Roaming in a communications network

• US 20040203749A1
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Adrangi, Farid, Iyer, N. Prakash
• Granted Patent: US 7,269,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• 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

Abstract

Communicating over a network may include a mobile proxy device to receive a request for a home agent from a mobile device. The mobile proxy device can assign a home agent to the mobile device and send a reply including a home-address associated with the assigned home agent to the mobile device.

Claims

6. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface adapter; and

a processor coupled to the network interface adapter, the processor to;

receive a request for a home agent from a mobile device,

assign a home agent to the mobile device, and

send through the network interface adapter a reply to the mobile device, the reply including a home-address associated with the assigned home agent.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, the processor to assign a home agent based on route optimization criteria.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, the processor to assign a home agent based on load balancing criteria.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, the processor to dynamically assign the home agent to the mobile device.

10. An article comprising a computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to:

assign a home agent to a mobile device in response to receiving from the mobile device a request for a home agent; and

send to the mobile device a reply including a home-address associated with the assigned home agent.

11. The article of claim 10 further comprising instructions for causing the computer to assign a home agent based on route optimization criteria.

12. The article of claim 10 further comprising instructions for causing the computer to assign a home agent based on load balancing criteria.

13. The article of claim 10 further comprising instructions for causing the computer to dynamically assign the home agent to the mobile device.

14. A system comprising:

a home agent;

a mobile device; and

a mobile proxy device including a processor and instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

assign a home agent to the mobile device in response to receiving from the mobile device a request for a home agent, and

send to the mobile device a reply including a home-address associated with the assigned home agent.

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a mobile device a request for a home agent;

assigning a home agent to the mobile device; and

sending to the mobile device a reply including a home-address associated with the assigned home agent.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising assigning the home agent based on route optimization criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising assigning the home agent based on load balancing criteria.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising dynamically assigning the home agent to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

forwarding the request to the assigned home agent;

receiving from the assigned home agent a reply including a home-address associated with the assigned home agent; and

forwarding the reply received from the home agent to the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to assign a home agent based on route optimization criteria.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising instructions to cause the processor to assign a home agent based on load balancing criteria.

16-1. The system of claim 14 further comprising instructions to cause the processor to dynamically assign the home agent to the mobile device.

18. A method comprising:

receiving from a mobile device a request for a routable home-address;

assigning a routable home-address to the mobile device; and

sending to the mobile device a reply including the routable home-address.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising assigning the routable home-address based on a source address of the request.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving from the mobile device a subsequent request including the assigned routable home-address;

forwarding the subsequent request to a home agent associated with the mobile device;

receiving from the home agent a reply indicating that the routable home-address has been registered; and

forwarding the reply from the home agent to the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving from the mobile device a request for a home agent;

assigning a home agent to the mobile device; and

sending to the mobile device a reply having a home-address associated with the assigned home agent.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface adapter; and

a processor coupled to the network adapter, the processor to;

receive a request for a routable home-address from a mobile device,

assign a routable home-address to the mobile device, and

send through the network interface adapter a reply to the mobile device, the reply including the routable home-address.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, the processor to assign the routable home-address based on a source address of the request.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, the processor to:

receive from the mobile device a subsequent request having the routable home-address;

forward the request to a home agent associated with the mobile device;

in response to the forwarded request, receive a reply from the home agent indicating that the routable home-address has been registered; and

forward the reply to the mobile device.

25. An article comprising a computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to:

assign a routable home-address to a mobile device in response to receiving from the mobile device a request for a routable home-address; and

send to the mobile device a reply including the routable home-address.

26. The article of claim 25 further comprising instructions for causing the computer to assign a routable home-address based on a source address of the request.

27. The article of claim 25 further comprising instructions for causing the computer to

in response to receipt from the mobile device of a subsequent request having the routable home-address, forward the request to a home agent associated with the mobile device;

in response to the forwarded request, receive a reply from the home agent indicating that the routable home-address has been registered; and

forward the reply to the mobile device.

28. A system comprising:

a mobile device; and

a mobile proxy including a processor and instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

receive from the mobile device a request for a routable home-address,

assign a routable home-address to the mobile device, and

send to the mobile device a reply including the routable home-address.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to assign a routable home-address based on a source address of the request.

30. The system of claim 28, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to:

in response to receipt from the mobile device a subsequent request having the routable home-address, forward the request to a home agent associated with the mobile device;

in response to the forwarded request, receive a reply from the home agent indicating that the routable home-address has been registered; and

forward the reply to the mobile device.