Method and device for setting a route for communication connection

• US 20060140177A1
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Karhu, Mika
• Application Number:
  US11/136,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20060140177A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

A method and a device set a route for a communication connection of a communication unit in a mobile network environment. When a communication unit connects to a routing network element it is determined by the routing network element whether the communication unit belongs to the same home network as the routing network element. Then, a selection for an address information to be sent to the communication unit is made. If it is determined that the communication unit belongs to the same home network as the routing network element, a first type of address information is selected. If it is determined that the communication unit belongs not to the same home network as the routing network element, a second type of address information is selected. The selected address information is sent from the routing network element to the communication unit, in which it is used for setting a route for the communication unit.

Claims

1. A method of setting a route for a communication connection of a communication unit in a mobile network environment, the method comprising steps of:

connecting a communication unit to a routing network element;

determining, in the routing network element, whether the communication unit belongs to a home network of the routing network element;

selecting, if the communication unit belongs to the home network of the routing network element, a first type of address information, or selecting, if the communication unit does not belong to the home network of the routing network element, a second type of address information;

sending the first or second type of address information from the routing network element to the communication unit; and

using the first or second type of address information received from the routing network element for setting a route for the communication unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises steps of

identifying link layer address information transmitted from the communication unit to the routing network element when a link layer connection is established, and

comparing the link layer address information with stored link layer address information of communication units known as belonging to the home network of the routing network element.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises a step of

executing an authentication procedure for proving that the communication unit belongs to the home network of the routing network element.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises steps of

receiving a router solicitation message from the communication unit including a data field indicating a source link layer address information, and

comparing the source link layer address information with stored link layer address information of communication units known as belonging to the home network of the routing network element.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises steps of

receiving a router solicitation message from the communication unit including a data field indicating a home agent address information of the communication unit'"'"'s home network,

comparing the home agent address information of the communication unit with other home agent address information of the routing network element.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending step comprises a step of sending a router advertisement message from the routing network element to the communication unit, the router advertisement message including the first or second type of address information.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending step comprises a step of sending the second type of address information when the first type of address information is selected, , and the first type of address information when the second type of address information is selected.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a step of selecting, in the communication unit, one of the first and second types of address information received from the routing network element to be used in the step of using the address information.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the first type of address information is related to the home network of the routing network element and comprises a first prefix received from a home agent located in the home network of the routing network element, and

the second type of address information is related to a visited network different to the home network of the routing network element and comprises a second prefix received from a router connected to the visited network, wherein the routing network element and the router are connected with each other.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit and the routing network element are respective mobile nodes movable in a mobile network environment, and the routing network element comprises at least one of a mobile router and a multi link subnet router.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit comprises another routing network element.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using a type of Internet protocol for a mobile network environment.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of

using, for a communication connection of the communication unit, a bi-directional connection established between the routing network element and the home network when the communication unit and the routing network element belong to the home network, and

establishing the bi-directional connection between the communication unit and the home network when the communication unit does not belong to the home network of the routing network element.

14. A communication system usable in a mobile network environment comprising at least one routing network element and at least one communication unit, the system configured to set a route for a communication connection of a communication unit in the mobile network environment, wherein the routing network element is configured to

detect that the communication unit connects to the routing network element,

determine whether the communication unit belongs to a home network of the routing network element,

select, if the communication unit belongs to the home network of the routing network element, a first type of address information, or select, if the communication unit belongs not to the home network of the routing network element, a second type of address information, and

send the first or second type of address information to the communication unit,

wherein the communication unit is configured to

process the first or second type of address information received from the routing network element and

use the address information for setting a route for the communication unit.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the routing network element determines whether the communication unit belongs to the home network by

identifying link layer address information transmitted from the communication unit to the routing network element when a link layer connection is established, and

comparing the link layer address information with stored link layer address information of communication units known as belonging to the home network of the network element.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the routing network element determines whether the communication unit belongs to the home network by

executing an authentication procedure for proving that the communication unit belongs to the home network of the routing network element.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the routing network element determines whether the communication unit belongs to the home network by

receiving a router solicitation message from the communication unit comprising a data field indicating a source link layer address information, and

comparing the source link layer address information with stored link layer address information of communication units known as belonging to the home network of the routing network element.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the routing network element determines whether the communication unit belongs to the home network by

receiving a router solicitation message from the communication unit comprising a data field indicating a home agent address information of the communication unit'"'"'s home network,

comparing the home agent address information of the communication unit with other home agent address information of the routing network element.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein routing network element is configured to send a router advertisement message to the communication unit, the router advertisement message including the first or second type of address information.

