1
Description
Title of Invention: COUNTRY IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION ADDING
APPARATUS, COUNTRY IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION ADDING
METHOD, AND PROGRAM 5 Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to transmission/reception of a packet.
Background Art
[0002] A system is assumed in which a monitoring center collects, via a network,
information of devices installed in a plurality of countries.
10 Further, it is assumed that communications between the devices and the
monitoring center are operated using a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) or a UDP
(User Datagram Protocol).
In this system, in order to change processing in the monitoring center
depending on a country in which each device is installed, it is necessary to identify the 15 country from which a packet has been transmitted that is received by the monitoring
center.
[0003] As a method for identifying a packet originating country, a method (for
example, Patent Literature 1) is known in which a transmission source IP (Internet
Protocol) address of a packet is checked, the country is identified from assigned 20 information of a global IP address, and the originating country of the packet is identified. However, when a closed network service which is provided by the
communication carrier is utilized for a communication between the monitoring center
and the device, the global IP address is not assigned to the device so that the originating
county cannot be identified from the transmission source IP address.
25 As another solution, a method is considered in which the country

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identification information is set to the device at the time of installing the device, and the
device adds the country identification information to the packet and then transmits the
packet.
However, this method requires the settings work to the device so that a 5 problem arises such as an increase in a settings load and a setting error.
A method is considered in which the device acquires position information by
utilizing a GPS (Global Positioning System), transmits the packet with the addition of
the acquired position information. This method cannot be utilized in a country where
the transmission of GPS information to outside the country is prohibited by law. 10 Citation List
Patent Literature
[0004] Patent Literature: JP 2007-104509 A
Summary of Invention
Technical Problem 15 [0005] The present invention has been conceived in view of the above circumstance
and mainly aims to provide a mechanism capable of identifying a packet originating
country without relying on an IP address and a GPS system and without advanced
settings work to the device.
Solution to Problem 20 [0006] A country identification information adding apparatus according to the
present invention includes:
a country identification information acquisition unit to receive a
communication carrier code of a communication carrier of a portable phone network,
and acquire from the received communication earner code, as country identification 25 information, a code representing a country to which the communication carrier belongs;

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a country identification information adding unit to add to a packet the country identification information acquired by the country identiiication information acquisition unit; and
a communication unit to transmit the packet in which the country 5 identification information is added by the country identification information adding unit. Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0007] In the present invention, a communication carrier code of a communication carrier of a portable phone network is received, a code representing a country to which the communication carrier belongs in the received communication carrier code is added 10 to the packet, as country identification information.
Therefore, it is possible to identify a packet originating country without relying on the IP address and the GPS system and without the advanced settings work for the device.
Brief Description of Drawings 15 [0008] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a device remote monitoring system according to a first embodiment.
Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of a country identification information adding apparatus according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of a country 20 identification apparatus according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 4 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an operation example of the country identification information adding apparatus according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 5 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an operation example of the country
identification information adding apparatus according to the first embodiment.
25 Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a port number correspondence

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table according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a port number after rewriting according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a destination IP address, a 5 destination port number, a transmission source IP address, and a transmission source port number of a packet according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a port number correspondence table when receiving a response packet according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the destination IP address, the 10 destination port number, the transmission source IP address, and the transmission source port number of the packet according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 11 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an operation example of the country identification apparatus according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a transfer destination 15 information table according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 13 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an operation example of the country identification information adding apparatus according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a destination IP address, a destination port number, a transmission source IP address, and a transmission source 20 port number of the response packet according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of the port number after rewriting according to a second embodiment.
Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the port number after rewriting
according to the second embodiment.
25 Fig. 17 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a device according

