Mobile terminal using priority processing for packets that require urgency in communications

• US 20030007475A1
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Atsushi, Tsuda, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,319,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2466 using signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets is provided with a TCP/IP driver configured to carry out processing of communication packets; and a control related driver configured to carry out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications, at higher priority than the communication packets, without using the TCP/IP driver. The control related packets may include Mobile IP packets and DHCP packets.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets, mobile terminal comprising:

a TCP/IP driver configured to carry out processing of communication packets; and

a control related driver configured to carry out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications, at higher priority than the communication packets, without using the TCP/IP driver.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control related driver is configured to judge whether a received packet is a communication packet or a control related packet, and transfers the received packet to the TCP/IP driver when the received packet is the communication packet.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control related driver carries out the processing of the control related packets for changing a state, acquiring an address, or updating a current location information in accordance with a change of a location of the mobile terminal.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control related driver carries out the processing of the control related packets that include Mobile IP packets and DHCP packets.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control related driver carries out the processing of the control related packets that include neighbor advertisement packets and neighbor solicitation packets of IPv6, or binding update message packets of Mobile IPv6.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control related driver is configured to generate the control related packet when the mobile terminal transmits the control related packet.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the control related driver is configured to interpret the control related packet without using the TCP/IP driver, and directly transfer the control related packet to a Mobile IP management program when the control related packet is received.

8. A communication method of a mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets, the communication method comprising:

carrying out processing of communication packets by a TCP/IP driver; and

carrying out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications, by a control related driver at higher priority than the communication packets, without using the TCP/IP driver.

9. A control related driver for a mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets, the control related driver comprising:

a packet judgement unit configured to judge whether a received packet is a communication packet or a control related packet that requires urgency in communications; and

a control related packet processing unit configured to carry out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications, at higher priority than communication packets to be processed by a TCP/IP driver of the mobile terminal.

10. A processing method of a control related driver for a mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets, the processing method comprising:

judging whether a received packet is a communication packet or a control related packet that requires urgency in communications; and

carrying out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications, at higher priority than communication packets to be processed by a TCP/IP driver of the mobile terminal.

11. A computer program product for causing a computer to function as a control related driver for a mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets, the computer program product comprising:

a first computer program code for causing the computer to judge whether a received packet is a communication packet or a control related packet that requires urgency in communications; and

a second computer program code for causing the computer to carry out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications, at higher priority than communication packets to be processed by a TCP/IP driver of the mobile terminal.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the control related driver means judges whether a received packet is a communication packet or a control related packet, and transfers the received packet to the TCP/IP driver means when the received packet is the communication packet.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the control related driver means carries out the processing of the control related packets for changing a state, acquiring an address, or updating a current location information in accordance with a change of a location of the mobile terminal.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the control related driver means carries out the processing of the control related packets that include Mobile IP packets and DHCP packets.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the control related driver means carries out the processing of the control related packets that include neighbor advertisement packets and neighbor solicitation packets of IPv6, or binding update message packets of Mobile IPv6.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the control related driver means generates the control related packet when the mobile terminal transmits the control related packet.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the control related driver means interprets the control related packet without using the TCP/IP driver means, and directly transfers the control related packet to a Mobile IP management program when the control related packet is received.

12. A mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets, mobile terminal comprising:

TCP/IP driver means for carrying out processing of communication packets; and

control related driver means for carrying out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications, at higher priority than the communication packets, without using the TCP/IP driver means.

19. A control related driver for a mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets, the control related driver comprising:

packet judgement means for judging whether a received packet is a communication packet or a control related packet that requires urgency in communications; and

control related packet processing means for carrying out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications, at higher priority than communication packets to be processed by a TCP/IP driver of the mobile terminal.