Method and apparatus for extending mobile IP

• US 20040013099A1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: OʼNeill, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,623,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 : where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 : Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 : Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 : between backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for extending Mobile IP to enable a Mobile IP Home Agent to forward to a default proxy MN server when it does not have a current binding for a MN home address. This can be used to route traffic when the MN is absent and to add processes onto the Proxy MN server that enables application intelligence at the Proxy MN server to act on behalf of the MN when the MN so wishes, e.g., substituting for the MN while the MN is in sleep mode or otherwise unavailable.

Claims

1. A communications method for use in a communication system including a first node, a routing system, and a fifth node, a first shared address corresponding to both said first node and said fifth node, said first and fifth nodes including application software, the communications method comprising:

sending a first message from one of the first and fifth nodes to the routing system, said first message including a routing identifier, said routing identifier uniquely identifying a node, said identified node being a node in the group of nodes consisting of said first node, said fifth node, and a node having a defined route to one of said first and fifth nodes;

operating said routing system to direct a first packet flow to said identified node, in receiving said first message, said first packet flow including packets received by the routing system having a destination address equal to the first address and a source address corresponding to a fourth node which is a communication peer, at least some of the packets in said first packet flow corresponding to a first application;

operating one of said first and fifth nodes to receive said first packet flow; and

operating the application routine in the receiving one of said first and fifth nodes to process packets included in said received packet flow.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein said application processing includes processing application data included in the payload of at least one received packet;

generating an additional packet containing application data as a result of said application processing; and

operating the receiving one of said first and fifth nodes to transmit said additional packet to at least said communications peer.

3. The communications method of claim 2,

wherein said application processing includes processing application data included in the payload of at least two received packets;

and

wherein one of said additional packets is generated as a function of the processed data included in the payload of said at least two received packets.

4. The method of claim 2,

wherein said identified node is one of the first and fifth nodes;

and

wherein only the identified one of the first and fifth nodes receives the first packet flow at any given point in time.

5. The communications method of claim 3, wherein said first node is a mobile node and where said fifth node is a network node which operates as an application proxy during at least some period of time when the mobile node is unavailable to continue interacting with said first application.

6. The communications method of claim 5, wherein said mobile node is unavailable to continue interacting with said first application when said mobile node is in a sleep state of operation.

7. The communications method of claim 3, wherein one of said first and fifth nodes receives the first packet flow, the method further comprising:

operating the other one of said fifth and fifth nodes to receive said routing identifier.

8. The communications method of claim 6, wherein said first application is an IP based communications application on said communications peer, said first application being responsible for generating packets to be sent to said mobile node and for processing packets received from said mobile node.

9. The communications method of claim 8, wherein said first application requires that packets with an address corresponding to said mobile node, be periodically received, for a communications session between said mobile node and said correspondence node to be maintained, said fifth node providing said correspondence node with packets having an address corresponding to said mobile node while said mobile node is in said sleep state of operation.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising;

configuring said application software on the fifth node with information about the state of the application software on the first node, thereby enabling the application software on the fifth node to act as an application proxy for the first node and to interact with said first application from a point where said first node ceases to interact with said first application.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

operating the fifth node to receive information from said first node indicating application functions to be performed when interacting with said first application.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

operating the fifth node to transmit information to said first node with information about the state of the application software on the fifth node thereby enabling the application software on the first node to interact with the first application from a point where said fifth node ceases to interact with said first application.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

operating the fifth node to transmit data to said first node, said data having been generated by processing data packets included said first packet flow.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said first message includes information identifying packets corresponding to said first flow of packets.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

operating the fifth node to receive a transfer message from said first node, said fifth node responding to said transfer message by transmitting said first message.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising an additional message from the first node to the fifth node that defines the requirements of the first node for the processing of said packets by the application proxy.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising a message from the fifth node to the first that returns information derived from the processing of said packets by the fifth node.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the system further includes:

a third node, said third node being part of said routing system and being one of a home agent and a regional mobility agent, said third node, a third address being associated with said third node; and

a sixth node coupled to said fifth node, a fifth address being associated with said sixth node, said sixth node having a predefined route between said sixth node and said fifth node, said sixth node being an access node through which said fifth node receives packets.

19. The method of claim 18,

wherein said third node is a home agent and

wherein said first and third addresses correspond to the same addressing domain.

20. The method of claim 18,

wherein said third node is a regional mobility agent and

wherein said third and fifth addresses correspond to the same addressing domain.