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to a third embodiment.
Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the device according to the third embodiment.
Fig. 19 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an operation example of the country 5 identification information adding apparatus according to a fourth embodiment.
Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of an area for adding country identification information according to the fourth embodiment.
Fig. 21 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an operation example of the country
identification apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.
10 Fig. 22 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a device remote
monitoring system according to a fifth embodiment.
Fig. 23 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the
country identification information adding apparatus according to the first to fifth
embodiments.
15 Fig. 24 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a device remote
monitoring system in general.
Description of Embodiments
[0009] First Embodiment.
*** Description of Configuration ***
20 Fig. 24 illustrates a configuration example of a device remote monitoring
system in general.
For example, a device 100 is installed in a factoiy, collects information of
apparatuses in the factory, and transmits the collected'information to a center apparatus
400 using IP communication.
25 Various measuring apparatuses, sensors, and the like are connected under the

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device 100, but illustrations of those apparatuses are omitted in Fig. 24.
As illustrated in Fig. 24, in the device remote monitoring system, devices 100 are installed across several countries.
The center apparatus 400 collects information from the devices 100 and issues 5 a control command to the devices.
The center apparatus 400 is installed in a monitoring center at a single place.
A portable phone network 500 is a packet exchange network that connects the devices 100 and the monitoring center.
Although an illustration is omitted, the portable phone network 500 is 10 connected to the monitoring center via the Internet.
Further, Fig. 24 illustrates that each communication apparatus 200 of a
country A, a country B, and a country C is wirelessly connected to the single portable
phone network 500, but in reality, the portable phone network 500 is provided in each
country.
15 The communication apparatus 200 is installed between the device 100 and the
portable phone network 500.
Further, a communication apparatus 300 is installed between the center apparatus 400 and the portable phone network 500.
The communication apparatus 200 performs connection processing to the 20 portable phone network 500, processing to transfer a packet fi-om the device 100 to the portable phone network 500, and processing to transfer, to the device 100, a packet transmitted from the portable phone network 500 and addressed to the device 100.
The communication apparatus 300 performs connection processing to the portable phone network 500 via the Internet, processing to transfer a packet from the 25 center apparatus 400 to the portable phone network 500, and processing to transfer, to

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the center apparatus 400, a packet transmitted from the portable phone network 500 and
addressed to the center apparatus 400.
[0010] Fig. I illustrates a configuration of a device remote monitoring system
according to the present embodiment.
5 In Fig. 1, in addition to a configuration of Fig. 24, a country identification
information adding apparatus 600 is installed between the device 100 and the
communication apparatus 200, and a country identification apparatus 700 is installed . between the center apparatus 400 of the monitoring center and the communication
apparatus 300.
10 Further, a plurality of center apparatuses 400a to 400c are installed in the
monitoring center in order to assign the center apparatus 400 that performs processing
depending on a packet originating country.
Note that, a center apparatus 400a processes a packet from the country A, a
center apparatus 400b processes a packet from the country B, and a center apparatus 15 400c processes a packet from the country C.
[0011] Fig. 2 illustrates a functional configuration example of the country
identification information adding apparatus 600.
The country identification information adding apparatus 600 is configured
with a country identification information acquisition unit 601, a country identification 20 information adding unit 602, a port number correspondence table storage unit 603, and a
communication unit 604.
[0012] The country identification information acquisition unit 601 receives from the
portable phone network 500 a communication carrier code of a communication carrier
of the portable phone network 500 via the communication unit 604, and acquires from 25 the received communication carrier code, as country identification information, a code

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representing a country to which the communication carrier belongs.
Then, the country identification information acquisition unit 601 stores the
country identification information to a storage area in the country identification
information adding apparatus 600.
5 Note that, the communication carrier code is assigned only to the
communication carrier of the portable phone network 500, and in any other network such as a wired network, the same code cannot be acquired from the network.
Therefore, the country identification information acquisition unit 601 receives from the portable phone network 500 the communication carrier code of the 10 communication carrier of the portable phone network 500.
[0013] The country identification information adding unit 602 adds, to the packet addressed to the center apparatus 400, the country identification information acquired by the country identification information acquisition unit 601.
More specifically, the country identification information adding unit 602 15 monitors the packet transmitted/received between the device 100 and the center apparatus 400, and rewrites, to a number generated from the country identification information, a transmission source port number field of a TCP/UDP of the packet transmitted from the device 100 and addressed to the center apparatus 400.
That is, the country identification information adding unit 602 deletes a 20 transmission source port number from the transmission source port number field of the packet, and describes in the transmission source port number field a transmission source port number (to be referred to as a country identification information port number hereinafter) including the country identification information.
Further, the country identification information adding unit 602 restores the 25 port number before rewriting, to a destination port number of the TCP/UDP of the

