Optimized information transfer associated with relocation of an IP session in a mobile communications system

• US 20040005894A1
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Krishnamurthi, Govindarajan, Trossen, Dirk, Pavel, Dana, Narayanan, Ram Gopal Lakshmi, Chaskar, Hermant M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/26 by agreed or negotiated communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A solution for supporting relocation of an IP session of a mobile node during a network layer handover in a mobile communication system. In the method, from the application context information on the mobile node is detected a first set of capabilities of a network node that that facilitate maintaining the IP session. This first set of capabilities is queried from one or more potential next network node. Applicability of the potential next network node to the relocation of the IP session is determined by the capability information on the first set of capabilities.

Claims

1. A method for supporting relocation of an Internet Protocol (IP) session of a mobile node during a network layer handover in a mobile communication system, the method comprising:

detecting, from application context information on the mobile node, a first set of capabilities of a network node that facilitate maintaining the IP session;

querying from a potential next network node capability information on the first set of capabilities; and

determining applicability of the potential next network node to relocation of the IP session by the capability information on the first set of capabilities.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

defining conditions for the first set of capabilities;

determining the applicability of the potential next network node to the relocation of the IP session according to an ability of the potential next network node to meet the defined conditions.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

responding to the query with a list of values of the potential next network node for the queried capabilities.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

indicating, in a query on a condition, that a queried capability is requested to meet;

responding to the query by indicating whether one or more of the conditions are met by the potential next network node.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

indicating, in a query on a condition, that a queried capability is requested to meet;

responding to the query by indicating whether all the conditions are met by the potential next network node.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

registering the first set of capabilities in a first network node;

querying information on the first set of capabilities from a potential next network node by said first network node.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

storing, in the first network node, information received from a potential next network node in a response to the query;

utilizing the stored information as capability information on the potential next network node.

8. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

identifying part of the capabilities in the first set of capabilities as mandatory capabilities.

9. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

excluding information on capabilities that vary for each separate IP session from storing in the first network node.

10. A mobile communication system comprising a mobile node and one or more network nodes, wherein the mobile node is configured to:

detect, from application context information on the mobile node, a first set of capabilities of a network node that facilitate maintaining an Internet Protocol (IP) session;

query, from a potential next network node, capability information on the first set of capabilities; and

determine applicability of the potential next network node to relocation of the IP session by the capability information on the first set of capabilities.

11. A mobile communication system according to claim 10, wherein the mobile node is configured to:

define conditions for the first set of capabilities;

determine applicability of the potential next network node to the relocation of the IP session according to the ability of the potential next network node to meet the defined conditions.

12. A mobile communication system according to claim 10, wherein

the mobile node is configured to indicate in querying a condition that a queried capability is requested to meet;

the potential next network node is configured respond to the query by indicating whether one or more of the conditions are met by the potential next network node.

13. A mobile communication system comprising a mobile node and one or more network nodes, wherein

the mobile node is configured to register a first set of capabilities in a first network node;

wherein the first network node is configured to;

query, from a potential next network node, capability information on the first set of capabilities; and

determine applicability of the potential next network node to the relocation of an Internet Protocol (IP) session by the capability information on the first set of capabilities.

14. A mobile communication system according to claim 13, wherein the first network node is configured to

store the information received from a potential next network node in response to the query;

utilize the stored information as capability information on the potential next network node.

15. A mobile node in a mobile communication system, configured to:

generate application context information based on at least one ongoing Internet Protocol (IP) session in the mobile communication system;

detect from the application context information a first set of capabilities that facilitate maintaining the IP session;

query, from a potential next network node, capability information on the first set of capabilities; and

determine applicability of the potential next network node to relocation of the IP session by the capability information on the first set of capabilities.

16. A mobile node according to claim 15, configured to:

define conditions for the first set of capabilities;

determine applicability of the potential next network node to the relocation of the IP session according an ability of the potential next network node to meet the defined conditions.

17. A mobile node according to claim 15, configured to register the first set of capabilities in a first network node.

18. A mobile node according to claim 15, configured to identify part of the conditions for the first set of capabilities as mandatory conditions.

19. A network node in a mobile communication system, configured to

receive a first set of capabilities from a mobile node of the mobile communication system;

query, from a potential next network node, capability information on the first set of capabilities.

20. A network node according to claim 19, further configured to:

determine applicability of the potential next network node to relocation of the IP session by the capability information on the first set of capabilities.

21. A network node according to claim 19, further configured to:

receive a set of conditions for the first set of capabilities;

determine applicability of the potential next network node to the relocation of the IP session according to the ability of the potential next network node to meet the defined conditions.

22. A network node according to claim 19, further configured to:

store the information received from a potential next network node in response to the query;

utilize the stored information as capability information on the potential next network node.

23. A network node according to claim 19, further configured to:

exclude information on capabilities that vary for each separate IP session from storing in the first network node.

24. A network node according to claim 19, wherein the network node is a current access router of the mobile node.

25. A network node according to claim 19, wherein the network node is a mobile proxy server in the mobile communications system.

26. A network node for relocating an Internet Protocol (IP) session of a mobile node during a network layer handover in a mobile communication system, said network node being configured to:

receive a query on capability information on the first set of capabilities.

27. A network node according to claim 26, further configured to respond to the query with a list of values of a potential next network node for the queried capabilities.

28. A network node according to claim 26, further configured to respond to the query by indicating whether one or more of the conditions are met by the potential next network node.

29. A network node according to claim 26, further configured to respond to the query with an indication whether all the conditions are met by the potential next network node.

30. A network node according to claim 26, further configured to indicate in the information capabilities that vary for each separate IP session.

31. A system for supporting relocation of an Internet Protocol session of a mobile node during a network layer handover in a mobile communication system, said system comprising:

detecting means for detecting, from application context information on the mobile node, a first set of capabilities of a network node that facilitate maintaining the IP session;

querying means for querying from a potential next network node capability information on the first set of capabilities; and

determining means for determining applicability of the potential next network node to relocation of the IP session by the capability information on the first set of capabilities.

32. A mobile communication system comprising a mobile node and one or more network nodes, said system comprising:

detecting means for detecting from application context information on the mobile node, a first set of capabilities of a network node that facilitate maintaining an Internet Protocol (IP) session;

querying means for querying, from a potential next network node, capability information on the first set of capabilities; and

determining means for determining applicability of the potential next network node to relocation of the IP session by the capability information on the first set of capabilities.

33. A mobile communication system comprising a mobile node and one or more network nodes, said system comprising:

registering means for registering a first set of capabilities in a first network node;

querying means for querying, from a potential next network node capability information on the first set of capabilities; and

determining means for determining applicability of the potential next network node to the relocation of an Internet Protocol (IP) session by the capability information on the first set of capabilities.

34. A mobile node in a mobile communication system, said node comprising:

generating means for generating application context information based on at least one ongoing Internet Protocol (IP) session in the mobile communication system;

detecting means for detecting from the application context information a first set of capabilities that facilitate maintaining the IP session;

querying means for querying, from a potential next network node, capability information on the first set of capabilities; and

determining means for determining applicability of the potential next network node to relocation of the IP session by the capability information on the first set of capabilities.

35. A network node in a mobile communication system, said network node comprising:

receiving means for receiving a first set of capabilities from a mobile node of the mobile communication system; and

querying means for querying from a potential next network node, capability information on the first set of capabilities.

36. A network node for relocating an Internet Protocol session of a mobile node during a network layer handover in a mobile communication system, said network node comprising:

receiving means for receiving a query on capability information on the first set of capabilities; and

responding means for responding to the query with a list of values of a potential next network node for the query capabilities.