# US 12,192,091 B2 · Topology estimation system, traffic generation apparatus, and traffic generation method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,192,091 B2 - Document ID: US12192091B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/624,438 - Filed: 2019-07-03 - Published: 2022-12-01 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-03 - Assignees: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation - Applicants: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation - Inventors: Mizuto Nakamura; Naoyuki Tanji; Toshihiko Seki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192091B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/12: Discovery or management of network topologies - H04L 43/50: Testing arrangements - H04L 45/02: Topology update or discovery - H04L 47/10: Flow control; Congestion control - H04L 41/0893: Assignment of logical groups to network elements - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A topology estimation system that estimates the connection relationship of interfaces of a plurality of devices includes: a topology estimation device 1 that estimates the connection relationship of the interfaces from the correlation of traffic observed at each of the interfaces connected to each other; and a traffic generation device 4 that generates traffic to be transmitted to the interfaces. The traffic generation device 4 includes: a traffic generation unit 42 that generates traffic so that a different feature amount appears for each set of the interfaces connected to each other; and a traffic transmitting unit 43 that transmits the traffic to the interfaces. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A topology estimation system that is configured to estimate a connection relationship of interfaces of a plurality of devices, comprising: a topology estimation device, including one or more processors, that is configured to estimate the connection relationship of the interfaces in a target network from a correlation of one or more packets observed at each of the interfaces connected to each other; and a traffic generation device, including one or more processors, that is configured to generate the one or more packets to be transmitted to the interfaces in the target network, the traffic generation device configured to: determine parameters for transmitting the one or more packets to each of the interfaces in the target network, wherein the parameters for transmitting comprise a size of each packet and a transmission time for each packet of the one or more packets, and the parameters for transmitting comprise an amount of the one or more packets observed at each of the interfaces to be unique; generate, for each of the interfaces, the one or more packets according to the determined parameters for transmitting; and transmit the one or more packets to the interfaces in the target network. ### Claim 2 A traffic generation device that is configured to generate one or more packets for estimating a connection relationship of interfaces connected to each other from a correlation of the one or more packets observed at each of the interfaces, the traffic generation device comprising one or more processors configured to: determine parameters for transmitting the one or more packets to each of the interfaces in a target network, wherein the parameters for transmitting comprise a size of each packet and a transmission time for each packet of the one or more packets, and the parameters for transmitting comprise an amount of the one or more packets observed at each of the interfaces to be unique; generate, for each of the interfaces, the one or more packets according to the determined parameters for transmitting; and transmit the one or more packets to the interfaces. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The traffic generation device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: generate a different size of a packet of the one or more packets for each of the interfaces. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The traffic generation device according to claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: subdivide each of the interfaces into a plurality of groups and generate the one or more packets so as to be transmitted at a different timing for each group. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The traffic generation device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: generate the one or more packets so as to be transmitted at a different timing for each of the interfaces. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The traffic generation device according to claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are configured to calculate a lower-limit value of a transmission time of the one or more packets on a basis of a traffic sampling interval at a corresponding interface. ### Claim 7 A method of generating one or more packets for estimating a connection relationship of interfaces connected to each other from a correlation of the one or more packets observed at each of the interfaces, comprising: determining parameters for transmitting the one or more packets to each of the interfaces in a target network, wherein the parameters for transmitting comprise a size of each packet and a transmission time for each packet of the one or more packets, and the parameters for transmitting comprise an amount of the one or more packets observed at each of the interfaces to be unique; generating, for each of the interfaces, the one or more packets according to the determined parameters for transmitting; and transmitting the one or more packets to the interfaces. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The topology estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate a different amount of one or more packets for each of the interfaces. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The topology estimation system according to claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are configured to subdivide each of the interfaces into a plurality of groups and generate the one or more packets so as to be transmitted at a different timing for each group. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The topology estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate the one or more packets so as to be transmitted at a different timing for each of the interfaces. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The topology estimation system according to claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to calculate a lower-limit value of a transmission time of the one or more packets on a basis of a traffic sampling interval at a corresponding interface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, comprising: generating a different size of a packet of the one or more packets for each of the interfaces. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, comprising: subdividing each of the interfaces into a plurality of groups and generate the one or more packets so as to be transmitted at a different timing for each group. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, comprising: generating the one or more packets so as to be transmitted at a different timing for each of the interfaces. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising: calculating a lower-limit value of a transmission time of the one or more packets on a basis of a traffic sampling interval at a corresponding interface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The topology estimation system of claim 1, wherein the connection relationship of the interfaces in a target network comprises the connection relationship of the interfaces between devices in the target network. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The topology estimation system of claim 1, wherein the amount of the one or more packets observed at each of the interfaces for the one or more packets differ in a stepwise manner of a multiplier 2 across each of the interfaces.