Method and apparatus for alerting mobile nodes of desirable access characteristics

• US 20030174667A1
• Filed: 11/15/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Trossen, Dirk, Chaskar, Hemant, Krishnamurthi, Govind
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 with transfer of context information

Abstract

This invention provides a messaging interface between a Mobile Node (MN) and an Access Router (AR) that enables the registration of MN preferences with a current AR (AR_current) and, when appropriate, the notification of the MN of the discovery of an AR in the proximity of AR_current that matches MN-specified preference criteria. The notifying AR_current may be the one that the MN originally registered its preferences with, or it could be another AR that, due to movement by the MN, has assumed the role of AR_current. In this case the MN preference data set to be transferred from one AR to another in response to the movement of the MN. The presently preferred messaging interface has two main modes of operation. In a first mode of operation, a “Query” mode, the MN explicitly queries AR_current for information descriptive of the capabilities of nearby ARs. AR_current responds to the MN query after examining the information stored in its PNL. In a second mode of operation, an “Event Notification” mode, the MN registers a request with AR_current that AR_current notify the MN whenever an AR satisfying certain criteria is available in the proximity of AR_current. The request registered by the MN may be transferred from one AR to another during handoff of the MN.

Claims

1. A method of operating a data communications network comprising a plurality of Access Routers (ARs) and at least one Mobile Node (MN), comprising:

sending a message to a current AR (AR_current) of the MN, the message comprising information descriptive of at least one service or network access-related preference of the MN;

in response to receiving the message at AR_current, determining if there is another AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the network-related preferences; and

if it is determined that there is another AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the MN preferences, informing the MN of the existence of the AR.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

during a handoff procedure for handing off the MN to a second AR, transferring the MN preferences to the second AR.

3. A method as in claim 2, further comprising:

in response to receiving the transferred MN preferences at the second AR, determining if there is another AR in the vicinity of the second AR that satisfies the MN preferences;

if it is determined that there is another AR in the vicinity of the second AR that satisfies the MN preferences, informing the MN of the existence of the AR; and

during a handoff procedure for handing off the MN to a third AR, transferring the MN preferences from the second AR to the third AR.

4. A method as in claim 1, where determining if there is another AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the MN preferences comprises examining a Physical Neighborhood List (PNL) of AR_current.

5. A method as in claim 4, where the PNL contains information descriptive of a capability set of other ARs determined by a Candidate Access Router (CAR) discovery procedure.

6. A method as in claim 1, where the message is an Event Notification Request message.

7. A method as in claim 1, where the message is received from the MN.

8. A method as in claim 7, where the MN preferences are specified by a user with a user interface of the MN.

9. A method as in claim 1, where the message is received from an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server.

10. A method as in claim 1, where the AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the MN preferences is one that provides an access point to the same network to which AR_current is connected.

11. A method as in claim 1, where the AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the MN preferences is one that provides an access point to a different network than the network to which AR_current is connected.

12. A method as in claim 1, where AR_current provides an access point to a cellular network, and where the AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the MN preferences provides an access point to a wireless local area network (WLAN).

13. A data communications system, comprising:

at least one Mobile Node (MN); and

a plurality of Access Routers (ARs) coupled to a network and connectable to said MN through a wireless interface, where a current AR (AR_current) of the MN comprises an interface for receiving a message comprising information descriptive of at least one service or network-related preference of the MN and, in response to receiving the message, determines if there is another AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the MN preferences, and if it is determined that there is another AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the MN preferences, informs the MN through said wireless interface of the existence of the AR.

14. A data communications system as in claim 13, where AR_current, during a handoff procedure for handing off the MN to a second AR, transfers the MN preferences to the second AR.

15. A data communications system as in claim 14, where the second AR, in response to receiving the transferred MN preferences, determines if there is another AR in the vicinity of the second AR that satisfies the MN preferences;

and

if it is determined that there is another AR in the vicinity of the second AR that satisfies the MN preferences, informs the MN of the existence of the AR; and

during a handoff procedure for handing off the MN to a third AR, transfers the MN preferences to the third AR.

16. A data communications system as in claim 13, where AR_current comprises a Physical Neighborhood List (PNL) and, when determining if there is another AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the MN preferences, examines the PNL.

17. A data communications system as in claim 16, where the PNL contains information descriptive of a capability set of other ARs determined by a Candidate Access Router (CAR) discovery procedure.

18. A data communications system as in claim 13, where the message is an Event Notification Request message.

19. A data communications system as in claim 13, where the message is received from the MN.

20. A data communications system in claim 19, where the MN comprises a user interface whereby a user specifies the preferences.

21. A data communications system as in claim 13, where the message is received from an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server.

22. A data communications system as in claim 13, where the AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the MN preferences is one that provides an access point to the same network to which AR_current is connected.

23. A data communications system as in claim 13, where the AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the MN preferences is one that provides an access point to a different network than the network to which AR_current is connected.

24. A data communications system as in claim 13, where AR_current provides an access point to a cellular network, and where the AR in the vicinity of AR_current that satisfies the MN preferences provides an access point to a wireless local area network (WLAN).

25. A method of operating a data communications network comprising a plurality of Access Routers (ARs) and at least one Mobile Node (MN), comprising:

sending a message from the MN to a current AR (AR_current) of the MN, the message requesting information regarding capabilities of other ARs in the vicinity of AR_current; and

sending the information from AR_current to the MN.

26. A method as in claim 25, where before sending the information AR_current examines a Physical Neighborhood List (PNL) of AR_current.

27. A method as in claim 26, where the PNL contains information descriptive of a capability set of other ARs determined by a Candidate Access Router (CAR) discovery procedure.

28. A method as in claim 25, where the message is a Query message.

29. A data communications system, comprising:

at least one Mobile Node (MN); and

a plurality of Access Routers (ARs) coupled to a network and connectable to said MN through a wireless interface, where a current AR (AR_current) of the MN comprises an interface for receiving a message from the MN, the message requesting information regarding capabilities of other ARs in the vicinity of AR_current, said AR_current sending the information from AR_current to the MN using the wireless interface.

30. A data communications system as in claim 29, where before sending the information AR_current examines a Physical Neighborhood List (PNL) of AR_current.

31. A data communications system as in claim 30, where the PNL contains information descriptive of a capability set of other ARs determined by a Candidate Access Router (CAR) discovery procedure.

32. A data communications system as in claim 29, where the message is a Query message.