21. The method of claim 18,

wherein at least two of the first, third and fifth addresses are in different addressing domains.

22. The method of claim 18,

wherein said third node is a regional mobility agent and

wherein said first and fifth addresses correspond to the same addressing domains.

24. The method of claim 2, wherein the system further includes:

a third node, said third node being part of said routing system and being one of a home agent and a regional mobility agent, said third node, a third address being associated with said third node; and

a sixth node coupled to said fifth node, a fifth address being associated with said fifth node, said sixth node being an access node through which said fifth node receives packets.

25. The method of claim 24,

wherein said third node is a home agent and

wherein said first and third addresses correspond to the same addressing domain.

26. The method of claim 24,

wherein said third node is a regional mobility agent and

wherein said third and fifth addresses correspond to the same addressing domain.

27. The method of claim 24,

wherein at least two of the first, third and fifth addresses are in different addressing domains.

28. The method of claim 24,

wherein said third node is a regional mobility agent and

wherein said first and fifth addresses correspond to the same addressing domains.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the first node is a Mobile IP Mobile Node and the fifth node is a Mobile Node Proxy Server.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the sixth node includes a mobility agent, the fifth address is a MIP Care of Address, the method further comprising:

operating said mobility agent to process the first message being sent between the first node and the third node, and

operating the mobility agent to decapsulate and forward packets, corresponding to said first packet flow, to the fifth node using information derived from the processing of said first message.

32. The method of claim 18, further comprising a second node, a second address being associated with said second node,

wherein the first node is coupled to said second node, wherein said second node is an access node,

wherein the first message is directed to the third node, and

wherein said routing identifier is the second address, the method further comprising:

operating the third node to forward packets from the first packet flow, during a first period of time, using an outer packet header including the second address as a destination address, a mapping between the first and the second addresses being stored in a table of bindings included in said third node.

33. The method of claim 32,

wherein said third node is a home agent;

and

wherein said second and third addresses correspond to the same addressing domain.

34. The method of claim 32,

wherein said third node is a regional mobility agent and

wherein said second, third and fifth addresses correspond to the same addressing domain.

35. The method of claim 32,

wherein at least two of the first, second, third and fifth addresses are in different addressing domains.

36. The method of claim 32,

wherein said third node is a regional mobility agent;

and

wherein said third and fifth addresses correspond to different addressing domains.

38. The communications method of claim 32, wherein the third node stores said fifth address in said bindings table and uses said fifth address to forward packets from the first packet flow instead of the second address during a second period of time, said second period of time being a period of time during which a lifetime associated with the second address is expired, said fifth address being a default Care of Address.

39. The communications method of claim 32, further comprising:

storing said second and fifth addresses in said bindings table at the same time; and

operating the third node to use said fifth address to forward packets from the first packet flow, instead of the second address, in response to receiving said first message.

40. The method of claim 32, wherein the second node includes a mobility agent, the second address is a MIP Care of Address, the method further comprising;

operating the mobility agent to process the first message being sent between the first node and the third node, and

operating the mobility agent to decapsulate and forward packets, corresponding to said first packet flow, to the first node using information derived from the processing of said first message.

41. The communications method of claim 40, further comprising:

operating the second node to send a message to the sixth node triggered by the first message from the first node to install packet forwarding of in-flight packets at the second node, addressed to the first address towards the fifth or sixth nodes, when the first message directs packets towards the fifth address.

42. The communications method of claim 41, further comprising:

operating the sixth node to send a message to the fifth node to inform the fifth node that it is no longer the end point for the first packet flow.

43. The communications method of claim 41, further comprising:

operating the first node to send a message to the fifth node to inform the fifth node that it is the end point for the first packet flow.

44. The communications method of claim 2, wherein the system further includes a second and a third node, a second address being associated with said second node, the third node being part of said routing system, the third node, the fifth node, and the sixth node being on the same network such that they have mac-layer connectivity, the method further comprising:

operating the fifth node to issue another message that is received at the third node indicating a mapping between a mac-layer address of the fifth node and the first address.

45. The communications method of claim 44, further comprising:

operating the third node to transmit packets corresponding to the first packet flow using said mac-layer address.

46. The communications method of claim 44, further comprising:

operating the third node to transmit packets corresponding to the first packet flow towards said second node during a first period of time; and

operating the third node to transmit packets corresponding to the first packet flow using said mac-layer address of the fifth node during a second period of time, said second period of time following receipt of said another message.