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packet transmitted from the center apparatus 400 and addressed to the device 100.
That is, the country identification information adding unit 602 deletes the country identification information port number from a destination port number field of a response packet from the center apparatus 400 being a transmission source of the packet, 5 and describes, in the destination port number field of the response packet, the original transmission source port number (the port number of the device 100). [0014] The port number correspondence table storage unit 603 stores the port number correspondence table.
The port number correspondence table is generated by the country 10 identification information adding unit 602.
The port number correspondence table is a table that stores information of the packet before rewriting and the port number after rewriting in association with each other.
More specifically, the port number correspondence table is, as illustrated in 3 5 Fig. 6, a table indicating a destination IP address, the destination port number, a transmission source IP address, the transmission source port number, and the port number after rewriting being the country identification information port number in association with one another.
Note that, when the response packet is not transmitted from the center 20 apparatus 400 to the device 100, the country identification information adding apparatus 600 may not include the port number correspondence table storage unit 603 and the port number correspondence table.
[0015] The communication unit 604 receives from the device 100 the packet addressed to the center apparatus 400, outputs the received packet to the country 25 identification information adding unit 602, and transmits to the communication

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apparatus 200 the packet in which the country identification information is added in the transmission source port number field by the country identification information adding unit 602 and addressed to the center apparatus 400.
Further, the communication unit 604 receives the response packet sent back 5 from the center apparatus 400, outputs the received response packet to the countiy
identification information adding unit 602, and transmits to the device 100 the response packet in which the original transmission source port number (the port number of the device 100) is described in the destination port number field by the countiy identification information adding unit 602 and addressed to the device 100. 10 [0016] Fig. 3 illustrates a functional configuration example of the country identification apparatus 700.
[0017] The country identification apparatus 700 is configured with a countiy identification unit 701, a packet transfer destination specifying unit 702, a transfer destination information table storage unit 703, and a communication unit 704.
15 [0018] The communication unit 704 receives the packet to which the country
identification information representing the country of the transmission source is added. More specifically, the communication unit 704 receives the packet in which the country identification information port number is described by the country identification information adding apparatus 600 in the transmission source port number
20 field and addressed to the center apparatus 400, and outputs the received packet to the country identification unit 701.
Further, the communication unit 704 transfers the packet to the center apparatus 400 that is specified as a packet transfer destination by the packet transfer destination specifying unit 702.
25 Furthermore, the communication unit 704 receives the response packet from

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the center apparatus 400 and transmits the received response packet to the device 100. [0019] The country identification unit 701 extracts the country identification information from the packet received by the communication unit 704.
That is, the country identification unit 701 monitors the packet
5 transmitted/received between the device 100 and the center apparatus 400, extracts the
country identification information port number from the transmission source port
number field of the packet transmitted from the device 100 and addressed to the center
apparatus 400, and extracts the country identification information from the country
identification information port number.
10 [0020] The packet transfer destination specifying unit 702 selects, from among the
center apparatuses 400 each installed in each country, the center apparatus 400
corresponding to the country identification information extracted by the country
identification unit 701, and specifies the selected center apparatus 400 as a transfer
destination of the packet.
15 The packet transfer destination specifying unit 702 refers to a transfer
destination information table stored in the transfer destination information table storage unit 703, and specifies the transfer destination of the packet.
[0021 ] The transfer destination information table storage unit 703 stores the transfer
destination information table.
20 In the transfer destination information table, as illustrated in Fig. 12, there is
described for each country identification information an IP address of the center apparatus 400 being the transfer destination. [0022] *** Description of Operation ***
An operation for identifying a packet transmission country according to the 25 present embodiment will be described.

