Communications system, communications method, network manager, and transfer device

Abstract

A communications system which allows data transfer not using a terminal ID assigned by an access network but using routing information distinct from the terminal ID is provided. The communications system transmits data including, as a destination address, a second terminal ID, from a first terminal to the second terminal via a plurality of transfer devices. A first transfer device includes a first memory for storing the second terminal ID and routing information for routing the data to a second transfer device, associating them with one another, and a routing processor for adding to the data the routing information for routing the data to the second transfer device associated with the second terminal ID included in the data, and transferring the data to the second transfer device.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A communications system for transmitting data including, as a destination address, a second terminal ID, from a first terminal to a second terminal via a plurality of transfer devices, the system comprising: 
 a first transfer device connected to the first terminal, the first transfer device comprising: 
 a first memory configured to store the second terminal ID and routing information for routing the data to a second transfer device connected to the second terminal, associating them with one another; and  
 a routing processor configured to add to the data the routing information associated with the second terminal ID included in the data received from the first terminal, and to transfer the data to the second transfer device.  
   
     
     
         2 . A communications method of transmitting data including, as a destination address, a second terminal ID, from a first terminal to a second terminal via a plurality of transfer devices, the method comprising the step of: 
 A) adding to the data, at a first transfer device which is connected to the first terminal and stores the second terminal ID and routing information for routing the data to a second transfer device to which the second terminal is connected, associating them with one another, the routing information for routing the data to the second transfer device associated with the second terminal ID included in the data, and transferring the data to the second transfer device.    
     
     
         3 . A first transfer device connected to a first terminal for transmitting data including, as a destination address, a second terminal ID, from the first terminal to the second terminal, the first transfer device comprising: 
 a first memory configured to store the second terminal ID and routing information for routing the data to a second transfer device to which the second terminal is connected, associating them with one another; and    a routing processor configured to add to the data the routing information associated with the second terminal ID included in the data, and to transfer the data to the second transfer device.    
     
     
         4 . A first transfer device as set forth in  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a transfer request transmitter configured to transmit a transfer request including the second terminal ID to a network manager upon receiving a transmission request for the data from the first terminal; wherein, 
 the first memory stores the second terminal ID and the routing information for routing the data to the second transfer device, associating them with one another, upon receiving instruction information including the routing information associated with the second terminal ID from the network manager.  
   
     
     
         5 . A first transfer device as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the first memory stores the second terminal ID, the routing information for routing the data to the second transfer device and a communication ID element, associating them with one another; and    the routing processor adds to the data the routing information associated with the communication ID element included in the data received from the first terminal, and transfers the data to the second transfer device.    
     
     
         6 . A first transfer device as set forth in  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 a transfer request transmitter configured to transmit a transfer request including a first terminal ID and the second terminal ID to a network manager upon receiving a transmission request for the data from the first terminal; wherein, 
 the first memory stores the first terminal ID, the second terminal ID, the routing information for routing the data to the second transfer device and the communication ID element, associating them with one another, according to instruction information from the network manager.  
   
     
     
         7 . A network manager for managing a communications system for transmitting data including, as a destination address, a second terminal ID, from a first terminal to the second terminal via a plurality of transfer devices, the network manager comprising: 
 a second memory configured to store the second terminal ID and routing information for routing the data to a second transfer device to which the second terminal is connected, associating them with one another; and    an instruction information transmitter configured to transmit instruction information including the routing information associated with the second terminal ID, in response to a transfer request including the second terminal ID transmitted from a first transfer device to which the first terminal is connected.    
     
     
         8 . A network manager for managing a communications system for transmitting data including a second terminal ID as a destination address and including a first terminal ID as a source address, from the first terminal to the second terminal via a plurality of transfer devices, the network manager comprising: 
 a third memory configured to store the first terminal ID, the second terminal ID, routing information for routing the data to a second transfer device to which the second terminal is connected and a communication ID element, associating them with one another; and    an instruction information transmitter configured to transmit instruction information including the routing information for routing the data to the second transfer device to which the second terminal is connected and the communication ID element associated with the first terminal ID and the second terminal ID, in response to a transfer request including the first terminal ID and the second terminal ID transmitted from a first transfer device.