# US 8,788,709 B1 · Distributed network address translation control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,709 B1 - Document ID: US8788709B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 13/363,786 - Filed: 2012-02-01 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2000-12-19 - Assignees: Rockstar Consortium US LP - Applicants: Lyndon Y. Ong - Inventors: Lyndon Y. Ong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788709B1 ## CPC - H04L 61/2514: between local and global IP addresses - H04L 61/2521: Translation architectures other than single NAT servers - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A distributed network address translation (NAT) system is used to transport data packets between private and public network domains. A packet modifier substitutes public and private network address information in packets that are crossing between public and private domains to and from the end system. A network application server has an address mapping table and communicates with the packet modifier over a control protocol. The network application server generates address mappings which the packet modifier uses for modification of data packets passing through it. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of mapping packet addresses in a communication network, the method comprising: receiving, by a network application server, a request to establish a communication session between an end system connected to the communication network and a remote system connected to a separate network; determining, by the network application server, an address mapping of at least one of the end system and the remote system; providing, by the network application server to a packet modifier device, the address mapping; and modifying, by the packet modifier device, a packet address field within a data packet exchanged between the end system and the remote system by utilizing the address mapping to control the modifying of the packet address field, wherein the packet modifier device is on a bearer path of the communication session and the network application server is not on the bearer path of the communication session. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the request to establish the communication session is received by the network application server from the end system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the request to establish the communication session is received from the packet modifier device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the request to establish the communication session is received by the packet modifier device from the remote system and forwarded by the packet modifier device to the network application server. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying, at the packet modifier device, a plurality of packets sent from the end system to the remote system according to the address mapping. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying, at the packet modifier device, a plurality of packets sent from the remote system to the end system according to the address mapping. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein providing, by the network application server to the packet modifier device, the address mapping comprises providing the address mapping to the packet modifier device via a control protocol. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the address mapping comprises one of a Network Address Translation (NAT) and a Network Address Port Translation (NAPT). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the network application server, the address mapping comprises allocating addresses from a pool of addresses. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the network application server, a confirmation of the address mapping from the packet modifier device. ### Claim 11 A system for mapping packet addresses in a communication network, the system comprising: a network application server operable: to receive a request to establish a communication session between an end system connected to the communication network and a remote system connected to a separate network; to determine an address mapping of at least one of the end system and the remote system; and to provide to a packet modifier device, the address mapping; and the packet modifier device being configured to modify a packet address field within a data packet exchanged between the end system and the remote system by utilizing the address mapping to control the packet modifier device, wherein the packet modifier device is on a bearer path of the communication session and the network application server is not on the bearer path of the communication session. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the network application server is operable to receive the request to establish the communication session from the end system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the network application server is operable to receive the request to establish the communication session from the packet modifier device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising the packet modifier device, the packet modifier device being operable to receive the request to establish the communication session from the remote system and to forward the request to establish the communication session to the network application server. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising the packet modifier device, the packet modifier device being operable to modify a plurality of packets sent from the end system to the remote system according to the address mapping. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising the packet modifier device, the packet modifier device being operable to modify a plurality of packets sent from the remote system to the end system according to the address mapping. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the network application server is operable to provide the address mapping to the packet modifier device by providing the address mapping via a control protocol. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the address mapping comprises one of a Network Address Translation (NAT) and a Network Address Port Translation (NAPT). ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the network application server is operable to determine the address mapping by allocating packet addresses from a pool of addresses. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the network application server is operable to receive a confirmation of the address mapping from the packet modifier device. ### Claim 21 A method of mapping packet addresses in a communication network, the method comprising: receiving, at a packet modifier device from a network application server, at least one address mapping for establishment of a communication session between an end system connected to the communication network and a remote system connected to a separate network, the network application server not being on a bearer path of the communication session; storing the at least one address mapping; receiving a plurality of packets sent from the end system, wherein the plurality of packets are received directly from the end system, and wherein each of the plurality of packets comprise a packet address field; modifying the plurality of packets according to and controlled by the at least one address mapping received from the network application server; and routing the received plurality of packets to the separate network. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one address mapping is received from the network application server via a control protocol. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one address mapping comprises one of a Network Address Translation (NAT) and a Network Address Port Translation (NAPT). ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising sending to the network application server a confirmation of receipt of the at least one address mapping. ### Claim 25 A system for mapping packet addresses in a communication network, the system comprising a packet modifier device operable: to receive from a network application server, at least one address mapping for establishment of a communication session between an end system connected to the communication network and a remote system connected to a separate network, the network application server not being on a bearer path of the communication session; to store the at least one address mapping; to receive a plurality of packets sent from the end system, wherein the plurality of packets are received directly from the end system, and wherein each of the plurality of packets comprise a packet address field; to modify the plurality of packets according to and controlled by the at least one address mapping received from the network application server; and to route the received plurality of packets to the separate network. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one address mapping is received from the network application server via a control protocol. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one address mapping comprises one of a Network Address Translation (NAT) and a Network Address Port Translation (NAPT). ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The system of claim 25, wherein the packet modifier device is operable to send to the network application server a confirmation of receipt of the at least one address mapping.