Patent US6101499A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6101499A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and computer program product for automatically generating an internet protocol (IP) address
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1998-04-08
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Granted: 2000-08-08
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Expires: 2018-04-08
Abstract
Abstract A method and computer product for automatically generating an IP network address that facilitates simplified network connection and administration for small-scale IP networks without IP address servers, such as those found in a small business or home network environment. First, a proposed IP address is generated by selecting a network identifying portion (sometimes known as an IP network prefix) while deterministically generating the host identifying portion based on information available to the IP host. For example, the IEEE 802 Ethernet address found in the network interface card may be used with a deterministic hashing function to generate the host identifying portion of the IP address. Next, the generated IP address is tested on the network to assure that no existing IP host is using that particular IP address. If the generated IP address already exists, then a new IP address is generated, otherwise, the IP host will use the generated IP address to communicate over the network. While using the generated IP address, if an IP address server subsequently becomes available, the host will conform to IP address server protocols for receiving an assigned IP address and gradually cease using the automatically generated IP address.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter S. Ford
- 👤 Pradeep Bahl
- 👤 Jawad Mohamed J. Khaki
- 👤 Greg Burns
- 👤 Frank J. Beeson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 20:49
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L61/00; H04L61/50; H04L61/5046; H04L61/5007; H04L61/5092; H04L2101/00; H04L2101/60; H04L2101/604; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99932
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 39
Claim 1
Independent Claim
172 words
In a host that has been connected to a network that does not have an IP address server and is not connected with any network having an IP address server, a method for automatically generating an IP address for the host, without another component of the network being required to transmit, to the host over the network, an IP address of said other component, the method comprising the steps of: without the host having received over the network any IP address of another component of the network, selecting a valid network identifying value as a network identifying portion of the IP address for the host; without the host having received over the network said any IP address of another component of the network, generating a host identifying portion of the IP address for the host based on information available to the host; and testing the generated IP address for the host for conflicting usage by another host on the network and determining that no conflicting usage of the generated IP address exists.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
172 words
In a host that has been connected to a network that does not have an IP address server and is not connected with any network having an IP address server, a method for automatically generating an IP address for the host, without another component of the network being required to transmit, to the host over the network, an IP address of said other component, the method comprising the steps of: without the host having received over the network any IP address of another component of the network, selecting a valid network identifying value as a network identifying portion of the IP address for the host; without the host having received over the network said any IP address of another component of the network, generating a host identifying portion of the IP address for the host based on information available to the host; and testing the generated IP address for the host for conflicting usage by another host on the network and determining that no conflicting usage of the generated IP address exists.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network identifying portion of the generated IP address is chosen to be 10.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: determining that an IP address server is not present prior to selecting the network identifying portion of the IP address; and ascertaining if an IP address server later becomes present over the network.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the steps of: assigning an IP address from the IP address server to the host when an IP address server is available over the IP network; and immediately discontinuing use of the generated IP address when an assigned IP address is received from an IP address server available over the network.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the steps of: assigning an address from the IP address server to the host when an IP address server is available over the network; and gradually discontinuing use of the generated IP address when an assigned IP address is received from an IP address server available over the network.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the step of assigning an IP address from the IP address server to the host when an IP address server is available over the network and the host using both the generated IP address and the assigned IP address.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring the network for conflicting IP address usage between the generated IP address and the address of another host.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generated IP address has been generated after the host has previously generated a first IP address and has determined that the first IP address was already in use by another host on the network.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein testing the generated IP address further comprises sending a message using the generated IP address and waiting for a response from another host that is currently using the generated IP address.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein an IEEE 802 address of a host network interface card is used as the information available to the host for generating the host identifying portion of the generated IP address.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating the host portion of the generated IP address further comprises the use of a deterministic hashing function.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
210 words
In a host that has been connected to a network that initially does not have an IP address server and is not connected with any network having an IP address server, a method for automatically generating an IP address for the host, without another network component being required to transmit, to the host over the network, an IP address of said other network component, the method comprising the steps of: after the host has been connected to the network, initially determining that an IP address server is not available over the network; selecting a valid network identifying value as a network identifying portion of the IP address for the host without the host having received the valid network identifying value from another component of the network; deterministically generating a host identifying portion of the IP address for the host based on information available to the host, the information available to the host being information other than a host identifying portion of an IP address for any other host; testing the generated IP address for the host for usage conflict by another host on the network and determining that no conflicting usage of the generated IP address exists; and ascertaining if an IP address server later becomes available over the network.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
210 words
In a host that has been connected to a network that initially does not have an IP address server and is not connected with any network having an IP address server, a method for automatically generating an IP address for the host, without another network component being required to transmit, to the host over the network, an IP address of said other network component, the method comprising the steps of: after the host has been connected to the network, initially determining that an IP address server is not available over the network; selecting a valid network identifying value as a network identifying portion of the IP address for the host without the host having received the valid network identifying value from another component of the network; deterministically generating a host identifying portion of the IP address for the host based on information available to the host, the information available to the host being information other than a host identifying portion of an IP address for any other host; testing the generated IP address for the host for usage conflict by another host on the network and determining that no conflicting usage of the generated IP address exists; and ascertaining if an IP address server later becomes available over the network.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the network identifying portion of the generated IP address is chosen to be 10.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the steps of: requesting and receiving an assigned IP address from the IP address server when an IP address server becomes available over the network; and immediately discontinuing use of the generated IP address when the assigned IP address is received from the IP address server available over the network.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the steps of: requesting and receiving an assigned IP address from the IP address server when an IP address server becomes available over the network; and gradually discontinuing use of the generated IP address when the assigned IP address is received from the IP address server available over the network.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising the steps of: monitoring the generated IP address for conflicting usage while the host is using the generated IP address; and signaling an error condition if there is conflicting usage with another host on the network while the host is using the generated IP address.