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The operation for identifying the packet transmission country roughly consists of the following 4 steps.
(1) Acquisition of the country identification information by the country
identification information adding apparatus 600
5 (2) Transmission of the packet from the device 100 to the center apparatus
400
(3) Identification of the packet originating country by the country
identification apparatus 700
(4) Transmission of the response packet from the center apparatus 400 to the
10 device
The details of each step will be described below. [0023] (1) Acquisition of the country identification information by the country identification information adding apparatus 600
Fig. 4 illustrates an acquisition flow of the country identification information 15 by the country identification information acquisition unit 601 of the country identification information adding apparatus 600.
In S001, the country identification information acquisition unit 601checks
whether or not the country identification information is saved in the country
identification information adding apparatus 600.
20 When the country identification information is not saved, the process
proceeds to S002. When the country identification information is saved, the process ends.
In S002, the country identification information acquisition unit 601 issues to the communication apparatus 200 an AT command for acquiring the communication 25 carrier code.

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The AT command is a standard command for controlling the communication apparatus 200.
The country identification information acquisition unit 601 can acquire, by using the AT command, the communication carrier code of the communication carrier 5 of the communication network to which the communication apparatus 200 currently connects.
In a configuration of Fig. 2, the country identification information acquisition
unit 601 can acquire from the portable phone network 500 the communication carrier
code of the communication carrier of the portable phone network 500.
10 The communication carrier code is a 5-digit integer and a coding scheme is
regulated by a 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) of a standardization organization.
In S003, when the communication carrier code is successfully acquired from the communication apparatus 200, the process proceeds to S004. When it is failed, the 15 process proceeds to S005.
In S004, the country identification information acquisition unit 601 extracts a first 3-digit code of the communication carrier code acquired in S002 and defines the extracted first 3-digit code as the country identification information.
Since the first 3-digit code of the communication carrier code is regulated as a 20 code representing a country, the county can be identified by this part of the code.
In S005, when the communication earner code is successfully acquired in
S002, the country identification information acquisition unit 601 saves the extracted
country identification information to the storage area in the country identification
information adding apparatus 600.
25 When it is failed to acquire the communication carrier code in S002, the

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country identification information acquisition unit 601 saves, to the storage area in the country identification information adding apparatus 600, "000" as the country identification information that does not correspond to any of the countries.
Note that, when it is failed to acquire the communication carrier code, a 5 process may be added in which the country identification information acquisition unit 601 periodically operates procedures of S002 onward.
S001 to S005 illustrated in Fig. 4 corresponds to country identification information acquisition processing.
[0024] (2) Transmission of the packet from the device 100 to the center apparatus 10 400
The device 100 transmits, depending on a communication protocol regulated in advance, the packet of the TCP or UDP to the center apparatus 400.
At this time, an arbitrary value is set in the port number of the TCP or UDP in
the packet transmitted from the device 100.
15 All of packets transmitted from the device 100 arrive at the country
identification information adding apparatus 600.
Fig. 5 illustrates a flow where the country identification information adding apparatus 600 receives the packet transmitted from the device 100 and the country identification information adding unit 602 processes the packet. 20 [0025] In S101, the country identification information adding unit 602 checks
whether or not there is an entry, whose set of the destination IP address, the destination port number, the transmission source IP address, and the transmission source port number matches the received packet in the port number correspondence table (Fig. 6).
If the matching entry exists, the process proceeds to S104. If the matching 25 entry does not exist, the process proceeds to SI02.

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In SI02, the country identification information adding unit 602 generates the port number after rewriting by combining the country identification information saved in the above S005 and an arbitrary application identification number.
In the present embodiment, the port number after rewriting is a maximum of a 5 5-digit integer including the application identification number in a first 2-digit (provided that the 2-digit is from 0 to 64) and the countiy identification information in a last 3-digit.
As illustrated in Fig. 7, when the application identification number is 10 and
the country identification information is 440, the port number after rewriting is 10440.
10 The application identification number is set as an arbitrary value such that a
set of 4 items other than the transmission source port number in the port number correspondence table does not overlap any other entry.
When the port number correspondence table is in a state illustrated in Fig. 6, it
is assumed that a packet having information illustrated in Fig. 8 is newly received.
15 Since this newly received packet is the same as a first entry of the port
number correspondence table of Fig. 6 other than the transmission source port number, a value other than 10440 needs to be set for the port number after rewriting.
Since the last 3-digit (440) corresponding to the country identification information is fixed, a value other than 10 is needed to be set for the application 20 identification number.
In SI03, the country identification information adding unit 602 adds, to the port number correspondence table, the port number after rewriting generated in the above SI 02 and information of the received packet together.
When the port number correspondence table is in the state illustrated in Fig. 6, 25 the packet having the information illustrated in Fig. 8 is newly received. When it is

