Communications system managing server, routing server, mobile unit managing server, and area managing server

• US 20020199015A1
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Inventors: Unoki, Hiroyuki, Tari, Kazuyoshi, Chiba, Toshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/156,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20020199015A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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

The present invention provides a communications system that includes a plurality of networks connected to a global network and having as essential components, for each network, at least one routing server and a radio base station connected to the one routing server to communicate using radio signals with one mobile radio unit connected to a terminal or a host, and, when one mobile radio unit or a host connected to one network is transmitting data to another mobile radio unit connected to another network, and if a destination address resolution is required, a communications system managing server responds to a destination address resolution request transmitted from the one mobile radio unit or the host, and transmits an IP address allocated to the other mobile radio unit by the currently connected routing server to the one mobile radio unit or the host.

Claims

1. A radio communications system for a plurality of networks connected to a global network comprised of essential components, for each network, including at least one routing server and a radio base station connected to the routing server to communicate using radio signals with a mobile radio unit connected to a terminal, wherein

a communications system managing server is provided for managing addresses of the mobile radio unit traveling between the networks.

2. A radio communications system according to claim 1, wherein the communications system managing server further performs a security managing operation to determine whether or not to permit communication of the mobile radio unit traveling between the networks with other communications devices.

3. A radio communications system according to claim 1, wherein when one mobile radio unit or a host connected to one of the networks attempts to communicate with another mobile radio unit connected to another network, in response to a destination address resolution request transmitted from the one mobile radio unit or the host, an Internet Protocol address allocated to the other mobile radio unit by a routing server currently connected to the other mobile radio unit is notified to the one mobile radio unit or the host.

4. A communications system managing server which is provided in a radio communications system for a plurality of networks connected to a global network comprised of essential components, for each network, including at least one routing server and a radio base station connected to the routing server to communicate using radio signals with a mobile radio unit connected to a terminal, and is so connected to the global network wherein

when one mobile radio unit or a host connected to one of the networks attempts to communicate with another mobile radio unit connected to another network, and if a destination address resolution is required, in response to a destination address resolution request transmitted from the one mobile radio unit or the host, an Internet Protocol address allocated to the other mobile radio unit by a routing server currently connected to the other mobile radio unit is notified to the one mobile radio unit or the host by the communications system managing server.

5. A communications system managing server which is provided in a radio communications system for a plurality of networks connected to a global network comprised of essential components, for each network, including at least one routing server and a radio base station connected to the routing server to communicate using radio signals with a mobile radio unit connected to a terminal, and is so connected to the global network wherein

when one mobile radio unit or a host connected to one of the networks attempts to communicate with another mobile radio unit connected to another network and is controlled by a routing server that is not controlled by a home mobile unit managing server, and if a destination address resolution is required, an Internet Protocol address allocated to the other mobile radio unit by the routing server that is not controlled by the home mobile unit managing server is notified to the one mobile radio unit or the host by the communications system managing server.

6. A method for managing a mobile radio unit traveling between networks in a radio communications system for a plurality of networks connected to a global network comprised of essential components, for each network, including at least one routing server and a radio base station connected to the routing server to communicate using radio signals with a mobile radio unit connected to the terminal wherein

when one mobile radio unit or a host connected to one of the networks attempts to communicate with another mobile radio unit connected to another network and is controlled by a routing server that is not controlled by a home mobile unit managing server, and if a destination address resolution is required, an Internet Protocol address allocated to the other mobile radio unit by the routing server that is not controlled by the home mobile unit managing server is notified to the one mobile radio unit or the host.

7. A method for managing a mobile radio unit according to claim 6, wherein the communications system managing server further performs a security managing operation to determine whether or not to permit communication of the mobile radio unit traveling between the networks with other communications devices.

8. A recording medium having a computer-readable program for managing a mobile radio unit traveling between networks in a radio communications system for a plurality of networks connected to a global network comprised of essential components, for each network, including at least one routing server and a radio base station connected to the routing server to communicate using radio signals with the mobile radio unit connected to a terminal, wherein the computer-readable program executes a process in such a way that,

when one mobile radio unit or a host connected to one of the networks attempts to communicate with another mobile radio unit connected to another network and is controlled by a routing server that is not controlled by a home mobile unit managing server, and if a destination address resolution is required, an Internet Protocol address allocated to the other mobile radio unit by the routing server that is not controlled by the home mobile unit managing server is notified to the one mobile radio unit or the host.

9. A recording medium according to claim 8, wherein the computer-readable program further comprises a process for performing a security managing operation to determine whether or not to permit the mobile radio unit traveling between networks to communicate with another communications device.

10. A mobile radio unit managing program for managing a mobile radio unit traveling between networks in a radio communications system for a plurality of networks connected to a global network comprised of essential components, for each network, including at least one routing server and a radio base station connected to the routing server to communicate using radio signals with a mobile radio unit connected to a terminal, wherein the mobile radio unit managing program executes a process in such a way that,

when one mobile radio unit or a host connected to one of the networks attempts to communicate with another mobile radio unit connected to another network and is controlled by a routing server that is not controlled by a home mobile unit managing server, and if a destination address resolution is required, an Internet Protocol address allocated to the other mobile radio unit by the routing server that is not controlled by the home mobile unit managing server is notified to the one mobile radio unit or the host.

11. A mobile terminal managing program according to claim 10, wherein the mobile terminal managing program includes a process for managing security operation to determine whether or not to permit the mobile radio unit traveling between the networks to communicate with another communications device.