47. The communications method of claim 44, wherein the first node is additionally on the same network the method further comprising:

operating said first node to issue a message that is received at the third node and the fifth node indicating a mapping between the mac-layer address of the first node and the first address at that first node;

operating the fifth node to stop issuing the message that maps its mac address to the first address when it receives the message from the first node; and

said packets addressed to the first address then being directed to the mac_address of the first node by all other nodes on the network.

48. The communications method of claim 2, further comprising:

operating said routing system to direct a second packet flow to one of said first node, said second packet flow including packets received by the routing system having a destination address equal to the first address and a source address corresponding to said fourth node which is a communication peer, the packets in said second packet flow corresponding to a second application;

said second packet flow being sent by said routing system to said first node at the same time said first packet flow is sent to said fifth node; and

said second packet flow being described by a packet classifier that identifies packets belonging to said second application and which is included in the routing identifier carried in the first message to the routing system.

49. The communications method of claim 48, wherein said first node is a mobile node, wherein said first and second packet flows correspond to first and second applications on said communications peer and said mobile node, the routing system distinguishing between packets corresponding to different applications and routing packets corresponding to different applications to different end nodes.

23. The method 21, wherein none of the first, third and fifth addresses correspond to the same addressing domain.

29. The method 27, wherein none of the first, third and fifth addresses correspond to the same addressing domain.

37. The method 35, wherein none of the second, third and fifth addresses correspond to the same addressing domain.

50. A mobile communications method, for use in a communications system including a mobile node, a routing system, a communications peer and an application proxy node, the application proxy node and said mobile node sharing an address, said mobile node, communications peer and said application proxy supporting a first communications application, the method comprising:

operating the routing system, during a first period of time, to direct packets from said communications peer, that correspond to said first application and include said address as a destination address to said mobile node;

operating the routing system, during a second period of time during which said mobile node is unavailable to interact with said communications peer, to direct packets from said communications peer, that correspond to said first application and include said address as a destination address, to said application proxy node; and

operating the application proxy node to respond to said directed packets from said communications peer received by said application proxy node by processing the payload of said packets and sending a response to said received packets to said communications peer, said response including said shared address.

51. The mobile communications method of claim 50, wherein said mobile node sends a information about the state of the first application at the mobile node to said application proxy node prior to becoming unavailable.

52. The mobile communications method of claim 51, wherein said routing system directs packets from said communication peer and including said shared address to only one of the mobile node and said application proxy node at any given time.

53. The mobile communications method of claim 52, further comprising:

operating said application proxy node to receive a signal indicating that said mobile node is available to interact with said communications peer; and

operating said application proxy node to transmit information about the state of application processing to said mobile node.

54. The mobile communications method of claim 50, further comprising:

operating said routing system to direct said packets from said communications peer to said application proxy node when lifetime information used to determine that said packets should be routed to said mobile node has expired.

55. The mobile communications method of claim 54,

wherein said routing system stores, in a set of routing information, a second address used to route packets including said shared address as a destination address while a lifetime corresponding to said second address remains valid;

and

wherein said routing system stores, in said routing information, a third address used as a default routing address for purposes of routing packets including said shared address as a destination address to said application proxy node when said lifetime corresponding to said second address indicates that said second address is no longer valid.

56. A communication system, comprising:

a first node, said first node being a mobile node which includes at least one communications application;

a second node, second node being an access node to which said mobile node is coupled;

a routing system coupled to said second node, said routing system including a third node which operates as one of a home agent and a regional mobility agent for said mobile node;

a fourth node being coupled to said routing system, said fourth node being a communications peer to said first node;

a sixth node coupled to said routing system, said sixth node being another access node;

a fifth node which is coupled to said routing system by said sixth node, the fifth node also including said at least one communications application, said first node and fifth node sharing an address used to route packets transmitted by said communications peer and corresponding to said at least one communications application to one of said first and fifth nodes, said routing system routing said packets corresponding to said at least one communications application to a single one of said first and fifth nodes at any given point in time;

the first and fifth nodes including means for exchanging application information and data used to allow said first node to handoff application processing to said fifth node and for said fifth node to interact with said communications peer when said mobile node is unavailable to continue to interact with said communications peer; and

said fifth node including means for returning application information and data used to allow said first node to continue interacting with said communications peer when said mobile node become available.