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assumed that the port number after writing coixesponding to this newly received packet is 11440, the port number correspondence fable after adding an entry will be as illustrated in Fig. 9,.
In SI04, the country identification information adding unit 602 rewrites the 5 transmission source port number of the packet to the port number after writing
described in the entry correspondmg to the information of the received packet in the port number correspondence table.
In S105, the communication unit 604 transfers the packet to the
communication apparatus 200.
10 S101 to SI 04 of Fig. 5 corresponds to the country identification information
adding processing and SI05 corresponds to communication processing. [0026] (3) Identification of the packet originating country by the country identification apparatus 700
All of the packets transmitted from the device 100 to the center apparatus 400 15 reaches the country identification apparatus 700.
Fig. 11 illustrates a flow where the country identification apparatus 700 receives the packet which has been transmitted from the device 100 and whose transmission source port number has been rewritten by the country identification information adding apparatus 600, and the country identification apparatus 700 20 processes the received packet.
[0027] In S201, the country identification unit 701 of the countiy identification
apparatus 700 extracts the last 3-digit of the transmission source port number of the
packet received by the communication unit 704, and utilises the extracted last 3-digit as
the countiy identification information.
25 In S202, the packet transfer destination specifying unit 702 of the countiy

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identification apparatus 700 acquires, from the transfer destination information table illustrated in Fig. 12, a transfer destination IP address corresponding to the country identification information acquired in S201.
In S203, the packet transfer destination specifying unit 702 rewrites the 5 destination IP address of the received packet to the IP address acquired in S 202, and the communication unit 704 transfers the packet after the destination IP address is rewritten. [0028] (4) Transmission of the response packet from the center apparatus 400 to the device
When the packet transmitted from the device 100 to the center apparatus 400 10 is a TCP packet, the response packet from the center apparatus 400 may be generated. Under the TCP, the response packet is transmitted in which the transmission source port number of the received packet is conversely set as the destination port number.
Therefore, in the response packet in response to the packet whose 15 transmission source port number is rewritten by the country identification information adding apparatus 600, the port number after rewriting is specified as the destination port number.
Since the device 100 does not notice the rewriting of the port number, the device cannot communicate by using the port number after rewriting. Thus, it is 20 required to restore the destination port number of the response packet to its original port number which is used when the device 100 transmits.
This process is performed by the country identification information adding
unit 602 of the country identification information adding apparatus 600 using the port
number correspondence table.
25 Fig. 13 illustrates a processing flow of the country identification information

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adding unit 602.
Here, there will be specifically described processing conducted when the country identification information adding apparatus 600 receives, as a response packet of a packet including the destination IP address, the destination port number, the 5 transmission source IP address, and the transmission source port number illustrated in Fig. 10, the response packet including the destination IP address, the destination port number, the transmission source IP address, and the transmission source port number illustrated in Fig. 14.
Further, the port number correspondence table when receiving the response 10 packet is assumed to be in a state illustrated in Fig. 9.
[0029] In S301, the country identification information adding unit 602 retrieves, from the port number correspondence table (Fig. 9), an entry corresponding to the received response packet.
Specifically, the country identification information adding unit 602 retrieves,
15 from the port number con-espondence table, the entry in which the transmission source
IP address, the port number after rewriting, the destination IP address, and the
destination port number match the destination IP address, the destination port number,
the transmission source IP address, and the transmission source port number of the
received packet.
20 The entry that corresponds to the packet of Fig. 14 is the entry of the lowest
row of Fig. 9.
From the transmission source port number of this entry, the transmission source port number before rewiring of the packet can be understood as 11122.
In S302, the country identification information adding unit 602 rewrites the 25 destination port number of the response packet to the port number acquired in S301.

