Communication device, server device, communication method, and non-transitory computer readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10187284-B2
Application number	US-201514757504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A communication device includes a computer including a processor. The computer controls the communication device to perform operations. The operations include establishing a first connection with a first external device and establishing a second connection with a second external device, via a communication network. The operations include transmitting a keep-alive packet to the first external device via the first connection at a first transmission cycle and receiving a response packet for the keep-alive packet. The operations include determining the first transmission cycle according to transmission cycle determination processing which transmits a measurement packet to the first external device via the first connection at a candidate time interval after the second connection is established or after another measurement packet is received via the second connection, and confirming whether the measurement packet transferred by the first external device to the second external device is received via the second connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication device comprising a computer including a processor and communication circuitry, wherein the computer is configured to
establish a first connection with a first external device and establish a second connection with a second external device, via a communication network including at least one relay device, wherein the second external device can communicate with the first external device and wherein the communication circuitry is configured to transmit
a keep-alive packet to the first external device via the first connection at a first transmission cycle and receive a response packet for the keep-alive packet via the first connection, the computer being further configured to:
perform measurement processing by transmitting a measurement packet to the first external device via the first connection using the communication circuitry, the measurement packet being different from the keep-alive packet, and checking whether the measurement packet is successfully received via the second connection at the communication circuitry from the second external device which has received the measurement packet from the first external device;
perform the measurement processing in a repetitive manner by changing a time interval at which the measurement packet is next transmitted after the measurement packet is successfully received; and
update the first transmission cycle of the keep-alive packet based on the time interval at which the measurement packet is transmitted and based on whether the measurement packet transmitted at the time interval is successfully received, wherein
the communication circuitry is configured to transmit the keep-alive packet to the first external device at the updated first transmission cycle.

2. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the computer is configured:
determine whether to perform the measurement processing based on a state or an operating history of the communication device and perform the measurement processing when the computer determines to perform the measurement processing.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the computer is configured to:
receive a measurement instructing information from a third external device via the communication circuitry, determine whether to perform the measurement processing based on the measurement instructing information, and perform the measurement processing when the computer determines to perform the measurement processing.

4. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the first external device and the second external device are the same device.

5. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication circuitry is configured to transmit one of:
an establishment request of the first connection comprising identification information of the second connection, or
an establishment request of the second connection comprising identification information of the first connection, or
the measurement packet comprising the identification information of the second connection.

6. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the computer is configured to update the first transmission cycle based on a maximum value of time intervals for which the measurement packet is successfully received.

7. The communication device according to claim 6 , wherein, when a halt command of the measurement processing is received from one of the first external device and the second external device, or, when communication on the first or the second connection is finished, the computer is configured to finish repetition of the measurement processing.

8. The communication device according to claim 6 , wherein the computer is configured to update the first transmission cycle to the maximum value of the time intervals.

9. The communication device according to claim 6 , wherein the computer is configured to update the first transmission cycle each time the measurement processing is executed.

10. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the computer is configured to change the time interval by increasing a value of the time interval at which the measurement packet is received.

11. The communication device according to claim 10 , wherein, when the measurement packet is not received, or, when the time interval at which the measurement packet is next transmitted is longer than or equal to a given value, the computer is configured to finish repetition of the measurement processing.

12. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the computer is configured to determine whether the measurement packet was received based on whether the measurement packet was received within a predetermined time from transmission of the measurement packet.

13. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the computer is configured to transmit a query of measurement necessity to a third external device and determine that the measurement processing is required when measurement instructing information indicative of the measurement necessity is received.

14. The communication device according to claim 13 , wherein
the computer is configured to transmit, to the third external device, a query of an external device with which the communication device is to establish the first connection, and
the computer is configured to receive, from the third external device, information specifying the first external device as a response to the query.

15. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein, when measurement instructing information indicative of measurement necessity is received from the first external device via the first connection, the computer is configured to determine that the measurement processing is required.

16. A communication method performed by a computer including a processor, the method comprising:
establishing a first connection with a first external device and establishing a second connection with a second external device, via a communication network including at least one relay device, wherein the second external device can communicate with the first external device;
transmitting a keep-alive packet to the first external device via the first connection at a first transmission cycle and receiving a response packet for the keep-alive packet via the first connection;
performing measurement processing by transmitting a measurement packet to the first external device via the first connection, the measurement packet being different from the keep-alive packet and checking whether the measurement packet is successfully received via the second connection from the second external device which has received the measurement packet transferred by the first external device;
performing the measurement processing in a repetitive manner by changing a time interval at which the measurement packet is next transmitted after the measurement packet is successfully received;
updating the first transmission cycle of the keep-alive packet based on the time interval at which the measurement packet is transmitted and based on whether the measurement packet transmitted at the time interval is successfully received; and
transmitting the keep-alive packet to the first external device at the updated first transmission cycle.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform processing comprising:
establishing a first connection with a first external device and establishing a second connection with a second external device, via a communi

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Ajitomi Daisuke
• Minami Keisuke
• Kawazoe Hiroshi
• Aizu Hiroyuki

Classifications

• H04L43/10 Primary

  Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route · CPC title

• H04L47/28

  in relation to timing considerations · CPC title

• H04L47/16

  in connection oriented networks, e.g. frame relay · CPC title

• H04L43/0811

  by checking connectivity · CPC title

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title