Patent ID: 7852860
Filing Date: 2010-12-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A protocol conversion apparatus for mediating access from a first communication device executing a first protocol on a first network to a second communication device executing a second protocol on a second network, comprising: a first protocol processing unit configured to execute the first protocol; a second protocol processing unit configured to execute the second protocol; a database unit configured to store service descriptions, each describing at least one service provided by a second communication device on the second network in accordance with a specification of the first protocol, and to store conversion rule descriptions, each describing at least one protocol conversion rule from the first protocol to the second protocol associated with the at least one service, the service descriptions and the conversion rule descriptions each being associated with at least one of device classification information, manufacturer information and model number information; a detection unit configured to detect a second communication device on the second network; an information acquisition unit configured to acquire detailed information of the detected second communication device from the detected second communication device, the detailed information including device classification information, manufacturer information and model number information, a database retrieval unit configured to, according to prioritized ordering of all or some of device classification information, manufacturer information, model number information and combinations of them, produce one or more retrieval keys based on the detailed information and sequentially use the retrieval keys to search the database unit and retrieve from the database unit respective ones of the service descriptions and the conversion rule descriptions associated with a matched one of the retrieval keys; a virtual processing unit configured to conduct processing of behaving as if providing a first communication device on the first network with the at least one service described in the retrieved service description, by using the first protocol processing unit, and to receive an access request to the service from the first communication device on the first network; a conversion unit configured to convert the access request received by the virtual processing unit to an access request of the second protocol, on the basis of the protocol conversion rule described in the retrieved conversion rule description; and an access request transmission unit configured to transmit the converted access request to the detected second communication device on the second network, wherein the conversion rule descriptions each include: the conversion rule descriptions are each described in tag form such that the first control instruction, the second control instruction, the first control data and the second control data each is surrounded with correspondingly defined tags, the access request transmitted from the first communication device includes a first control instruction and first control data in conformity to the first protocol, the conversion unit the converted access request includes the detected second control instruction and the detected second control data.