Patent ID: 6711623
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
An integrated IP network including:a plurality of IP networks; and a plurality of network node devices; wherein the network node devices are each connected to one or more of the IP networks via communication circuits and have their network node-points connected to external terminals via communication circuits; wherein, when one of the network node devices receives an IP packet from the external terminal, the following sequence of operations is performed: in a first case where a network node-point address of a network node-point through which the received IP packet has passed is registered in an address management table as not specifying a virtual dedicated line connection, a source terminal address, a destination terminal address and a port number registered in the address management table are compared with a source terminal address, a destination terminal address, a source port number and a destination port number contained in the IP packet to find a record containing a network identifier indicating a destination IP network to which the IP packet is to be sent; in a second case where a network node-point address of the network node-point through which the received IP packet has passed is registered in the address management table as specifying a virtual dedicated line connection, a record containing a network identifier indicating a destination IP network to which the IP packet is to be sent is detected; after the procedure of the first case or the second case is completed, the source network node-point address and the destination network node-point address contained in the detected record are used to generate an integrated IP network packet which is then sent to the destination IP network; the integrated IP network packet passes through an IP packet exchange point and the destination IP network and reaches another network node device where an integrated IP network header is removed from the integrated IP network packet to restore the received IP packet which is then sent to a destination IP terminal; wherein the address management table is referenced to select a destination IP network to which the IP packet is to be transferred and the IP packet is sent to the destination IP network, and the integrated IP network packet is passed through two or more IP networks of different communication companies within the destination IP network and through IP packet exchange points.