Exchange apparatus for exchanging data between an asynchronous transfer mode network and an internet protocol communication network

Claim 2

An exchange apparatus, comprising: address solving means for extracting logical address information from a datagram received from an Internet protocol computer network through a data transmission path and converting the extracted address information into absolute address information of an asynchronous transfer mode network; address converting means for converting the absolute address information converted by said address solving means into an address having a geographically hierarchical structure and adding the converted address information to the original datagram; ATM cell assembling means for assembling an ATM cell that is transferred at a time in the asynchronous transfer mode with the datagram containing the address information added by said address converting means; and transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination to the ATM cell assembled by said ATM cell assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the asynchronous transfer mode network, wherein said exchange apparatus is provided at a particular network hierarchical level, and wherein said address converting means converts the absolute address information into the address having a geographical hierarchical structure by referring to a routing table that includes routing information of only the particular network hierarchical level and network hierarchical levels immediately above and immediately below the particular network hierarchical level, and wherein the routing table does not include routing information of any other network hierarchical levels.

Claim 3

The exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said address converting means converts the solved address information into ISDN address information having a hierarchical structure defined in E.164 of the ISDN address format and address information based thereon.

Claim 4

An exchange apparatus, comprising: address solving means for extracting logical address information from a datagram received from an Internet protocol computer network through a data transmission path and converting the extracted address information into absolute address information of an asynchronous transfer mode network; address converting means for converting the absolute address information converted by said address solving means into an address having a geographically hierarchical structure and adding the converted address information to the original datagram; ATM cell assembling means for assembling an ATM cell that is transferred at a time in the asynchronous transfer mode with the datagram containing the address information added by said address converting means; and transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination to the ATM cell assembled by said ATM cell assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the asynchronous transfer mode network, wherein the datagram is composed of a version information region for representing the version of the Internet protocol, a reserve information region, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Information protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 5

An exchange apparatus, comprising: address solving means for extracting logical address information from a datagram received from an Internet protocol computer network through a data transmission path and converting the extracted address information into absolute address information of an asynchronous transfer mode network; address converting means for converting the absolute address information converted by said address solving means into an address having a geographically hierarchical structure and adding the converted address information to the original datagram; ATM cell assembling means for assembling an ATM cell that is transferred at a time in the asynchronous transfer mode with the datagram containing the address information added by said address converting means; and transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination to the ATM cell assembled by said ATM cell assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the asynchronous transfer mode network, wherein the datagram is composed of a version information region for representing the version of the Internet protocol, a reserve information region, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Information protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 6

An exchange apparatus, comprising: address solving means for extracting logical address information from a datagram received from an Internet protocol computer network through a data transmission path and converting the extracted address information into absolute address information of an asynchronous transfer mode network; address converting means for converting the absolute address information converted by said address solving means into an address having a geographically hierarchical structure and adding the converted address information to the original datagram; ATM cell assembling means for assembling an ATM cell that is transferred at a time in the asynchronous transfer mode with the datagram containing the address information added by said address converting means; and transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination to the ATM cell assembled by said ATM cell assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the asynchronous transfer mode network, wherein the absolute address information is composed of a version information region for representing the version of an Internet protocol, a traffic class information region for representing the class of the traffic, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Internet protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 7

An exchange apparatus, comprising: address solving means for extracting logical address information from a datagram received from an Internet protocol computer network through a data transmission path and converting the extracted address information into absolute address information of an asynchronous transfer mode network; address converting means for converting the absolute address information converted by said address solving means into an address having a geographically hierarchical structure and adding the converted address information to the original datagram; ATM cell assembling means for assembling an ATM cell that is transferred at a time in the asynchronous transfer mode with the datagram containing the address information added by said address converting means; and transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination to the ATM cell assembled by said ATM cell assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the asynchronous transfer mode network, wherein the absolute address information is composed of a version information region for representing the version of an Internet protocol, a traffic class information region for representing the class of the traffic, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Internet protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 8

The exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the source address information region and the destination information region contain geographically hierarchical information.

Claim 9

An exchange apparatus, comprising: address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said address solving means; and transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein said exchange apparatus is provided at a particular network hierarchical level, and wherein said address solving means converts the address information into the absolute address information in the Internet Protocol by referring to a routing table that includes routing information of only the particular network hierarchical level and network hierarchical levels immediately above and immediately below the particular network hierarchical level, and wherein the routing table does not include routing information of any other network hierarchical levels.

Claim 10

An exchange apparatus, comprising: address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said address solving means; and transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein said exchange apparatus is provided at a particular network hierarchical level, and wherein said address solving means converts the address information into the absolute address information in the Internet Protocol by referring to a routing table that includes routing information of only the particular network hierarchical level and network hierarchical levels immediately above and immediately below the particular network hierarchical level, and wherein the routing table does not include routing information of any other network hierarchical levels.

Claim 11

An exchange apparatus, comprising: address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said address solving means; and transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein the datagram is composed of a version information region for representing the version of the Internet protocol, a reserve information region, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Information protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 12

An exchange apparatus, comprising: address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said address solving means; and transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein the datagram is composed of a version information region for representing the version of the Internet protocol, a reserve information region, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Information protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 13

An exchange apparatus, comprising: address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said address solving means; and transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein the absolute address information is composed of a version information region for representing the version of an Internet protocol, a traffic class information region for representing the class of the traffic, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Internet protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 14

An exchange apparatus, comprising: address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said address solving means; and transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein the absolute address information is composed of a version information region for representing the version of an Internet protocol, a traffic class information region for representing the class of the traffic, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Internet protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 15

The exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the source address information region and the destination information region contain geographically hierarchical information.

