Address setting method, client apparatus, server apparatus and client-server system

An address setting method adopted in a client-server system to assign a network address to a radio-communication terminal, wherein:

• a client executes the steps of:
• creating a priority-order assignment table of servers in accordance with a reception level of a control signal received from at least one of said servers;
• periodically transmitting current contents of said priority-order assignment table to a presently connected first server;
• and
• establishing a new connection with a second server upon reception of a notice of establishment of said new connection from said second server and informing said first server of an end of an existing connection with said first server,
• said servers execute the steps of:
• forming a judgment as to whether or not a second server having a higher priority than a first server exists upon reception of a priority-assignment table from a client by said first server;
• setting an address for said client and establishing a connection with said client by said second server if an available address exists in said second server;
• and
• issuing a request for redistribution of addresses in said pool to all servers in response to a client's request to increase and set the number of addresses to which an address available in any of said servers can be allocated.

A client apparatus employed in a client-server system for assigning a network address to a radio-communication terminal, said client apparatus comprising:

• a table creation means for creating a priority-order assignment table of servers in accordance with a reception level of a control signal received from at least one of said servers;
• a server selection means for selecting a server as close to the top one of said priority-assignment table as possible as a connection server and outputting a request for a connection to said connection server;
• a connection establishing means for establishing a connection with the connection server based on the reception of said request by said connection server;
• and
• an address redistribution means for requesting a connectable server to increase and set the number of addresses in case a settable address of said connectable server does not exist in an address pool.

A client apparatus employed in a client-server system for assigning a network address to a radio-communication terminal, said client apparatus comprising:

• a table creation means for creating a priority-order assignment table of servers in accordance with a reception level of a control signal received from at least one of said servers;
• a table transmission means for periodically transmitting current contents of said priority-order assignment table to a presently connected first server;
• and
• a connection establishing means for establishing a new connection with a second server upon reception of a notice of establishment of said new connection from said second server and informing said first server of an end of an existing connection with said first server.

A server apparatus employed in a client-server system for assigning a network address to a radio-communication terminal, said server apparatus comprising:

• a priority judgment means for forming a judgment as to whether or not a second server having a higher priority than a first server exists upon reception of a priority-assignment table from a client by said first server, the priority-assignment table being created by the client in accordance with a reception level of a control signal received from at least one server in the system;
• a connection establishing means for setting an address for said client and establishing a connection with said client by said second server if an available address exists in said second server;
• and
• an address redistribution means for issuing a request for redistribution of addresses in said pool to all servers in response to a client's request to increase and set the number of addresses to which an address available in any of said servers can be allocated.

A client-server system for assigning a network address to a radio-communication terminal wherein:

• a client comprises:
• a table creation means for creating a priority-order assignment table of servers in accordance with a reception level of a control signal received from at least one of said servers;
• a server selection means for selecting a server as close to the top one of said priority-assignment table as possible as a connection server and outputting a request for a connection to said connection server;
• a connection establishing means for establishing a connection with the connection server based on the reception of said request by said connection server;
• and
• an address redistribution means for requesting a connectable server to increase and set the number of addresses in case a settable address of said connectable server does not exist in an address pool, and
• a server comprises:
• a connection establishing means for establishing a connection with a client by setting a settable address for said client in response to said client's request for said connection for which said settable address exists in a pool of addresses;
• and
• an address redistribution means for issuing a request for redistribution of addresses in said pool to all servers in response to a client's request to increase and set the number of addresses to which an address available in any of said servers can be allocated.

A client-server system for assigning a network address to a radio-communication terminal wherein:

• a client comprises:
• a table creation means for creating a priority-order assignment table of servers in accordance with a reception level of a control signal received from at least one of said servers;
• a table transmission means for periodically transmitting current contents of said priority-order assignment table to a presently connected first server;
• and
• a connection establishing means for establishing a new connection with a second server upon reception of a notice of establishment of said new connection from said second server and informing said first server of an end of an existing connection with said first server;
• and
• servers each comprise:
• a priority judgment means for forming a judgment as to whether or not a second server having a higher priority than a first server exists upon reception of a priority-assignment table from a client by said first server;
• a connection establishing means for setting an address for said client and establishing a connection with said client by said second server if an available address exists in said second server;
• and
• an address redistribution means for issuing a request for redistribution of addresses in said pool to all servers in response to a client's request to increase and set the number of addresses to which an address available in any of said servers can be allocated.