP address of the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices, wherein: the first gateway device is different from the first server; and the first gateway device and the first electrical device are not using an UPnP (universal plug and play) standard; receiving in the first server the first request to register the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices further comprises: receiving second authentication information from the first electrical device of the one or more electrical devices; the first authentication information comprises a first username and a first password; the second authentication information comprises a second username and a second password; and authenticating the first client computer comprises: authenticating the first client computer unless the first username and the first password of the first authentication information are different from the second username and the second password of the second authentication information.