Communication processing system, communication processing method, communication terminal, data transfer controller, and program

• US 20020172207A1
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saito, Shin, Shitama, Kazuhiro, Kurihara, Kuniaki, Teraoka, Fumio
• Granted Patent: US 7,746,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/36 due to handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/087 for preserving data network PoA address despite hand-offs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A virtual network prefix is provided as a dedicated prefix for a mobile node in a domain having a plurality of subnets. The domain includes a layered network that has a quasi-micro mobility network (QMMN) and a pure-micro mobility network (PMMN). The quasi-micro mobility network (QMMN) performs prefix-based routing, and the pure-micro mobility network (PMMN) performs routing using two different routing protocols, that is, prefix-based routing and host-based routing. In each network, processing for changing a route, such as changing cache data or the like, is performed depending on how a terminal moves.

Claims

1. A communication processing system, comprising:

a layered network in a domain, the layered network comprising;

at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node as a mobile communication terminal is connectable;

a pure-micro mobility network for performing host-based routing of a packet addressed to the mobile node and also for performing prefix-based routing; and

a quasi-micro mobility network for performing the prefix-based routing,

wherein a virtual network prefix for the mobile node is set in the domain, the virtual network prefix serving as a network prefix which is different from a physical network prefix associated with a corresponding sub-network and serving as a prefix constituting an address of the mobile node, and the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network are configured as an upper layer and a lower layer of the layered network, respectively.

2. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the pure-micro mobility networks, each for performing host-based routing for a packet addressed to the mobile node, are configured in the single domain, and each pure-micro mobility network in the single domain is associated with a different virtual network prefix.

3. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the mobile node transmits a pure-micro registration request message including a current address thereof in a current sub-network, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network to an access router of the current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected, and

the access router directly transfers the received pure-micro registration request message to a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network.

4. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network creates, updates, or confirms a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache, for routing to the mobile node upon receipt of a pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network.

5. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein a pure-micro gateway router, located at the boundary between a quasi-micro mobility network for performing prefix-based routing and a pure-micro mobility network for performing host-based routing for a packet addressed to a mobile node and also for performing the prefix-based routing, transmits a cache update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network when the pure-micro gateway router determines that the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, each pure-micro mobility network having a different virtual network prefix upon receipt of a pure-micro registration request message including the current address, the old address, and the old physical network prefix.

6. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein a router in the quasi-micro mobility network (i) has a mapping cache associating an old address of the mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for transferring a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address, to the new address when the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, and (ii) overwrites a destination address with the new address stored in the mapping cache and transfers the data packet when the destination address in the data packet agrees with the old address in the mapping cache.

7. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein a router in the quasi-micro mobility network (i) has a mapping cache associating an old address of the mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for forwarding a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address, to the new address when the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, and (ii) creates or updates the mapping cache upon receipt of a cache update message including the new address of the mobile node, the old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network.

8. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the corresponding pure-micro mobility network (i) has a mapping cache associating an old address of the mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for transferring a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address, to the new address when the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, and (ii) overwrites a destination address in the data packet with the new address stored in the mapping cache and transfers the data packet when the destination address agrees with the old address in the mapping cache.

9. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network (i) has a mapping cache associating an old address of the mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for transferring a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address, to the new address when the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, and (ii) creates or updates the mapping cache upon receipt of a cache update message including a current address of the mobile node, the old address set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network.

10. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network (i) deletes a routing cache of the mobile node held by the pure-micro gateway router and (ii) transmits a routing tear-down message to a next-hop router given in accordance with on old physical network prefix upon receipt of a cache update message including a current address of the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and the old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network, and

a router in the pure-micro mobility network which receives the routing tear-down message (i) deletes the routing cache storing routing information of the mobile node in the previous sub-network, (ii) transmits the routing tear-down message to the next-hop router given in accordance with the old physical network prefix, and (iii) repeats transmitting the routing tear-down message and deleting the routing cache storing the routing information of the mobile node in the previous sub-network, the routing cache being in the router which receives the routing tear-down message, down to an access router connected to the previous sub-network corresponding to the old physical network prefix.

11. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network (i) has a paging cache storing an address of the mobile node as a cache for storing an idle mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network, and (ii) creates or updates the paging cache upon receipt of a paging update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node.

12. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network has a routing cache associating an address of the mobile node with an address of a next-hop router for host-routing to an active mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network, and

a router in the pure-micro mobility network and the pure-micro gateway router in the pure-micro mobility network create or update the routing cache upon receipt of a routing update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node.

13. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein a router in the pure-micro mobility network (i) has a routing cache associating an address of the mobile node with an address of a next-hop router for host-routing to an active mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network, (ii) deletes the routing cache upon receipt of a routing tear-down message including an address of the mobile node, which is transmitted from an upper-level router, and an old physical network prefix set in a previous sub-network, (iii) transfers the routing tear-down message to the next-hop router given in accordance with the old physical network prefix, and (ix) repeats transferring the routing tear-down message and deleting the routing cache storing routing information of the mobile node in the previous sub-network, the routing cache being in the router which receives the routing tear-down message, down to an access router connected to the previous sub-network corresponding to the old physical network prefix.

14. The communication processing system according to claim 13, wherein a crossover router, as a branch point for routing two sub-networks to two respective access routers, creates and transmits a routing tear-down message.

15. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein an identifier of the mobile node is unique in the pure-micro mobility network for identifying the mobile node.

16. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein an identifier of the mobile node is a unique interface ID in the pure-micro mobility network for identifying the mobile node.

17. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein an access router, connected to a current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected, in the pure-micro mobility network transmits a router advertisement which serves as an information report of the router and which includes information on the physical network prefix and another information on the virtual network prefix therein.

18. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile node moving from one sub-network to another in the same pure-micro mobility network or in different pure-micro mobility networks (i) compares a value of the virtual network prefix, included in a router advertisement which the mobile node receives from an access router of a new sub-network to which the mobile node is connected and which serves as an information report of the access router, to a value of the virtual or physical network prefix included in an old address of the mobile node in a previous sub-network, and (ii) creates an address thereof based on the virtual network prefix included in the received router advertisement only when the two network prefix values are different from each other.

19. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile node moving from one sub-network to another in the same pure-micro mobility network or in different pure-micro mobility networks creates an address of the mobile node based on the physical network prefix included in a router advertisement which the mobile node receives from an access router of a new sub-network to which the mobile node is connected and which serves as an information report of the access router when the router advertisement includes a value of the physical network prefix but does not include a value of the virtual network prefix.

20. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein

an access router in the pure-micro mobility network, connected to a current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected, stores data of acceptable hold time ranges of a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache, for routing to the mobile node, in a router advertisement serving as an information report of the access router, and

the mobile node sets lifetimes of the respective caches based on the data of the hold time ranges in the received router advertisement.

21. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the mobile node transmits a pure-micro registration request message including a current address thereof in a current sub-network, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network to an access router of the current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected,

the access router transfers the received pure-micro registration request message to a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network,

the pure-micro gateway router performs a duplication check for the current address of the mobile node and transmits a pure-micro registration acknowledgement message including the check result to the mobile node through the access router, and

the mobile node which receives the pure-micro registration acknowledgement message creates a pure-micro registration request message for setting a new address of the mobile node based on a new interface ID again and retransmits the pure-micro registration request message to the access router when the duplication check result for a current address of the mobile node is affirmative.

22. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein an access router connected to a current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected in the pure-micro mobility network creates a router advertisement which serves as an information report of the router and which stores data of acceptable hold time ranges of a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache for performing the routing, and transmits the created router advertisement to the mobile node.

23. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network has a routing cache associating an address of the mobile node with an address of a next-hop router for host-routing to an active mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network, and

a router in the pure-micro mobility network and the pure-micro gateway router set a lifetime of the routing cache for each mobile node in accordance with a routing update interval time included in a routing update message upon receipt of the routing update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node.

24. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network (i) refers to a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache, for routing to the mobile node upon receipt of a pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network, (ii) determines if a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, in the pure-micro registration request message are registered in the pure-micro mobility network or not, and (iii) transmits a pure-micro registration acknowledgement message including the determination result to an access router of a current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected, and

the access router transmits the received pure-micro registration acknowledgement message to the mobile node connected to the access router.

25. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network (i) has a paging cache which stores an address of the mobile node and which serves as a cache for storing an idle mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network, and (ii) sets a lifetime of the paging cache for each mobile node based on a paging update interval time included in a pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network or a page update message including the current address upon receipt of the pure-micro registration request message or upon receipt of the page update message.

26. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network has a mapping cache associating an old address of the mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for transferring a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address, to the new address when the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, and

a router in the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro gateway router set a lifetime of the mapping cache for each mobile node based on a mapping cache lifetime of the mapping cache included in a cache update message including an old address of the mobile node set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network upon receipt of the cache update message.

27. The communication processing system according to claim 1, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network broadcasts a paging request message including an address of the mobile node to a downstream sub-network, when a route of a destination address for transferring a data packet to the mobile node is not included in a routing cache for host-routing to an active mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network but is included in a paging cache storing an idle mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network,

a router in the pure-micro mobility network receiving the paging request message broadcasts the received paging request message to the downstream sub-network,

the mobile node receiving the paging request message creates a routing update message including a current address of the mobile node and transmits the routing update message to an access router in the pure-micro mobility network, and

the router in the pure-micro mobility network and the pure-micro gateway router create the routing cache upon receipt of the routing update message.

29. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein a plurality of the pure-micro mobility networks, each for performing host-based routing for a packet addressed to the mobile node, is configured in the single domain, and each pure-micro mobility network in the single domain is associated with a different virtual network prefix.

30. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein

the mobile node transmits a pure-micro registration request message including a current address thereof in a current sub-network, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network to an access router of the current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected, and

the access router directly transfers the received pure-micro registration request message to a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network.

31. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network creates, updates, or confirms a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache, for routing to the mobile node upon receipt of a pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network.

32. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein a pure-micro gateway router, located at the boundary between a quasi-micro mobility network for performing prefix-based routing and a pure-micro mobility network for host-based routing for performing a packet addressed to a mobile node and also for performing the prefix-based routing, transmits a cache update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network when the pure-micro gateway router determines that the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, each pure-micro mobility network having a different virtual network prefix upon receipt of a pure-micro registration request message including the current address, the old address, and the old physical network prefix.

33. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein a router in the quasi-micro mobility network (i) has a mapping cache associating an old address of the mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for transferring a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address, to the new address when the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, and (ii) overwrites a destination address with the new address stored in the mapping cache and transfers the data packet when the destination address in the data packet agrees with the old address in the mapping cache.

34. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein a router in the quasi-micro mobility network (i) has a mapping cache associating an old address of the mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for forwarding a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address, to the new address when the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, and (ii) creates or updates the mapping cache upon receipt of a cache update message including the new address of the mobile node, the old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network.

35. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the corresponding pure-micro mobility network (i) has a mapping cache associating an old address of the mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for transferring a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address, to the new address when the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, and (ii) overwrites a destination address in the data packet with the new address stored in the mapping cache and transfers the data packet when the destination address agrees with the old address in the mapping cache.

36. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network (i) has a mapping cache associating an old address of the mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for transferring a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address, to the new address when the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, and (ii) creates or updates the mapping cache upon receipt of a cache update message including a current address of the mobile node, the old address set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network.

37. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network (i) deletes a routing cache of the mobile node held by the pure-micro gateway router and (ii) transmits a routing tear-down message to a next-hop router given in accordance with on old physical network prefix upon receipt of a cache update message including a current address of the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and the old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network, and

a router in the pure-micro mobility network which receives the routing tear-down message (1) deletes the routing cache storing routing information of the mobile node in the previous sub-network, (ii) transmits the routing tear-down message to the next-hop router given in accordance with the old physical network prefix, and (iii) repeats transmitting the routing tear-down message and deleting the routing cache storing the routing information of the mobile node in the previous sub-network, the routing cache being in the router which receives the routing tear-down message, down to an access router connected to the previous sub-network corresponding to the old physical network prefix.

38. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network (i) has a paging cache storing an address of the mobile node as a cache for storing an idle mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network, and (ii) creates or updates the paging cache upon receipt of a paging update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node.

39. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network has a routing cache associating an address of the mobile node with an address of a next-hop router for host-routing to an active mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network, and

a router in the pure-micro mobility network and the pure-micro gateway router in the pure-micro mobility network create or update the routing cache upon receipt of a routing update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node.

40. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein a router in the pure-micro mobility network (i) has a routing cache associating an address of the mobile node with an address of a next-hop router for host-routing to an active mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network, (ii) deletes the routing cache upon receipt of a routing tear-down message including an address of the mobile node, which is transmitted from an upper-level router, and an old physical network prefix set in a previous sub-network, (iii) transfers the routing tear-down message to the next-hop router given in accordance with the old physical network prefix, and (ix) repeats transferring the routing tear-down message and deleting the routing cache storing routing information of the mobile node in the previous sub-network, the routing cache being in the router which receives the routing tear-down message, down to an access router connected to the previous sub-network corresponding to the old physical network prefix.