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In S303, the communication unit 604 transfers to the device 100 the packet the destination port number of which is rewritten .
As just described, when the destination IP address of the response packet matches the transmission source IP address in the port number correspondence table, the 5 destination port number of the response packet matches the port number after rewriting being the country identification information port number in the port number correspondence table, the transmission source IP address of the response packet matches the destination IP address in the port number correspondence table, and the transmission source port number of the response packet matches the destination port number in the 10 port number correspondence table, the country identification information adding unit 602 deletes, from the destination port number field of the response packet, the port number after rewriting being the country identification information port number, and describes the transmission source port number in the port number correspondence table in the destination port number field of the response packet. 15 [0030] *** Description of Advantageous Effects ***
As described above, in the present embodiment, the country identification information adding apparatus receives the communication carrier code of the communication carrier of the portable phone network, and adds to the packet, as the country identification information, the code representing the country to which the 20 communication carrier belongs in the received communication carrier code.
Therefore, the country identification information adding apparatus can notify the monitoring center of the packet originating county without relying on the IP address and the GPS system and without performing advanced settings work for the device. Further, in the present embodiment, the country identification information 25 adding apparatus adds the country identification information port number to the

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transmission source port number field of the packet so that the packet originating country can be notified to the monitoring center without modifying the data format of the communication protocol which has been used between the device and the center apparatus. 5 [0031] Second Embodiment.
In S102 of Fig. 5 of the first embodiment, in order to obtain the port number after rewriting, the 2-digit application identification number and the 3-digit country identification information are concatenated.
In the present embodiment, another method of generating the port number 10 after rewriting will be described.
Other issues than the method of generating the port number after rewriting are the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0032] Since the country identification information is a 3-digit integer, the country
identification information fits in a 10-bit.
15 Since the transmission source port number is a 16-bit field, in the present
embodiment, as illustrated in the Fig. 15, the country identification information adding unit 602 uses remaining 6 bits as the application identification number.
Then, the country identification information adding unit 602 combines the 10-bit country identification information with the 6-bit application identification number to 20 obtain the port number after rewriting.
Further, although the country identification information is the 3-digit integer, the number of countries themselves is less than or equal to 256.
By utilizing this, the country identification information adding unit 602 defines a conversion table for converting the country identification information to 8-bit 25 data. As illustrated in Fig. 16, the country identification information is expressed in 8

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bits, and remaining 8 bits may be used as Lhe application identification number.
Besides the method specifically indicated here, any other method can be used, which is possible to generate a unique port number after rewriting from the country identification information and the application identification number. 5 [0033] Third Embodiment.
The first and second embodiments describe that the device 100, the country identification information adding apparatus 600, and the communication apparatus 200 are separate hardware.
As to this, as illustrated in Fig. 17, a single hardware may include a function 10 of the country identification information adding apparatus 600 and a function of the communication apparatus 200.
The communication unit 604 in Fig. 17 performs the same operation as the communication apparatus 200 of the first embodiment.
Further, as in Fig. 18, only the communication apparatus 200 may be different 15 hardware.
Moreover, any combination of a function and hardware is permissible.
Other issues than hardware configurations of the device 100, the country identification information adding apparatus 600, and the communication apparatus 200 are the same as the first embodiment. 20 [0034] Fourth Embodiment.
The first embodiment describes a method for embedding the country identification information in the port number field of the packet.
The present embodiment describes a method in which the country identification information is inserted not to the port number field but to an arbitrary area 25 within the packet.

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Note that, in the present embodiment, the configuration example of the device remote monitoring system is also as illustrated in Fig. 1, the functional configuration example of the country identification information adding apparatus 600 is also as illustrated in Fig. 2, and the functional configuration example of the country 5 identification apparatus 700 is also as illustrated in Fig. 3.
[0035] An operation for identifying the packet origination country according to the present embodiment will be described.
As with the first embodiment, the operation for identifying the packet originating country according to the present embodiment roughly consists of the 10 following 4 steps.
(1) Acquisition of the country identification information by the country identification information adding apparatus 600
(2) Transmission of the packet from the device 100 to the center apparatus 400
15 (3) Identification of the packet originating country by the country
identification apparatus 700
(4) Transmission of the response packet from the center apparatus 400 to the device 100
[0036] (1) Acquisition of the country identification information by the country 20 identification information adding apparatus 600
The description will be omitted since it is the same as the first embodiment. [0037] (2) Transmission of the packet from the device 100 to the center apparatus 400
The device 100 transmits, depending on the communication protocol 25 regulated in advance, the packet of the TCP or UDP to the center apparatus 400.

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All of the packets transmitted from the device 100 arrive at the country identification information adding apparatus 600.
Fig. 19 illustrates a flow where the country identification information adding apparatus 600 receives the packet transmitted from the device 100 and the country 5 identification information adding unit 602 processes the packet.
In S401, the country identification information adding unit 602 inserts the country identification information to the predetermined area of the received packet.
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in Fig. 20, the country identification information adding unit 602 adds a 16-bit area between a header area and a data area of 10 the TCP or the UDP packet, and then inserts the country identification information is inserted to this 16-bit area.
Any other method may be used as to an inserting position of the country identification information and a size and a form of the area. .
In S402, the communication unit 604 transmits to the communication 15 apparatus 200 the packet in which the country identification information is added. [0038] (3) Identification of the packet originating country by the country identification apparatus 700
All of the packets transmitted from the device 100 to the center apparatus 400
reaches the country identification apparatus 700.
20 Fig. 21 illustrates a flow where the country identification apparatus 700
receives the packet which has been transmitted from the device 100 and in which
country identification information has been inserted by the country identification
information adding apparatus 600, and the country identification apparatus 700
processes the received packet.
25 In S501, the country identification unit 701 of the country identification

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apparatus extracts a 16-bit from immediately after a header area of the received packet, and recognizes the extracted 16-bit as the country identification information.
In S502, the packet transfer destination specifying unit 702 of the country identification apparatus acquires, from the transfer destination information table, the 5 transfer destination IP address corresponding to the countiy identification information acquired in S501.
In S503, the packet transfer destination specifying unit 702 rewrites the destination IP address of the received packet to the transfer destination IP address acquired in S502, further deletes from the packet the area of the country identification 10 information, and the communication unit 704 transfers the packet to the center apparatus 400 being the transfer destination.
[0039] (4) Transmission of the response packet from the center apparatus 400 to the device 100
With respect to the pocket transmitted by the center apparatus 400 and 15 addressed to the device 100, both of the countiy identification apparatus 700 and the country identification information adding apparatus 600 do not perform any processing and transfer the packet as it is.
[0040] In the present embodiment, the packet originating county can be notified by simple processing through inserting the country identification information to a specific 20 area of the packet in the country identification information adding apparatus and tlirough deleting the country identification information from the specific area in the countiy identification apparatus. [0041] Fifth Embodiment.
The present embodiment describes a method in which a portable phone which 25 is owned by a device installing worker and the country identification information

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adding apparatus 600 are connected at the time of installing the device 100, and the
country identification information is acquired via the portable phone.
[0042] Fig. 22 illustrates a configuration example of the device remote monitoring
system according to the present embodiment.
5 The configuration at the side of the monitoring center is the same as the first
to fourth embodiments, and thereby an illustration of it is omitted.
The device 100 and the communication apparatus 200 are the same as those illustrated in Fig. 1.
However, the communication apparatus 200 is connected to an IP network
10 800 being a communication network other than the portable phone network 500.
Further, the country identification information adding unit 602, the port
number correspondence table storage unit 603, and the communication unit 604 of the
country identification information adding apparatus 600 are the same as those illustrated
in Fig. 2.
15 In the present embodiment, a portable phone 1000 including a country
identification information transmission unit 1001 is owned by the device installing
worker, and at the time of installing the device 100, the portable phone 1000 is wired-
connected or wirelessly connected to the country identification information adding
apparatus 600.
20 When detecting the connection of the portable phone 1000, the country
identification information acquisition unit 601 of the country identification information adding apparatus 600 transmits a request for the country identification information to the portable phone 1000.
When the country identification information transmission unit 1001 of the 25 portable phone 1000 receives the request for the country identification information from

