Server, mobile communication terminal, radio apparatus, communication method in communication system and communication system

• US 20040151186A1
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Akama, Katsuaki
• Application Number:
  US10/763,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20040151186A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.3
• 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 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/144 over a different radio air interface technology
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/26 for hybrid routing by combining proactive and reactive routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/36 due to handover
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A server for enabling a first terminal to switch between a mobile communication network and a packet network, with the first terminal continuing a communication with a second terminal. The server comprises a session managing unit storing a first address of the first terminal assigned to a first session and a second address of the second terminal assigned to a second session, a receiving unit receiving a packet containing user data from the second terminal, a switching unit switching from the first session of a packet having the first address as a destination and containing the user data to the second session of a packet having the second address as the destination and containing the user data on the basis of the addresses in the session managing unit, and a transmitting unit transmitting the packet using the second session switched by the switching unit.

Claims

1. A server disposed in a packet network to repeat a packet between a first terminal and a second terminal comprising:

a session managing unit storing a first address of said first terminal assigned to a first session representing a connection status between said server of its own and said terminal and a second address of said first terminal assigned to a second session representing a connection status between said server of its own and said first terminal;

a receiving unit receiving a packet containing user data from said second terminal;

a switching unit switching from said first session of a packet having said first address as a destination and containing said user data to said second session of a packet having said second address as the destination and containing said user data on the basis of said addresses stored in said session managing unit; and

a transmitting unit transmitting said packet using said second session switched by said switching unit.

3. The server according to claim 1, wherein said first address is either an address assigned by a mobile communication network or an address assigned by said IP network, and said second address is the other address.

5. The server according to claim 1, wherein said first session is either a session in which said first terminal communicates with said IP network over a mobile communication network or a session in which said first terminal directly accesses to said IP network to communicate with the same, and said second session is the other session.

6. The server according to claim 1, wherein said switching unit monitors a quality of a radio signal transmitted from said first terminal in said first session, and switches said first session or said second session on the basis of predetermined detection.

2. A server disposed in a packet network to repeat a packet between a first terminal and a second terminal comprising:

a session managing unit storing a first address of said first terminal assigned to a first session representing a connection status between said server of its own and said first terminal and a second address of said first terminal assigned to a second session representing a connection status between said server of its own and said first terminal;

a receiving unit receiving a packet having said first address or said second address as a source address and containing user data from said first terminal in said first session or said second session; and

a transmitting unit transmitting a packet containing said user data in said received packet and having an address of said server of its own as the source address to said second terminal in both said first session and said second session.

4. The server according to claim 2, wherein said first address is either an address assigned by a mobile communication network or an address assigned by said IP network, and said second address is the other address.

7. A mobile communication terminal accessing to a mobile communication network connected to a packet network to be able to carry out a packet communication with a server in said packet network comprising:

an access obtaining unit directly accessing to said packet network, not over said mobile communication network, to obtain an access for a packet communication;

a control unit controlling said address obtaining unit to obtain an address when a predetermined operation is performed on said mobile communication terminal or it is detected that a direct access to said packet network becomes possible during the packet communication with said server; and

a switching unit switching the packet communication with said server to a packet communication by a direct access to said packet network using the address obtained by said address obtaining unit.

9. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 7, wherein said control unit notifies said server of said obtained address before the switching.

10. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 7, wherein said switching unit switches according to an instruction from said server.

11. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 7, wherein said switching unit stops to transmit a packet for the packet communication with said server according to a first instruction from said server, switches according to a second instruction after said first instruction, and starts to transmit a packet.

8. A mobile communication terminal directly accessing to a packet network connected to a mobile communication terminal, not over said mobile communication network, to be able to carry out a packet communication with a server in said packet network comprising:

an address obtaining unit directly accessing to said mobile communication network to obtain an address for a packet communication;

a control unit controlling said address obtaining unit to obtain an address when a predetermined operation is performed on said mobile communication terminal or it is detected that a direct access to said packet network becomes possible during the packet communication with said server; and

a switching unit switching the packet communication with said server to a packet communication by a direct access to said mobile communication network using the address obtained by said address obtaining unit.

12. A radio apparatus disposed in a packet network to carry out a radio communication with a mobile communication terminal comprising:

a measuring means measuring a receive quality in said radio communication; and

a transmitting unit transmitting a received packet from said mobile communication terminal, a measured receive quality or deterioration information generated on the basis of said receive quality to a server in said packet network which is in communication with said mobile communication terminal.

13. A communication method in a communication system comprising a server disposed in a packet network and a mobile communication terminal being able to access to both a mobile communication network connected to said packet network and said packet network, comprising the steps of:

sending a packet to be transmitted when said mobile communication terminal carries out a packet communication with another terminal via said server, and controlling a source address of the packet to said another terminal by said server so that the source address of said packet remains unchanged before and after a switching of the network to which said mobile communication terminal accesses.

14. The communication method in a communication system according to claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

notifying of an address to be used in a network to be switched to from said mobile communication terminal when the network to which said mobile communication terminal accesses is switched; and

switching a destination address of a packet from said another terminal to said notified address by said server when the network to which said mobile communication terminal accesses is switched.

15. A communication method in a communication system comprising:

a first session communication step at which a first terminal communicates with a first server in a packet network over a mobile communication network using a first session representing a connection status between said first terminal and said first server;

a synchronous communication step at which said first server starts a synchronous communication with a second server in said packet network;

a synchronization registration request transmission step at which said first terminal transmits a synchronization registration request using a packet communication set between said first terminal and said first server;

a second session establishment step at which a second session representing a direct connection status between said first server having received said synchronization registration request and said first terminal is established;

a handover step at which said first server having received said synchronization registration request hands over;

a switching step at which said first terminal switches from said mobile communication network to said packet network; and

a communication step at which said first terminal communicates with said second terminal over said switched packet network using said synchronous communication started at said switching step.

16. A communication system comprising:

a packet network;

a mobile communication network connected to said packet network;

a server disposed in said packet network to repeat a packet between a first terminal and a second terminal;

said first terminal

transmitting/receiving a packet to/from said server directly or over said mobile communication network;

said server comprising;

a session managing unit storing a first address of said first terminal assigned to a first session representing a connection status between said server of its own and said first terminal and a second address of said first terminal assigned to a second session representing a connection status between said server of its own and said first terminal;

a receiving unit receiving a packet containing user data from said second terminal;

a switching unit switching from said first session of a packet having said first address as the destination and containing said user data to said second session of a packet having said second address as a destination and containing said user data on the basis of said addresses stored in said session managing unit;

a transmitting unit transmitting said packet in said second session switched by said switching unit;

said mobile communication terminal comprising;

a transmitting/receiving unit transmitting/receiving a packet to/from said server in said packet network directly or over said mobile communication network connected to said packet network;

an address obtaining unit obtaining an address for a packet communication from the packet received by said transmitting/receiving unit, generating a packet having said obtained address and directly accessing to said packet network;

an address managing unit storing said address for the packet communication obtained by said address obtaining unit;

a control unit controlling said address obtaining unit to obtain said address for the packet communication when detecting a predetermined operation or a status in which a direct access to said packet network becomes possible during the packet communication with said server over said mobile communication network; and

a switching unit switching from the packet communication with said server over said mobile communication network to a packet communication by a direct access to said server when said control unit detects, and inputting the address for a packet stored in said address managing unit to said address obtaining unit.