41. The communication processing method according to claim 40, wherein a crossover router, as a branch point for routing two sub-networks to two respective access routers, creates and transmits a routing tear-down message.

42. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein an identifier of the mobile node is unique in the pure-micro mobility network for identifying the mobile node.

43. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein an identifier of the mobile node is a unique interface ID in the pure-micro mobility network for identifying the mobile node.

44. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein an access router, connected to a current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected, in the pure-micro mobility network transmits a router advertisement which serves as an information report of the router and which includes information on the physical network prefix and another information on the virtual network prefix therein.

45. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein the mobile node moving from one sub-network to another in the same pure-micro mobility network or in different pure-micro mobility networks (i) compares a value of the virtual network prefix, included in a router advertisement which the mobile node receives from an access router of a new sub-network to which the mobile node is connected and which serves as an information report of the access router, to a value of the virtual or physical network prefix included in an old address of the mobile node in a previous sub-network, and (ii) creates an address thereof based on the virtual network prefix included in the received router advertisement only when the two network prefix values are different from each other.

46. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein the mobile node moving from one sub-network to another in the same pure-micro mobility network or in different pure-micro mobility networks creates an address of the mobile node based on the physical network prefix included in a router advertisement which the mobile node receives from an access router of a new sub-network to which the mobile node is connected and which serves as an information report of the access router when the router advertisement includes a value of the physical network prefix but does not include a value of the virtual network prefix.

47. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein

an access router in the pure-micro mobility network, connected to a current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected, stores data of acceptable hold time ranges of a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache, for routing to the mobile node, in a router advertisement serving as an information report of the access router, and

the mobile node sets lifetimes of the respective caches based on the data of the hold time ranges in the received router advertisement.

48. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein

the mobile node transmits a pure-micro registration request message including a current address thereof in a current sub-network, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network to an access router of the current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected,

the access router transfers the received pure-micro registration request message to a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network,

the pure-micro gateway router performs a duplication check for the current address of the mobile node and transmits a pure-micro registration acknowledgement message including the check result to the mobile node through the access router, and

the mobile node which receives the pure-micro registration acknowledgement message creates a pure-micro registration request message for setting a new address of the mobile node based on a new interface ID again and retransmits the pure-micro registration request message to the access router when the duplication check result for a current address of the mobile node is affirmative.

49. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein an access router connected to a current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected in the pure-micro mobility network creates a router advertisement which serves as an information report of the router and which stores data of acceptable hold time ranges of a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache for performing the routing, and transmits the created a router advertisement to the mobile node.

50. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network has a routing cache associating an address of the mobile node with an address of a next-hop router for host-routing to an active mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network, and

a router in the pure-micro mobility network and the pure-micro gateway router set a lifetime of the routing cache for each mobile node in accordance with a routing update interval time included in a routing update message upon receipt of the routing update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node.

51. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network (i) refers to a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache, for routing to the mobile node upon receipt of a pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network, (ii) determines if a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, in the pure-micro registration request message are registered in the pure-micro mobility network or not, and (iii) transmits a pure-micro registration acknowledgement message including the determination result to an access router of a current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected, and

the access router transmits the received pure-micro registration acknowledgement message to the mobile node connected to the access router.

52. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network (i) has a paging cache which stores an address of the mobile node and which serves as a cache for storing an idle mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network, and (ii) sets a lifetime of the paging cache for each mobile node based on a paging update interval time included in a pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network or a page update message including the current address upon receipt of the pure-micro registration request message or upon receipt of the page update message.

53. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network has a mapping cache associating an old address of the mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for transferring a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address, to the new address when the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another in the same domain, and

a router in the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro gateway router set a lifetime of the mapping cache for each mobile node based on a mapping cache lifetime of the mapping cache included in a cache update message including an old address of the mobile node set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network upon receipt of the cache update message.

