Packet transfer method for hierarchical packet network, hierarchical packet communication system, and gate node, edge node and mobile terminal for use with hierarchical packet communication system, as well as handover method and routing node for packet network
First Claim
1. A packet transfer method for a hierarchical packet network which includes a plurality of edge nodes capable of communicating with a mobile terminal to transmit or receive a packet to or from said mobile terminal and a gate node capable of managing current position information of said mobile terminal and routing a packet destined for said mobile terminal based on the current position information to a resident edge node from among said edge nodes with which said mobile terminal can communicate from a current position thereof, wherein said gate node reports the current position information of said mobile terminal managed by said gate node as cache information to a communicating edge node from among said edge nodes which routes a packet destined for said mobile terminal to said gate node, and the communicating edge node performs routing of a packet destined for said mobile terminal to the resident edge node based on the cache information in place of said gate node.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gate node reports current position information of a mobile terminal managed by the gate node itself to a communicating edge node which routes a packet destined for the mobile terminal to the gate node. The communicating edge node carries out routing of the packet destined for the mobile terminal to a resident edge node based on the reported cache information in place of the gate node. This achieves high-speed handover and route optimization free from a limitation to a packet transfer route in a packet communication system.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. A packet transfer method for a hierarchical packet network which includes a plurality of edge nodes capable of communicating with a mobile terminal to transmit or receive a packet to or from said mobile terminal and a gate node capable of managing current position information of said mobile terminal and routing a packet destined for said mobile terminal based on the current position information to a resident edge node from among said edge nodes with which said mobile terminal can communicate from a current position thereof, wherein
said gate node reports the current position information of said mobile terminal managed by said gate node as cache information to a communicating edge node from among said edge nodes which routes a packet destined for said mobile terminal to said gate node, and the communicating edge node performs routing of a packet destined for said mobile terminal to the resident edge node based on the cache information in place of said gate node.
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21. A hierarchical packet communication system, comprising:
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a plurality of edge nodes capable of communicating with a mobile terminal to transmit or receive a packet to or from said mobile terminal; and
a gate node of managing current position information of said mobile terminal and routing, based on the current position information, a packet destined for said mobile terminal to a resident edge node from among said edge nodes with which said mobile terminal can communicate from a current position thereof;
said mobile terminal including current position registration means for reporting position information based on identification information of the resident edge node as the current position information of said mobile terminal to said gate node to register the position information into the gate node;
said gate node including terminal position management means for managing the current position information reported by said current position registration means of said mobile terminal, and cache information reporting means for reporting the current position information managed by said terminal position management means as cache information to a communicating edge node from among said edge nodes which routes a packet destined for said mobile terminal to the gate node;
each of said edge nodes including cache means for holding the cache information reported by said cache information reporting means of said gate node, and routing means for carrying out routing of a packet destined for said mobile terminal to the resident edge node based on the cache information held in said cache means in place of said gate node. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A gate node which cooperates with a plurality of edge nodes capable of communicating with a mobile terminal to transmit or receive a packet to or from said mobile terminal to form a hierarchical packet communication system and is capable of managing current position information of said mobile terminal and routing, based on the current position information, a packet destined for said mobile terminal to a resident edge node from among said edge nodes with which said mobile terminal can communicate from a current position thereof, comprising:
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terminal position management means for managing position information reported as the current position information of said mobile terminal from said mobile terminal and based on identification information of the resident edge node; and
cache information reporting means for reporting the current position information managed by said terminal position management means as cache information to that one of said edge nodes which routes a packet destined for said mobile terminal to said gate node.
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39. An edge node which cooperates with another edge node or nodes and a gate node to form a hierarchical packet communication system, each of said edge nodes being capable of communicating with a mobile terminal to transmit or receive a packet to or from said mobile terminal, said gate node being capable of managing current position information of said mobile terminal and routing, based on the current position information, a packet destined for said mobile terminal to a resident edge node from among said edge nodes with which said mobile terminal can communicate from a current position thereof, comprising:
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cache means for receiving and holding the position information managed by said gate node and based on identification of the resident edge node as cache information; and
routing means for carrying out routing of a packet destined for said mobile terminal to the resident edge node based on the cache information held in said cache means in place of said gate node.
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40. A mobile terminal for use with a hierarchical packet communication system which includes a plurality of edge nodes capable of communicating with said mobile terminal to transmit or receive a packet to or from said mobile terminal and a gate node capable of managing current position information of said mobile terminal and routing, based on the current position information, a packet destined for said mobile terminal to a resident edge node from among said edge nodes with which said mobile terminal can communicate from a current position thereof, comprising:
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report information reception means for receiving report information at least including gate node identification information of said gate node in which the resident edge node is accommodated and network identification information of said hierarchical packet network from the resident edge node; and
current position registration means for maintaining, even if the gate node identification information included in the report information received by said report information reception means exhibits a change upon movement of said mobile terminal, a registration destination of the current position information of said mobile terminal at said gate node if the network identification information does not exhibit a change upon the movement of said mobile terminal.
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41. A handover method for a packet network, which includes a mobile terminal and a plurality of routing nodes, for changing a packet transfer route to said mobile terminal upon movement of said mobile terminal, wherein
a particular node from among said routing nodes manages a plurality of kinds of terminal position information involved in the movement of said mobile terminal, and the particular node identifies a packet type of a received packet destined for said mobile terminal, selects one of the plurality of kinds of terminal position information in response to the identified packet type, and routes the received packet based on the selected terminal position information.
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52. A handover method for a hierarchical packet network which includes a plurality of routing nodes capable of communicating with a mobile terminal to transmit or receive a packet to or from said mobile terminal and a gate node capable of managing current position information of said mobile terminal and routing, based on the current position information, a packet destined for said mobile terminal to a resident node from among said routing nodes with which said mobile terminal can communicate from a current position thereof, wherein
said gate node reports the current position information of said mobile terminal managed by said gate node as cache information to a communicating node from among said routing nodes which routes a packet destined for said mobile terminal to said gate node, and the communicating node identifies a packet type of a received packet destined for said mobile terminal, and if a result of the identification reveals that the received packet is of a packet type which has a characteristic that packet loss is permitted, then the communicating node routes the received packet to the resident node based on the cache information reported from said gate node in place of said gate node.
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54. A routing node which cooperates with a mobile terminal and another routing node or nodes to form a packet network and is capable of changing a packet transfer route to said mobile terminal upon movement of said mobile terminal, comprising:
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terminal position management means for managing a plurality of kinds of terminal position information involved in the movement of said mobile terminal;
packet type identification means for identifying a packet type of a received packet destined for said mobile terminal;
selection means for selecting one of the plurality of kinds of terminal position information managed by said terminal position management means in accordance with the packet type identified by said packet type identification means; and
routing means for routing the received packet based on the terminal position information selected by said selection means. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A routing node which cooperates with another routing node or nodes and a gate node to form a hierarchical packet network, each of said routing nodes being capable of communicating with a mobile terminal to transmit or receive a packet to or from said mobile terminal, said gate node being capable of managing current position information of said mobile terminal and routing, based on the current position information, a packet destined for said mobile terminal to a resident node from among said routing nodes with which said mobile terminal can communicate from a current position thereof, comprising:
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cache means for receiving the current position information of said mobile terminal managed by said gate node as cache information from said gate node and holding the cache information;
packet type identification means for identifying a packet type of a received packet destined for said mobile terminal; and
routing means for routing, if a result of the identification by said packet type identification means reveals that the packet type is a packet type which has a characteristic that packet loss is permitted, the received packet to the resident node based on the cache information of said cache means in place of said gate node. - View Dependent Claims (60)
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Specification