Patent ID: 8588247

Claim:
A remote startup system, comprising a first relay device; a second relay device which are connected in a multistage manner, the first and second relay devices each comprising a reception unit which receives a startup packet including a magic packet and a first ID for starting up controllable equipment and a transmission unit which transmits a first electric signal indicating the first ID to all link downed Ethernet ports of the first and second relay devices, respectively; a media access control (MAC) address table including information regarding a first MAC address of the controllable equipment and a port to which the controllable equipment is connected; and a storing unit which stores a packet reception history representing a first packet ID for the startup packet which is received by the first relay device, and wherein when receiving the startup packet, the first relay device transmits a third electronic signal for starting up the second relay device to all link-downed Ethernet ports of the first relay device, and the first relay device then transfers the startup packet to all link-upped Ethernet ports and transmits a fourth electric signal indicating a fourth ID for starting up a controllable equipment to all link-downed Ethernet ports of the second relay device, wherein the fourth ID is included in the startup packet, wherein when receiving the startup packet, the first relay device searches the media access control (MAC) address table for information of the port to which the controllable equipment is connected, by using a second MAC address of the controllable equipment specified in the startup packet as a key for the search, and wherein the first relay device transmits the third electronic signal to the port, and transmits the fourth electric signal to the port if the port is link-downed, and wherein when receiving a startup packet having a second packet ID, the first relay device checks the first packet ID in the packet reception history and the second packet ID, discards the startup packet of the second packet ID if the second packet ID is equal to the first packet ID and the startup packet is considered to have been received previously, and adds the second packet ID to the packet reception history if the second packet ID is not equal to the first packet ID and the startup packet is considered to have not been received previously.