54. The communication processing method according to claim 28, wherein

a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between the quasi-micro mobility network and the pure-micro mobility network broadcasts a paging request message including an address of the mobile node to a downstream sub-network, when a route of a destination address for transferring a data packet to the mobile node is not included in a routing cache for host-routing to an active mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network but is included in a paging cache storing an idle mobile node connected to the pure-micro mobility network,

a router in the pure-micro mobility network receiving the paging request message broadcasts the received paging request message to the downstream sub-network,

the mobile node receiving the paging request message creates a routing update message including a current address of the mobile node and transmits the routing update message to an access router in the pure-micro mobility network, and

the router in the pure-micro mobility network and the pure-micro gateway router create the routing cache upon receipt of the routing update message.

28. A communication processing method, comprising the steps of:

setting a virtual network prefix for a mobile node, as a mobile communication terminal, in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which the mobile node is connectable, the virtual network prefix serving as a network prefix which is different from a physical network prefix associated with a corresponding sub-network and serving as a prefix constituting an address; and

performing prefix-based routing and host-based routing through a layered network configured such that, in the domain, a quasi-micro mobility network for performing the prefix-based routing is configured in an upper layer of the layered network, and at least one pure-micro mobility network for performing the host-based routing of a packet addressed to the mobile node and also for performing the prefix-based routing is configured in a lower layer of the layered network.

55. A communication terminal for performing communication through a network, comprising:

first means for receiving a physical network prefix associated with a corresponding sub-network in a domain having at least two sub-networks and a router advertisement which serves as an information report from an access router and which includes a virtual network prefix for the communication terminal;

second means for setting an address of the communication terminal based on the virtual network prefix obtained from the received router advertisement and also based on an identifier of the communication terminal; and

third means for creating a pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the communication terminal, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network, and for transmitting the pure-micro registration request message to the access router of a current sub-network to which the communication terminal is connected.

56. The communication terminal according to claim 55, further comprising:

fourth means for comparing a value of the virtual network prefix included in the router advertisement received from the access router to a value of the virtual network prefix or physical network prefix used in the previous sub-network included in the old address of the mobile node when the mobile node moves from one sub-network to another in the same domain or in different domains; and

fifth means for creating an address of the mobile node based on the virtual network prefix included in the received router advertisement only when the two network prefix values are different from each other.

57. The communication terminal according to claim 55, further comprising:

fourth means for determining if the router advertisement includes a value of the physical network prefix and does not include a value of the virtual network prefix or not; and

fifth means for creating an address of the mobile node based on the physical network prefix included in the received router advertisement when the determination is affirmative.

58. The communication terminal according to claim 55, further comprising:

fourth means for receiving a pure-micro registration acknowledgement message including a check result of address duplication with respect to the current address of the communication terminal; and

fifth means for creating the pure-micro registration request message which sets a new address, based on a new interface ID, as the current address of the communication terminal, and for transmitting the pure-micro registration request message to the access router when the pure-micro registration acknowledgement message includes an affirmative check result.

59. The communication terminal according to claim 55, further comprising:

fourth means for receiving the router advertisement which serves as an information report of the router and which stores data of acceptable hold time ranges of a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache for routing to the communication terminal; and

fifth means for setting lifetimes of the respective caches based on the data of the acceptable hold time ranges of the respective caches in the received router advertisement, and for storing the set lifetimes (i) in a routing update message, (ii) in the pure-micro registration request message, and (iii) in a paging update message including an address, a sequence number, and a paging update interval time of the communication terminal in a current sub-network corresponding to the routing cache, the mapping cache, and the paging cache, respectively.

60. The communication terminal according to claim 55, further comprising:

fourth means for receiving a paging request message for an idle a communication terminal; and

fifth means for creating a routing update message including a current address of the communication terminal, and for transmitting the routing update message to the access router of the sub-network when the received paging request message includes an address of the communication terminal.

61. The communication terminal according to claim 55, further comprising:

fourth means for creating a paging update message including an address, a sequence number, and a paging update interval time of the mobile node in a current sub-network, and for transmitting the paging update message to the access router of the sub-network to which the mobile node is connected, during a transition period from a communication mode to a stand-by mode.

62. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

first means for performing a router advertisement, as an information report from an access router, to a mobile node which performs address-setting, wherein the router stores a physical network prefix associated with a sub-network to which the mobile node is connected and a virtual network prefix for the mobile node as a network prefix which is different from the physical network prefix.

63. The data transfer controller according to claim 62, further comprising:

second means for creating or updating a routing cache storing routing-data for the mobile node upon receipt of a routing update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node.