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as recited in claim 17, wherein an IEEE 802 address of a host network interface card is the information available to the host and the IEEE 802 address is placed into a deterministic hashing function for generating the host identifying portion of the generated IP address.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 18.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the steps of requesting and receiving an assigned IP address from an IP address server when the IP address server becomes available over the network; and using both the generated IP address and the assigned IP address.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the steps of: monitoring the generated IP address for conflicting usage while the host is using the generated IP address; and regenerating the generated IP address if there is conflicting usage with another host on the network while the host is using the generated IP address.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the generated IP address has been generated after the host has previously generated a first IP address and has determined that the first IP address was already in use by another host on the network.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as recited in claim 13, wherein testing the generated IP address further comprises the steps of: sending a message using the generated IP address; and waiting for a response from a host that is currently using the generated IP address.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
274 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for automatically generating a host IP address in a host that has been connected to a network that does not have an IP address server initially without another component of the network being required to transmit an IP address of the other component to the host, said computer-executable instructions comprising: means for communicating over the network; after the host has been connected to the network, means for determining that an IP address server is not currently available over the network; means for consistently selecting the network identifying portion of the host IP address from valid network identifying portion values without the host having received the valid network identifying portion values from another component of the network; means for deterministically generating the host identifying portion of the host IP address based on information available to the host; means for testing the generated host IP address for conflicting usage by another host on the network before using the generated host IP address, the information available to the host being information other than a host identifying portion of an IP address for any other host; means for monitoring the generated host IP address for conflicting usage by another host on the network while the generated host IP address is being used; means for ascertaining if the IP address server later becomes available over the network; means for requesting and receiving a new IP address from the IP address server when the IP address server becomes available over the network; and means for gradually discontinuing use of the generated host IP address when the IP address server becomes available over the network.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
274 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for automatically generating a host IP address in a host that has been connected to a network that does not have an IP address server initially without another component of the network being required to transmit an IP address of the other component to the host, said computer-executable instructions comprising: means for communicating over the network; after the host has been connected to the network, means for determining that an IP address server is not currently available over the network; means for consistently selecting the network identifying portion of the host IP address from valid network identifying portion values without the host having received the valid network identifying portion values from another component of the network; means for deterministically generating the host identifying portion of the host IP address based on information available to the host; means for testing the generated host IP address for conflicting usage by another host on the network before using the generated host IP address, the information available to the host being information other than a host identifying portion of an IP address for any other host; means for monitoring the generated host IP address for conflicting usage by another host on the network while the generated host IP address is being used; means for ascertaining if the IP address server later becomes available over the network; means for requesting and receiving a new IP address from the IP address server when the IP address server becomes available over the network; and means for gradually discontinuing use of the generated host IP address when the IP address server becomes available over the network.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions as recited in claim 24, wherein the network identifying portion of the IP generated IP address is chosen to be 10.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
49 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions as recited in claim 24, wherein the means for testing the generated host IP address comprises sending a message using the generated host IP address and waiting for a response from a different host that is currently using the generated host IP address.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
43 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions as recited in claim 24, wherein the means for generating the host identifying portion of the generated host IP address comprises placing an IEEE 802 address of a host network interface card into a deterministic hashing function.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
42 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions as recited in claim 24, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise means for regenerating the generated host IP address if testing the generated host IP address results in conflicting usage with another host on the network.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
43 words
A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions as recited in claim 24, wherein the computer-executable instructions further means for signaling an error condition if there is conflicting usage with another host on the network while the host is using the generated host IP address.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
142 words
In a host that has been connected to a network that does not have an IP address server and is not connected with any network having an address server, a method for automatically generating an IP address for the host, without another component of the network being required to transmit, to the host over the network, an IP address of said other component, the method comprising the steps of: without the host having received over the network any IP address of another component of the network, selecting a valid network identifying value as a network identifying portion of the IP address for the host; and without the host having received over the network said any IP address of another component of the network, generating a host identifying portion of the IP address for the host based on information available to the host.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
142 words
In a host that has been connected to a network that does not have an IP address server and is not connected with any network having an address server, a method for automatically generating an IP address for the host, without another component of the network being required to transmit, to the host over the network, an IP address of said other component, the method comprising the steps of: without the host having received over the network any IP address of another component of the network, selecting a valid network identifying value as a network identifying portion of the IP address for the host; and without the host having received over the network said any IP address of another component of the network, generating a host identifying portion of the IP address for the host based on information available to the host.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as recited in claim 30, further comprising the steps of: determining that an IP address server is not present prior to selecting the network identifying portion of the IP address; and ascertaining if an IP address server later becomes present over the network.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method as recited in claim 30, further comprising the steps of: assigning an IP address from the IP address server to the host when an IP address server is available over the IP network; and immediately discontinuing use of the generated IP address when an assigned IP address is received from an IP address server over the network.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method as recited in claim 30, further comprising the steps of: assigning an IP address from the IP address server to the host when an IP address server is available over the IP network; and gradually discontinuing use of the generated IP address when an assigned IP address is received from an IP address server available over the network.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as recited in claim 30, further comprising the step of testing the generated IP address for the host for conflicting usage by another host on the network and determining that no conflicting usage of the generated IP address exists.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as recited in claim 30, wherein the generated IP address has been generated after the host has previously generated a first IP address and has determined that the first IP address was already in use by another host on the network.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-08-08 | 2004-02-07 | 2004-08-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-08-08 | 2008-02-07 | 2008-08-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-08-08 | 2012-02-07 | 2012-08-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |