Anchoring IP devices in ICN networks

• US 10,122,632 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IDAC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Trossen, Dirk, Robitzsch, Sebastian
• Primary Examiner(s): Elpenord, Candal
• Application Number:
  US15/518,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20170237660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/33 containing protocol addresses or telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/741 Routing in networks with a plurality of addressing schemes, e.g. with both IPv4 and IPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/748 using longest matching prefix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Procedures, methods and architectures for anchoring communication between IP-based devices in an ICN network or across an IP peer network are disclosed. Embodiments may enable the communication between two IP-based devices connected to an ICN, or one IP-based device connected to an ICN network while another IP-based device is connected either to an ICN network or IP network. In an embodiment, IP packets originating from an IP-based device may be encapsulated into ICN packets and forwarded via an ICN network. In an embodiment, IP packets received via an ICN network may be encapsulated in ICN packets and forwarded to an IP-based device. In an embodiment, IP packets originating from an IP-based device may be forwarded and received via an ICN network towards another IP network. In an embodiment, IP packets received by an ICN network may be forwarded towards an IP-based device via the ICN network.

Claims

1. A method of anchoring communication between Internet Protocol (IP)-based devices in an information centric networking (ICN) network or across an IP peer network, the method comprising:

receiving, by a network access point (NAP) of an ICN network, an IP packet from an IP-only wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU);

determining, by the NAP, an appropriate ICN name for the IP packet based on an IP address of an intended destination of the IP packet, wherein the ICN name comprises a hierarchy of a root identifier for IP over ICN communication, a first sub-scope identifier for within ICN communication and a second sub-scope identifier for outside ICN communication below the root identifier, and one or more levels of IP subnet identifiers below the first sub-scope identifier and the second sub-scope identifier;

encapsulating, by the NAP, the IP packet into an ICN packet by inserting the ICN name into a packet header; and

sending, by the NAP, the ICN packet to a plurality of devices subscribed to the ICN name.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more levels of IP subnet identifiers comprise a group of the IP address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP address is in IPv4 format and each of the one or more levels of IP subnet identifiers comprise a decimal number representing 8 bits of the IP address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP address is in IPv6 format and each of the one or more levels of IP subnet identifiers comprise a group of four hexadecimal digits representing 16 bits of the IP address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the root identifier comprises:

first prefix scopes for IP operator-internal IP prefix ranges; and

second prefix scopes for scopes for external IP prefix ranges.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first prefix scopes and the second prefix scopes are determined through a combination of the IP address and subnet mask information of IP routing prefixes.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second prefix scopes are calculated and published under the root scope by an operator management system based on known IP prefix configurations of an IP border gateway (GW) of the operator.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the second prefix scopes are calculated and published by an IP border gateway (GW).

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first prefix scopes are published by an internal management entity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the plurality of devices are subscribed to different levels of the IP subnet identifiers.

11. An information centric networking (ICN) network access point (NAP) for anchoring communication between Internet Protocol (IP)-based devices in an ICN network or across an IP peer network, the NAP comprising:

a circuitry configured to receive an IP packet from an IP-only wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU);

the circuitry further configured to determine an appropriate ICN name for the IP packet based on an IP address of an intended destination of the IP packet, wherein the ICN name comprises a hierarchy of a root identifier for IP over ICN communication, a first sub-scope identifier for within ICN communication and a second sub-scope identifier for outside ICN communication below the root identifier, and one or more levels of IP subnet identifiers below the first sub-scope identifier and the second sub-scope identifier;

encapsulate the IP packet into an ICN packet by inserting the ICN name into a packet header; and

the circuitry further configured to send the ICN packet to a plurality of devices subscribed to the ICN name.

12. The NAP of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more levels of IP subnet identifiers comprise a group of the IP address.

13. The NAP of claim 11, wherein the IP address is in IPv4 format and each of the one or more levels of IP subnet identifiers comprise a decimal number representing 8 bits of the IP address.

14. The NAP of claim 11, wherein the IP address is in IPv6 format and each of the one or more levels of IP subnet identifiers comprise a group of four hexadecimal digits representing 16 bits of the IP address.

15. The NAP of claim 11, wherein the root identifier comprises:

first prefix scopes for IP operator-internal IP prefix ranges; and

second prefix scopes for scopes for external IP prefix ranges.

16. The NAP of claim 15, wherein the first prefix scopes and the second prefix scopes are determined through a combination of the IP address and subnet mask information of IP routing prefixes.

17. The NAP of claim 15, wherein the second prefix scopes are calculated and published under the root scope by an operator management system based on known IP prefix configurations of an IP border gateway (GW) of the operator.

18. The NAP of claim 15, wherein the second prefix scopes are calculated and published by an IP border gateway (GW).

19. The NAP of claim 15, wherein the first prefix scopes are published by an internal management entity.

20. The NAP of claim 11, wherein the one or more of the plurality of devices are subscribed to different levels of the IP subnet identifiers.