Claim 16

An exchange apparatus, comprising: first address solving means for extracting logical address information from a datagram received from an Internet protocol computer network through a data transmission path and converting the extracted address information into absolute address information of an asynchronous transfer mode network; address converting means for converting the absolute address information converted by said first address solving means into an address having a geographically hierarchical structure and adding the converted address information to the original datagram; ATM cell assembling means for assembling an ATM cell that is transferred at a time in the asynchronous transfer mode with the datagram containing the address information added by said address converting means; first transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination to the ATM cell assembled by said ATM cell assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the asynchronous transfer mode network; second address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said second address solving means; and second transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein said exchange apparatus is provided at a particular network hierarchical level, and wherein said address converting means converts the absolute address information into the address having a geographical hierarchical structure by referring to a routing table that includes routing information of only the particular network hierarchical level and network hierarchical levels immediately above and immediately below the particular network hierarchical level, and wherein the routing table does not include routing information of any other network hierarchical levels.

Claim 17

An exchange apparatus, comprising: first address solving means for extracting logical address information from a datagram received from an Internet protocol computer network through a data transmission path and converting the extracted address information into absolute address information of an asynchronous transfer mode network; address converting means for converting the absolute address information converted by said first address solving means into an address having a geographically hierarchical structure and adding the converted address information to the original datagram; ATM cell assembling means for assembling an ATM cell that is transferred at a time in the asynchronous transfer mode with the datagram containing the address information added by said address converting means; first transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination to the ATM cell assembled by said ATM cell assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the asynchronous transfer mode network; second address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said second address solving means; and second transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein said exchange apparatus is provided at a particular network hierarchical level, and wherein said address converting means converts the absolute address information into the address having a geographical hierarchical structure by referring to a routing table that includes routing information of only the particular network hierarchical level and network hierarchical levels immediately above and immediately below the particular network hierarchical level, and wherein the routing table does not include routing information of any other network hierarchical levels.

Claim 18

The exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 10 , wherein said address converting means converts the solved address information into ISDN address information having a hierarchical structure defined in E.164 of the ISDN address format and address information based thereon.

Claim 19

An exchange apparatus, comprising: first address solving means for extracting logical address information from a datagram received from an Internet protocol computer network through a data transmission path and converting the extracted address information into absolute address information of an asynchronous transfer mode network; address converting means for converting the absolute address information converted by said first address solving means into an address having a geographically hierarchical structure and adding the converted address information to the original datagram; ATM cell assembling means for assembling an ATM cell that is transferred at a time in the asynchronous transfer mode with the datagram containing the address information added by said address converting means; first transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination to the ATM cell assembled by said ATM cell assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the asynchronous transfer mode network; second address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said second address solving means; and second transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein the datagram is composed of a version information region for representing the version of the Internet protocol, a reserve information region, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Information protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 20

An exchange apparatus, comprising: first address solving means for extracting logical address information from a datagram received from an Internet protocol computer network through a data transmission path and converting the extracted address information into absolute address information of an asynchronous transfer mode network; address converting means for converting the absolute address information converted by said first address solving means into an address having a geographically hierarchical structure and adding the converted address information to the original datagram; ATM cell assembling means for assembling an ATM cell that is transferred at a time in the asynchronous transfer mode with the datagram containing the address information added by said address converting means; first transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination to the ATM cell assembled by said ATM cell assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the asynchronous transfer mode network; second address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said second address solving means; and second transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein the datagram is composed of a version information region for representing the version of the Internet protocol, a reserve information region, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Information protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 21

An exchange apparatus, comprising: first address solving means for extracting logical address information from a datagram received from an Internet protocol computer network through a data transmission path and converting the extracted address information into absolute address information of an asynchronous transfer mode network; address converting means for converting the absolute address information converted by said first address solving means into an address having a geographically hierarchical structure and adding the converted address information to the original datagram; ATM cell assembling means for assembling an ATM cell that is transferred at a time in the asynchronous transfer mode with the datagram containing the address information added by said address converting means; first transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination to the ATM cell assembled by said ATM cell assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the asynchronous transfer mode network; second address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said second address solving means; and second transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein the absolute address information is composed of a version information region for representing the version of an Internet protocol, a traffic class information region for representing the class of the traffic, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Internet protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 22

An exchange apparatus, comprising: first address solving means for extracting logical address information from a datagram received from an Internet protocol computer network through a data transmission path and converting the extracted address information into absolute address information of an asynchronous transfer mode network; address converting means for converting the absolute address information converted by said first address solving means into an address having a geographically hierarchical structure and adding the converted address information to the original datagram; ATM cell assembling means for assembling an ATM cell that is transferred at a time in the asynchronous transfer mode with the datagram containing the address information added by said address converting means; first transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination to the ATM cell assembled by said ATM cell assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the asynchronous transfer mode network; second address solving means for extracting logical address information from an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell that is transferred at a time in an asynchronous transfer mode and that is received from an asynchronous transfer mode network through a data transmission path and converting the address information into absolute address information in an Internet protocol computer network corresponding to the extracted logical address information; datagram assembling means for assembling a datagram in an ATM adaptation layer with the ATM cell whose address has been solved by said second address solving means; and second transfer destination setting and outputting means for setting a virtual path and a virtual channel that represent the transfer destination for the ATM cell assembled by said datagram assembling means and outputting the resultant ATM cell to the Internet protocol computer network, wherein the absolute address information is composed of a version information region for representing the version of an Internet protocol, a traffic class information region for representing the class of the traffic, a flow label information region for identifying a flow to which a packet belongs, a payload length information region for representing the size of a data portion of a packet, a next header information region preceded by an Internet protocol header, a hop limit information region for representing the number of hops, a source address information region for designating the address of a data transmission side, and a destination information region for designating the address of a data receiver side that are arranged in the order.

Claim 23

The exchange apparatus as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the source address information region and the destination information region contain geographically hierarchical information.