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the country identification information adding apparatus 600, the country identification
information transmission unit 1001 receives the communication carrier code of the
communication carrier which is currently connected and transmits it to the country
identification information adding apparatus 600.
5 Specifically, the country identification information transmission unit 1001
transmits the communication carrier code of the communication carrier of the portable phone network 500 to the country identification information adding apparatus 600.
A method in which the country identification information adding apparatus 600 transmits the communication carrier code acquired from the portable phone 1000 to 10 the monitoring center may be any one of the methods indicated in the first to fourth embodiments.
[0043] According to the present embodiment, even if a network used for communicating between the device and the monitoring center is not a portable phone network, the country identification information can be added to the packet. 15 [0044] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Two of these embodiments may be implemented in combination.
Alternatively, one of these embodiments may be partially implemented.
Alternatively, these embodiments may be partially implemented in
combination.
20 Note that, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and
various modifications are possible as appropriate.
[0045] Lastly, a hardware configuration example of the country identification
information adding apparatus 600 indicated in the first to fifth embodiments will be
described with reference to Fig. 23.
25 The country identification information adding apparatus 600 is a computer,

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and each element of the country identification information adding apparatus 600 can be implemented by a program.
As the hardware configuration of the country identification information adding apparatus 600, an arithmetic device 901, an external storage device 902, a main 5 storage device 903, a communication device 904, and an input/output device 905 are connected to a bus.
[0046] The arithmetic device 901 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes programs.
The external storage device 902 is, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), 10 a flash memory, or a hard disk device.
The main storage device 903 is a RAM (Random Access Memory). The communication device 904 corresponds to the physical layer of the communication unit 604 and is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card).
The input/output device 905 is, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a display 15 device, or the like.
[0047] The programs are usually stored in the external storage device 902 and are loaded into the main storage device 903 to be sequentially read and executed by the arithmetic device 901.
The programs are those which implement functions each described as "unit" 20 (except for the port number correspondence table storage unit 603, the same applies hereinafter) illustrated in Fig. 2.
Further, the external storage device 902 also stores an operating system (OS), and at least a part of the OS is loaded into the main storage device 903. The arithmetic device 901 executes the programs each of which implements the function of "unit" 25 illustrated in Fig. 2, while executing the OS.

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Further, in the descriptions of the first to the fifth embodiments, information,
data, signal values, and variable values indicating the results of the processes described
as "acquire", "generate", "receive", "extract", "check", "select", "detect", "set", and the
like are stored as files in the main storage device 903.
5 Further, encryption keys and decryption keys, random numbers, and
parameters may be stored in the main storage device 903 as files. [0048] Note that the configuration of Fig. 23 merely indicates an example of the hardware configuration of the country identification information adding apparatus 600, and the hardware configuration of the country identification information adding
10 apparatus 600 is not limited to the configuration illustrated in Fig. 23, but may me another configuration.
[0049] Further, in accordance with the procedures indicated in the first to fifth embodiments, a country identification information adding method according to the present invention can be realized.
15 Reference Signs List
[0050] 100: device; 200: communication apparatus; 300: communication apparatus; 400: center apparatus; 500: portable phone network; 600: country identification information adding apparatus; 601: country identification information acquisition unit; 602: country identification information adding unit; 603: port number correspondence 20 table storage unit; 604: communication unit; 700: country identification apparatus; 701: country identification unit; 702: packet transfer destination specifying unit; 703: transfer destination information table storage unit; 704: communication unit; 800: IP network; 1000: portable phone; and 1001: country identification information transmission unit.