Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating bi-directional routing of data in a packet radio communication system

• US 20040120294A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Choyi, Vinod Kumar, Yang, Mingguey Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating routing of packet-formatted data in a packet radio communication system. When a mobile node roams out of its home network and into a foreign network, data routing is facilitated. A UPA (unique private address) tunnel, is selectably formed between the mobile node and a foreign agent. And, a UDP/MIP (User Datagram Protocol/Mobile IP) tunnel is selectably formed between the foreign agent and a home agent. Problems otherwise associated with the private address conflict and NAT/NAPT device traversal are avoided.

Claims

1. In a packet radio communication system having a mobile network comprising a home network having a home agent associated therewith and a foreign network having a foreign agent associated therewith, and a mobile node selectably identified by a nonuniversal identifier address, an improvement of apparatus for facilitating bidirectional routing of data with the mobile node when the mobile node is positioned at the foreign network, said apparatus comprising:

a determiner located at the foreign network, said determiner for determining whether the mobile node is identified by the nonuniversal identifier address and also for determining whether the nonuniversal identifier address of the mobile node conflicts with the nonuniversal identifier address of other node(s) associated with the foreign network; and

a message generator operable responsive to determinations made by said determiner that the mobile node is identified by the nonuniversal identifier address and also this address conflict with the nonuniversal identifier address of other node(s) associated with the foreign network, said message generator for generating a message for communication to the mobile node, and generates a message for alerting the mobile node to obtain a unique private address, the unique private address used to form a first data tunnel between the mobile node and the foreign agent.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the message generated by said message generator includes values of the unique private address.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the foreign network of the packet radio communication system comprises a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) device and wherein the message generated by said message generator cause the mobile node to obtain values of the unique private address from the DHCP device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mobile node selectably generates a registration request at the foreign network and wherein said determiner operates responsive to detection of generation of the registration request.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said determiner is embodied at the foreign agent, wherein the registration request selectably generated by the mobile node identifies the mobile node.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said determiner determines whether the registration request identifies the mobile node with the nonuniversal identifier address.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a first tunnel is selectably formed between the foreign agent and the mobile node.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the home network comprises a private network, wherein the nonuniversal identifier address by which the mobile node is selectably identified comprises a private address provided by the private network and wherein said determiner determines whether the mobile node is identified by the private address.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the packet radio communication system further comprises a NAT (Network Address Translation) device positioned between the foreign agent and the home agent and wherein a second data tunnel is formed between the foreign agent and the home agent, first data tunnel, and the second data tunnel used to communicate data originated at, and terminated at, the mobile node.

10. In a method of communicating packet-formatted data in a packet radio communication system having a mobile node, the packet radio communication system having a home network and a foreign network, the home network having a home agent associated therewith and the foreign network having a foreign agent associated therewith, the mobile node selectably identified by a nonuniversal identifier address, an improvement of a method for facilitating bi-directional routing of data with the mobile node when the mobile node is positioned at the foreign network, said method comprising:

determining, at the foreign network, whether the mobile node is identified by the nonuniversal identifier address, and, responsive thereto;

generating a message for communication to the mobile node, the message at least for alerting the mobile node to obtain a unique private address, the unique private address used to form a first data tunnel between the mobile node and the foreign agent.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the message generated during said operation of generating the message includes values of the unique private address.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the foreign network of the packet radio communication system comprises a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) device, and wherein said method further comprises:

analyzing, at the mobile node, values contained in the message, and, selectably responsive thereto

obtaining values of the unique private address from the DHCP device.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising the operation, prior to said operation of determining, of generating, at the mobile node, a registration request, requesting registration of the mobile node with the foreign network.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said operation of determining comprises determining whether the registration request identifies the mobile node.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said operation of determining comprises determining whether the registration request identifies the mobile node with the nonuniveral identifier address.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising the operation of substituting the unique private address for the nonuniversal identifier address by which to identify the mobile node.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the home network comprises a private network, wherein the nonuniversal identifier address by which the mobile node is selectably identified comprises a private address provided by the private network, and wherein said operation of determining comprises determining whether the mobile node is identified by the private address.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the packet radio communication system further comprises a NAT (Network Address Translation) device positioned between the foreign agent and the home agent and wherein said method further comprises the operation of forming a second data tunnel between the foreign agent and the home agent.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the operation of sending data sourced at the mobile node through the first and second data tunnels.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the operation of sending data to be terminated at the mobile node, to the mobile node through the second and then first data tunnels.