15. An area managing server according to claim 14, wherein, when the mobile radio unit travels to a communications area controlled by another routing server not controlled by the home mobile unit managing server, prior to the information managing device transmitting the security information, an authentication process of the mobile radio unit is completed between the other routing server not controlled by the home mobile unit managing server and the home mobile unit managing server.

12. A routing server in a communications system having at least one routing server connected to a network for connecting to a radio base station to communicate using radio signals with a mobile radio unit connected to an information terminal, comprising:

a first security information storage device for storing the security information to instruct whether or not to permit communication between the mobile radio unit and an information communications device connected to the network; and

a communication control device to control, when it is necessary to establish communication between the mobile radio unit and the information communications device, whether or not to establish communication between the mobile radio unit and the information communications device, based on the security information stored in the first security information storage device.

13. A mobile unit managing server which is provided in a communications system having at least one routing server connected to a network for connecting to a radio base station to communicate using radio signals with a mobile radio unit connected to an information terminal, and is connected to the routing server, comprising:

a second security information storage device for storing the security information to instruct whether or not to permit each mobile radio unit affiliated with the mobile unit managing server as its home mobile unit managing server to communicate with an information communications device connected to the network; and

a security information transmitting control device to control transmitting of the security information in such a way that when the mobile radio unit travels and a connecting routing server is changed, in response to a security information transmission request from the connecting routing server, reads out the security information stored in the second security information storage device and transmits the readout security information to the connecting routing server.

14. An area managing server for serving in a network of a radio communications system that includes a plurality of networks connected to a global network and having at least one routing server connected to the network;

a radio base station connected to the routing server and communicating using radio signals with a mobile radio unit connected to a terminal; and

a mobile unit managing server for managing the security information for determining whether or not to permit the mobile radio unit and a communications device connected to the network to communicate with each other;

wherein the area managing server obtains the security information from a home mobile unit managing server of the mobile radio unit, and transmits the obtained security information to a routing server at the travel destination, which is controlled by the area managing server and which is located outside of a home network of the mobile radio unit, comprising;

a memory device for storing the security information;

an information managing device for managing the security information in such a way that the security information transmitted from the home mobile unit managing server to a routing server at the travel destination is received and stored in the memory device, and, when the mobile radio unit travels further from a communications area of the routing server at the travel destination to a communications area of another routing server controlled by the area managing sever, the area managing server responds to a security information transmission request transmitted from the other routing server, and reads out the security information of the mobile radio unit stored in the memory device and transmits readout the security information to the other routing server.

16. A method of operating a radio communications system that includes a plurality of networks connected to a global network and having at least one routing server connected to a network;

a radio base station connected to the routing server and communicating using radio signals with a mobile radio unit connected to a terminal;

a mobile unit managing server for managing the security information for determining whether or not to permit the mobile radio unit and a communications device connected to the network to communicate with each other; and

an area managing server for obtaining the security information from a home mobile unit managing server of the mobile radio unit, and transmitting the obtained security information to a routing server at the travel destination, which is controlled by the area managing server and which is located outside of a home network of the mobile radio unit;

wherein

the security information transmitted from the home mobile unit managing server to a routing server at the travel destination is received and stored, and, when the mobile radio unit travels further from a communications area of the routing server at the travel destination to a communications area of another routing server controlled by the area managing sever, the area managing server responds to a security information transmission request transmitted from the other routing server, and reads out the security information of the mobile radio unit stored in the memory device, and transmits the readout security information to the other routing server.

17. A communication program for execution by a computer to operate a radio communications system that includes a plurality of networks connected to a global network and having at least one routing server connected to a network;

a radio base station connected to the one routing server and communicating using radio signals with a mobile radio unit connected to a terminal;

a mobile unit managing server for managing the security information for determining whether or not to permit the mobile radio unit and a communications device connected to the network to communicate with each other; and

an area managing server for obtaining the security information from a home mobile unit managing server of the mobile radio unit, and transmitting the obtained security information to a routing server at the travel destination, which is controlled by the area managing server and which is located outside of a home network of the mobile radio unit;

the program including;

a step of receiving the security information transmitted from the home mobile unit managing server to the routing server at the travel destination; and

a step of transmitting the security information, when the mobile radio unit travels further from a communications area of the routing server at the travel destination to a communications area of another routing server at the travel destination controlled by the area managing sever, by reading out and transmitting the security information of the traveling mobile radio unit stored in the memory device to the other routing server at the travel destination, in response to a security information transmission request transmitted from the other routing server at the travel destination.

18. A computer-readable recording medium having a communication program for execution by a computer to operate a radio communications system that includes a plurality of networks connected to a global network and having at least one routing server connected to a network;

a radio base station connected to the one routing server and communicating using radio signals with a mobile radio unit connected to a terminal;

a mobile unit managing server for managing the security information for determining whether or not to permit the mobile radio unit and a communications device connected to the network to communicate with each other; and

an area managing server for obtaining the security information from a home mobile unit managing server of the mobile radio unit, and transmitting the obtained the security information to a routing server at the travel destination, which is controlled by the area managing server and which is located outside of a home network of the mobile radio unit;

the program including;

a step of receiving the security information transmitted from the home mobile unit managing server to the routing server at the travel destination; and

a step of transmitting the security information, when the mobile radio unit travels further from a communications area of the routing server at the travel destination to a communications area of another routing server at the travel destination controlled by the area managing sever, by reading out and transmitting the security information of the traveling mobile radio unit stored in the memory device to the other routing server at the travel destination, in response to a security information transmission request transmitted from the other routing server at the travel destination.