Mobile IP extension to support private home agents

• US 20050177647A1
• Filed: 12/24/2003
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pazhyannur, Rajesh S., Anantha, Swaminathan
• Granted Patent: US 6,978,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2525 Translation at a client
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a mobile device (104) to register with a private home agent (106), the method comprising the steps: generating (304) and sending (306) a registration request (700) addressed in the public network (110) to a public address of the private home agent, the request (700) adapted to initiate registration of the mobile device with the private home agent. The mobile device is located within a public network, but belongs to a private network (102) and has a private address. The private home agent is located in the private network and has both a private address and a public address. The request also indicates that the mobile device is in the public network. In preferred form, the request includes an extension (704) that provides this indication. The home agent receives and processes the request, then forwards an appropriate reply (800) back to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for a mobile device to register with a private home agent comprising the steps of:

generating a registration request addressed in the public network to a public address of a private home agent, the registration request adapted to initiate registration of the mobile device with the private home agent, the mobile device located within a public network, the mobile device belonging to a private network and having a private address, the private home agent located in the private network and having a private address and a public address; and

sending the registration request to the public address of the private home agent, wherein the registration request indicates that the mobile device is in the public network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating step comprises:

generating the registration request, the registration request comprises an extension, the extension indicating that the mobile device is in the public network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending step further comprises:

sending the registration request from the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending step comprises:

sending the registration request from a foreign agent located within the public network on behalf of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending step comprises:

sending the registration request from the mobile device, the registration request addressed to the home agent private address;

receiving the registration request in the public network;

altering the registration request to address the registration request to the public address of the private home agent; and

sending the altered registration request addressed to the public address of the private home agent.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the sending step comprises:

sending the registration request from the mobile device, the registration request not indicating that the mobile device is located within the public network;

receiving the registration request in the public network;

altering the registration request to indicate that the mobile device is located within the public network; and

sending the altered registration request addressed to the public address of the private home agent.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the mobile device is located within the public network.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining step comprises:

sending another registration request addressed to a private address of the private home agent;

receiving a registration reply from the private home agent;

processing the registration reply to determine that the mobile device is located within the public network.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving the registration request in the private network; and

processing the registration request.

10. A method for a mobile device to register with a private home agent comprising the steps of:

receiving a registration request adapted to initiate registration of a mobile device located within a public network with the private home agent, the mobile device belonging to a private network and having a private address, the private home agent located in the private network and having a private address and a public address,

wherein the registration request is addressed in the public network to the public address of the private home agent, wherein the registration request indicates that the mobile device is in the public network; and

processing the registration request.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the registration request comprises an extension, the extension indicating that the mobile device is in the public network.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the receiving comprises:

receiving the registration request at a network boundary device at a boundary of the private network,

wherein the processing comprises;

translating the public address of the private home agent to a home agent private address; and

the method further comprising the step of;

routing the registration request to the home agent private address.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the receiving comprises:

receiving the registration request at the private home agent;

wherein the processing comprises;

decoding the registration request to determine that the mobile device is in the public network;

the method further comprising the steps of;

copying the public address of the private home agent into a registration reply; and

sending the registration reply to be routed to the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein a home agent address field of the registration request comprises the public address of the private home agent, wherein the copying step comprises:

copying the public address from the home agent address field into a home agent address field of the registration reply.

15. A mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising a set of instructions executable by the processor,

the set of instructions adapted to cause generation of a registration request addressed to a public address of a private home agent, the registration request adapted to initiate registration of the mobile device with the private home agent, the mobile device located within a public network, the mobile device belonging to a private network and having a private address, the private home agent located in the private network and having a private address and a public address; and

the set of instructions adapted to cause a sending of the registration request to the public address of the private home agent, wherein the registration request indicates that the mobile device is in the public network.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the set of instructions is adapted to cause the generation of the registration request, the registration request comprising an extension, the extension indicating that the mobile device is in the public network.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the set of instructions is further adapted to determine that the mobile device is located within the public network.

18. A system comprising:

a care-of node comprising a mobile device, the care-of node located in a public network, the mobile device belonging to a private network and having a private network address;

a network boundary device at a boundary of the private network; and

a home agent located in the private network and having a private address and a public address;

wherein the care-of node is adapted to generate and send a registration request addressed to the public address of the home agent, the registration request adapted to initiate registration of the mobile device with the home agent, wherein the registration request indicates that the mobile device is in the public network;

the network boundary device adapted to receive the registration request, translate the public address of the home agent to the private address of the home agent, and route the registration request to the home agent; and

the home agent adapted to process the registration request to determine that the mobile device is located in the public network and generate a registration reply to be routed back to the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the care-of node comprises the mobile device having client functionality to cause the generation and sending of the registration request.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the care-of node comprises:

a foreign agent that belongs to the private network and is located in the public network;

the foreign agent adapted to route the registration request addressed to the public address of the home agent on behalf of the mobile device.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein client functionality to cause the generation and sending of the registration request is shared between the foreign agent and the mobile device.