Method and apparatus for a centralized home agent function

• US 20040042441A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Adrangi, Farid, Illikkal, Ramesh
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14

Abstract

A method is described that includes intercepting a packet destined for a mobile VoIP device where the mobile VoIP device has roamed into a foreign subnet. The method also includes sending the packet to the foreign subnet without sending the packet to the mobile VoIP device'"'"'s home subnet beforehand.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a) a first registering with a centralized home agent, said first registering in response to a first mobile VoIP device having entered a first region that is within a communicative reach of a first subnet, said first registering identifying said first mobile VoIP device and said first subnet to said centralized home agent, said first subnet not registered as a home subnet for said first mobile VoIP device; and

b) a second registering with said centralized home agent, said second registering in response to a second mobile VoIP device having entered a second region that is within a communicative reach of a second subnet, said second registering identifying said second mobile VoIP device and said second subnet to said centralized home agent, said second subnet not registered as a home subnet for said second mobile VoIP device, said home subnet for said first mobile VoIP device being a different subnet than said home subnet for said second mobile VoIP device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first mobile VoIP device is a handheld device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said first mobile VoIP device further comprises a handheld phone.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said first mobile VoIP device is a personal digital assistant.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said first mobile VoIP device is a laptop computer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an interception command from said centralized home agent to a VoIP server is response to said first registering, said interception command causing said VoIP server to route a packet destined for said first mobile VoIP device to said centralized home agent rather than said home subnet of said first mobile VoIP device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said packet is a signaling packet that helps setup a call to said first mobile VoIP device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said centralized home agent establishes a connection from said centralized home agent to said first subnet in response to said centralized agent receiving said signaling packet.

9. A method performed by a centralized home agent, comprising:

a) receiving a first registration in response to a first mobile VoIP device having entered a first region that is within a communicative reach of a first subnet, said first registration identifying said first mobile VoIP device and said first subnet, said first mobile VoIP device having another subnet besides said first subnet as its home subnet; and

b) receiving a second registration in response to a second mobile VoIP device having entered a second region that is within a communicative reach of a second subnet, said second registration identifying said second mobile VoIP device and said second subnet, said second mobile VoIP device having another subnet besides said second subnet as its home subnet, said home subnet for said first mobile VoIP device being a different subnet than said home subnet for said second mobile VoIP device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising sending an interception command to a VoIP server is response to said receiving of said first registration.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving from said VoIP server a packet destined for said first mobile VoIP device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said packet is a signaling packet that helps setup a call to said first mobile VoIP device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising establishing a connection to said first subnet in response to said receiving of said signaling packet.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising establishing a connection to said first subnet in response to said receiving of said first registration.

15. A machine readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a computing system that helps implement a centralized home agent, causes said computing system to perform a method, said method comprising:

a) receiving a first registration in response to a first mobile VoIP device having entered a first region that is within a communicative reach of a first subnet, said first registration identifying said first mobile VoIP device and said first subnet, said first subnet not registered as a home subnet for said first mobile VoIP device; and

b) receiving a second registration in response to a second mobile VoIP device having entered a first region that is within a communicative reach of a second subnet, said second registration identifying said second mobile VoIP device and said second subnet, said first subnet not registered as a home subnet for said first mobile VoIP device, said home subnet for said first mobile

VoIP device being a different subnet than said home subnet for said second mobile VoIP device.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein said method further comprises sending an interception command to a VoIP server is response to said receiving of said first registration.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 16 wherein said method further comprises receiving from said VoIP server a packet destined for said first mobile VoIP device.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 17 wherein said packet is a signaling packet that helps setup a call to said first mobile VoIP device.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 18 wherein said method further comprises establishing a tunneling connection to said first subnet in response to said receiving of said signaling packet.

20. The machine readable medium of claim 15 further comprising establishing a tunneling connection to said first subnet in response to said receiving of said first registration.

21. A method, comprising

a) intercepting a packet destined for a mobile VoIP device, said mobile VoIP device having roamed into a foreign subnet;

and

b) sending said packet to said foreign subnet without sending said packet to said mobile VoIP device'"'"'s home subnet beforehand.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising receiving registration information from said mobile VoIP device as a consequence of said mobile VoIP having roamed into said foreign subnet.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said registration information identifies said mobile IP device and said foreign subnet.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising updating registration data to reflect that said mobile VoIP device has roamed into said foreign subnet.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising sending an intercept command to a VoIP server so that said VoIP server can perform said intercepting.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising updating routing information so as to reconfigure a network to said send said packet to said foreign subnet without sending said packet to said mobile VoIP device'"'"'s home subnet beforehand.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein said sending further comprises sending said packet from a VoIP server to a centralized home agent.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said VoIP server and said centralized home agent are integrated into a common machine.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said VoIP server and centralized home agent are implemented with separate machines.

30. A method, comprising:

a) receiving registration information from a mobile VoIP device that has roamed into a foreign subnet, said registration information identifying said mobile VoIP device and said foreign subnet;

b) updating registration data to reflect that said mobile VoIP device is presently located within the communicative reaches of said foreign subnet; and

c) intercepting a packet destined for said mobile VoIP device and sending said packet to said foreign subnet so as to avoid sending said packet to said mobile device'"'"'s home subnet.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising updating registration data to reflect that said mobile VoIP device has roamed into said foreign subnet.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising sending an intercept command to a VoIP server so that said VoIP server can perform said intercepting.

33. The method of claim 30 further comprising updating routing information so as to reconfigure a network to said send said packet to said foreign subnet without sending said packet to said mobile VoIP device'"'"'s home subnet beforehand.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein said sending further comprises sending said packet from a VoIP server to a centralized home agent.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said VoIP server and said centralized home agent are integrated into a common machine.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein said VoIP server and centralized home agent are implemented with separate machines.