64. The data transfer controller according to claim 62, further comprising:

second means for deleting a routing cache storing old routing information of the mobile node in a previous sub-network, upon receipt of a routing tear-down message which is transmitted from an upper-level data transfer controller and which includes a current address of the mobile node and an old physical network prefix which was set in the mobile node in the previous sub-network and which corresponds to the previous sub-network.

65. The data transfer controller according to claim 62, further comprising:

second means for receiving a pure-micro registration request message from the mobile node, the pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, an old address thereof in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network; and

third means for directly transferring the pure-micro registration request message to a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between a quasi-micro mobility network for performing prefix-based routing and a pure-micro mobility network for performing host-based routing for a packet addressed to the mobile node and also for performing the prefix-based routing.

66. The data transfer controller according to claim 62, further comprising:

second means for transferring a pure-micro registration acknowledgement message to the mobile node upon receipt of the pure-micro registration acknowledgement message which is created by the pure-micro gateway router and which includes a check result of a determination as to whether overlapped current addresses of the mobile node are registered.

67. The data transfer controller according to claim 62, further comprising:

second means for creating the router advertisement which serves as an information report of the router and which stores data of acceptable hold time ranges of a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache for routing; and

third means for transmitting the router advertisement to the mobile node.

68. The data transfer controller according to claim 62, further comprising:

second means for receiving a paging update message including a current address, a sequence number, and a paging update interval time of the mobile node in a current sub-network from the mobile node; and

third means for directly transferring the received paging update message to a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between a quasi-micro mobility network for performing prefix-based routing and a pure-micro mobility network for performing host-based routing for a packet addressed to the mobile node and also for performing the prefix-based routing.

69. The data transfer controller according to claim 62, further comprising:

second means for receiving a paging request message for an idle mobile node; and

third means for broadcasting the received paging request message to a downstream sub-network.

70. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

means for creating, updating, or confirming a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache, for routing to a mobile node upon receipt of a pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network.

71. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

a mapping cache associating an old address of a mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for transferring a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address of the mobile node in a previous sub-network, to the new address thereof in a current sub-network; and

means for overwriting a destination address in the data packet with the new address stored in the mapping cache when the destination address in the data packet is as same as the old address in the mapping cache, and for transferring the data packet.

72. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

a mapping cache associating an old address of a mobile node with a new address thereof and storing information for transferring a data packet, which was transmitted to the old address of the mobile node in a previous sub-network, to the new address thereof in a current sub-network; and

means for creating or updating the mapping cache upon receipt of a cache update message including a current address of the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network.

73. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

means for transmitting a routing tear-down message requesting deletion of a routing cache storing routing information of a mobile node in a previous sub-network to a next-hop router given in accordance with an old physical network prefix upon receipt of a routing update message including a current address of the mobile node, an old address thereof set in the previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network.

74. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

a paging cache which stores an address of a mobile node and which serves as a cache for storing an idle mobile node connected to the network; and

means for creating or updating the paging cache upon receipt of a paging update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node.

75. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, located at the boundary between a quasi-micro mobility network for performing prefix-based routing and a pure-micro mobility network for performing host-based routing for a packet addressed to a mobile node and also for performing the prefix-based routing, the data transfer controller comprising:

means for transmitting a cache update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network when the data transfer controller determines that the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another, each pure-micro mobility network having a different virtual network prefix, upon receipt of a pure-micro registration request message including the current address, the old address, and the old physical network prefix.

76. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

means for performing a duplication check for a current address of a mobile node, and for transmitting a pure-micro registration acknowledgement message including the check result to an access router to which the mobile node is connected.

77. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

means for setting lifetimes of a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache for routing, based on values created by a mobile node included in a paging update message, a routing update message, and a cache update message, respectively.

78. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

first means for receiving a paging update message including an address, a sequence number, and a paging update interval time of a mobile node; and

second means for creating a paging cache based on the paging update message when the paging cache for storing an idle mobile node connected to the network does not exist, for determining whether to update the created paging cache according to the sequence number when the paging cache has been created, and for updating the paging cache when the determination is affirmative.

79. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

first means for receiving a paging update message including a current address of a mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node; and

second means for deleting a routing cache when the routing cache for routing to an active mobile node exists as a cache for storing a route to an address corresponding to a value of a current address field of the mobile node in the received paging update message.

80. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

first means for receiving a data packet; and

second means for transferring the received data packet according to routing information on a destination address in the data packet when the routing information is included in a routing table or in a routing cache for routing to an active mobile node, and for broadcasting a page request message to a downstream sub-network when the routing information on the destination address is not included in the routing table nor in the routing cache but is stored in a paging cache for storing an idle mobile node.

81. A data transfer controller for controlling data transfer through a network, comprising:

first means for receiving a data packet; and

second means for checking if an old address of the mobile node having the same value as a destination address in the data packet exists in a mapping cache associating the old address with a new address thereof, when routing information on the destination address in the data packet is not included in a routing table or in a routing cache for routing to an active mobile node, nor in a paging cache for storing an idle mobile node, for rewriting a value of a destination address field in the data packet with another value of a new address field of the mobile node in the mapping cache, for transferring the data packet according to the overwritten destination address when the old address of the mobile node exists in a mapping cache, and for abandoning the data packet when the old address of the mobile node does not exist in a mapping cache.

82. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a physical network prefix associated with a corresponding sub-network in a domain having at least two sub-networks and a router advertisement which serves as an information report from an access router and which includes a virtual network prefix for a mobile node;

setting an address of the mobile node based on the virtual network prefix obtained from the received router advertisement and also based on an identifier of the communication terminal; and

creating a pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network, and transmitting the pure-micro registration request message to an access router of a current sub-network to which the mobile node is connected.

83. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system, the program comprising the steps of:

comparing a value of a virtual network prefix, as data constituting an address of a mobile node, included in a router advertisement received from a router to a value of the virtual network prefix included in an old address of the mobile node used in a previous sub-network or a value of a physical network prefix as data constituting an address associated with the previous sub-network when the mobile node moves from one sub-network to another; and

creating an address of the mobile node based on the virtual network prefix included in the received router advertisement only when the compared two prefixes are different from each other.

84. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system, the program comprising the steps of:

determining if a router advertisement received from an access router includes a value of a virtual network prefix as data constituting an address of a mobile node when the mobile node moves from one sub-network to another; and

creating an address of the mobile node based on a physical network prefix included in the received router advertisement when the router advertisement includes a value of a physical network prefix and does not include the value of the virtual network prefix.

85. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a message including a determination as to whether a current address of a mobile node is duplicated; and

creating a new interface ID again, and transmitting a pure-micro registration request message, as an address setting request message which sets the current address of the mobile node based on the new interface ID, to an access router when the determination is affirmative.

86. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving the router advertisement which serves as an information report of the router and which stores data of acceptable hold time ranges of a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache for routing to the mobile node; and

setting lifetimes of the respective caches based on the data of the acceptable hold time ranges of the respective caches in the received router advertisement, and storing the set lifetimes (i) in a routing update message, (ii) in the pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and (iii) in a paging update message including the current address, a sequence number, and a paging update interval time of the mobile node in a current sub-network corresponding to the routing cache, the mapping cache, and the paging cache, respectively.

87. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a paging request message for an idle mobile node; and

creating a routing update message including a current address of the mobile node, and for transmitting the routing update message to the access router of the sub-network when the received paging request message includes an address of the mobile node.

88. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system, the program comprising the step of:

creating a paging update message including an address, a sequence number, and a paging update interval time of the mobile node in a current sub-network, and transmitting the paging update message to the access router of the sub-network to which the mobile node is connected, during a transition period from a communication mode to a stand-by mode.

89. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller of a sub-network to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the step of:

creating a router advertisement, as an information report from an access router, to the mobile node which performs address-setting,

wherein the router stores a physical network prefix associated with the sub-network and a virtual network prefix for the mobile node as a network prefix which is different from the physical network prefix, and transmitting the created a router advertisement to the mobile node.

90. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

creating or updating a routing cache as a cache associating an address corresponding to the mobile node for host-routing to the mobile node with an address of a next-hop router upon receipt of a routing update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node; and

deleting a routing cache storing old routing information of the mobile node in a previous sub-network upon receipt of a routing tear-down message which include a current address of the mobile node and which is transmitted from an upper-level data transfer controller, and an old physical network prefix which is set in the mobile node in the previous sub-network and which corresponds to the previous sub-network.

91. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a pure-micro registration request message from the mobile node, the pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, an old address thereof in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network;

transferring the pure-micro registration request message to a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between a quasi-micro mobility network for performing prefix-based routing and a pure-micro mobility network for performing host-based routing for a packet addressed to the mobile node and also for performing the prefix-based routing;

receiving a pure-micro registration acknowledgement message which is created by the pure-micro gateway router and which includes a check result of a determination as to whether a current address of the mobile node is registered in the pure-micro mobility network or not; and

transmitting the pure-micro registration acknowledgement message to the mobile node.

92. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

creating a router advertisement which serves as an information report from an access router and which stores data of acceptable hold time ranges of a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache for routing; and

transmitting the router advertisement to the mobile node.

93. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a paging update message including a current address, a sequence number, and a paging update interval time of the mobile node in a current sub-network from the mobile node; and

directly transferring the received paging update message to a pure-micro gateway router located at the boundary between a quasi-micro mobility network for performing prefix-based routing and a pure-micro mobility network for performing host-based routing for a packet addressed to the mobile node and also for performing the prefix-based routing.

94. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a paging request message for an idle mobile node; and

broadcasting the received paging request message to a downstream sub-network.

95. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the step of:

creating, updating, or confirming a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache, for routing to the mobile node upon receipt of a pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network.

96. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

comparing a destination address in a data packet to be transferred to an old address of the mobile node included in a mapping cache associating the old address with a new address thereof; and

overwriting the destination address in the data packet with the new address stored in the mapping cache when the destination address in the data packet is as same as the old address in the mapping cache, and transferring the data packet.

97. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a cache update message including a current address of the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network; and

creating or updating a mapping cache associating the old address with the current address of the mobile node based on the cache update message.

98. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a routing update message including a current address of the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network; and

transmitting a routing tear-down message requesting deletion of a routing cache storing routing information of the mobile node in the previous sub-network to a next-hop router given in accordance with the old physical network prefix.

99. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a paging update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node; and

creating or updating a paging cache which stores an address corresponding to the mobile node and which serves as a cache for storing an idle mobile node connected to a network upon receipt of the paging update message.

100. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a pure-micro registration request message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, an old address thereof set in a previous sub-network, and an old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network; and

transmitting a cache update message including the current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node, the old address thereof set in the previous sub-network, and the old physical network prefix corresponding to the previous sub-network to the data transfer controller, when the program determines that the mobile node moves from one pure-micro mobility network to another, each pure-micro mobility network having a different virtual network prefix upon receipt of the pure-micro registration request message.

101. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the step of:

performing a duplication check for a current address of the mobile node, and transmitting a pure-micro registration acknowledgement message including the check result to an access router to which the mobile node is connected.

102. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the step of:

setting lifetimes of a paging cache, a routing cache, and a mapping cache for routing, based on values created by the mobile node included in a paging update message, a routing update message, and a cache update message, respectively.

103. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a paging update message including an address, a sequence number, and a paging update interval time of the mobile node; and

creating a paging cache based on the paging update message when the paging cache for storing an idle mobile node connected to a network does not exist, determining whether to update the created paging cache according to the sequence number when the paging cache has been created, and updating the paging cache when the determination is affirmative.

104. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a paging update message including a current address of the mobile node, the current address being created by the mobile node; and

deleting a routing cache when the routing cache for routing to an active mobile node exists as a cache for storing a route to an address corresponding to a value of a current address field of the mobile node in the received paging update message.

105. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a data packet; and

transferring the received data packet according to routing information on a destination address in the data packet when the routing information is included in a routing table or in a routing cache for routing to an active mobile node, and broadcasting a page request message to a downstream sub-network when the routing information on the destination address is not included in the routing table nor in the routing cache but is stored in a paging cache for storing an idle mobile node.

106. A program for executing communication processing through a network on a computer system in a data transfer controller in a domain including at least two sub-networks to which a mobile node is connectable, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a data packet; and

checking if an old address of the mobile node having the same value as a destination address in the data packet exists in a mapping cache associating the old address with a new address thereof, when routing information on the destination address in the data packet is not included in a routing table or in a routing cache for routing to an active mobile node, nor in a paging cache for storing an idle mobile node, rewriting a value of a destination address field in the data packet with another value of a new address field of the mobile node in the mapping cache, transferring the data packet according to the overwritten destination address when the old address of the mobile node exists in a mapping cache, and abandoning the data packet when the old address of the mobile node does not exist in a mapping cache.