20. The system according to claim 14, wherein the routing network element is configured to send the second type of address information when the first type of address information is selected, , and the first type of address information when the second type of address information is selected, in addition.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the communication unit is configured to select one of the first and second types of address information received from the routing network element and to use the one of the first and second address information for setting the route for the communication unit.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein

the first type of address information is related to the home network of the routing network element and comprises a prefix received from a home agent located in the home network of the routing network element, and

the second type of address information is related to a visited network different than the home network of the routing network element and comprises another prefix received from a router connected to the visited network wherein the routing network element and the router are connected with each other.

23. The system according to claim 14, wherein the communication unit and the routing network element are respective mobile nodes movable in the mobile network environment, wherein the routing network element comprises at least one of a mobile router and a multi link subnet router.

24. The system according to claim 14, wherein the communication unit comprises another routing network element.

25. The system according to claim 14, wherein the mobile network environment uses a type of Internet protocol.

26. The system according to claim 14, wherein the system is configured to

use, for a communication connection of the communication unit, a bi-directional connection established between the routing network element and the home network when the communication unit and the routing network element belong to the home network, and

establish the bi-directional connection between the communication unit and the home network when the communication unit does not belong to the home network as the routing network element.

27. A routing device usable in a mobile network environment and employed in a setting of a route for a communication connection of a communication unit in the mobile network environment, wherein the routing device comprises:

detecting means for detecting that a communication unit connects to the routing device;

determining means for determining whether the communication unit belongs to the home network of the routing device,

selecting means for selecting a first type of address information, when the communication unit belongs to the home network of the routing device, or for selecting a second type of address information, when the communication unit belongs not to the home network of the routing device, and

sending means for sending the first or second type of address information to the communication unit.

28. The routing device according to claim 27, wherein the determining means comprises

identifying means for identifying a link layer address information transmitted from the communication unit to the routing device when a link layer connection is established, and

comparing means for comparing the link layer address information with stored link layer address information of communication units known as belonging to the home network of the routing device.

29. The routing device according to claim 27, wherein the determining means determines whether the communication unit belongs to the home network by executing an authentication procedure for proving that the communication unit belongs to the home network of the routing device.

30. The routing device according to claim 27, wherein the determining means comprises

processing means for processing a router solicitation message received from the communication unit, the router solicitation message comprising a data field indicating a source link layer address information, and

comparing means for comparing the source link layer address information with stored link layer address information of communication units known as belonging to the home network of the routing device.

31. The routing device according to claim 27, wherein the determining means comprises

processing means for processing a router solicitation message from the communication unit, the router solicitation message comprising a data field indicating a home agent address information of the communication unit'"'"'s home network, and

comparing means for comparing the home agent address information of the communication unit with another home agent address information of the routing device.

32. The routing device according to claim 27, wherein routing device is configured to send a router advertisement message to the communication unit, the router advertisement message including the first or second type of address information.

33. The routing device according to claim 27, wherein the routing device is configured to send the second type of address information when the first type of address information is selected, , and the first type of address information when the second type of address information is selected.

34. The routing device according to claim 27, wherein

the first type of address information is related to the home network of the routing device and comprises a prefix received from a home agent located in the home network of the routing device, and

the second type of address information is related to a visited network different to the home network of the routing device and comprises another prefix received from a router connected to the visited network wherein the routing device and the router are connected with each other.

35. The routing device according to claim 27, wherein the communication unit and the routing device are respective mobile nodes movable in a mobile network environment, wherein the routing device comprises at least one of a mobile router and a multi link subnet router.

36. The routing device according to claim 27, wherein the communication unit comprises another router.

37. The routing device according to claim 27, wherein the mobile network environment uses a type of Internet protocol.

38. The routing device according to claim 27, wherein

a bi-directional connection established between the routing device and the home network is used for a communication connection of the communication unit when the communication unit and the routing device belong to the home network.

39. A mobile node connectable to a mobile communication network, the mobile node comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting a request message for requesting an establishment of a communication connection to a routing network element of a mobile communication network;

introducing means for introducing a specific data field including address information related to the mobile node'"'"'s home network in the request message, the data field usable in a route setting procedure performed by the routing network element.

40. The mobile node according to claim 39, wherein the mobile node is configured to introduce the specific data field in a router solicitation message.

41. The mobile node according to claim 39, wherein the specific data field comprises a source link layer address information.

42. The mobile node according to claim 39, wherein the specific data field comprises a home agent address information.

43. A mobile node connectable to a mobile communication network, the mobile nodecomprising:

receiving means configured to receive, from a routing network element, at least one of a first type and a second type of address information;

setting means configured to set a route for a communication connection based on the at least one of a first type and a second type of address information;

selecting means for selecting, when both the first type and the second type of address information are received, one of the first and second types for setting the route.

44. The mobile node according to claim 43, wherein

the first type of address information is related to the home network of the routing network element and comprises a prefix received from a home agent located in the home network of the routing network element, and

the second type of address information is related to a visited network different to the home network of the routing network element and comprises another prefix received from a router connected to the visited network wherein the routing network element and the router are connected with each other.