Method of configuring a communication device

• US 20060203787A1
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Grech, Sandro, Ahmavaara, Kalle
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method for configuring a device for communication is disclosed. In the method the device accesses a communication network where after it may be detected at a network element that the device needs to be provided with at least one configuration parameter. Information regarding the at least one configuration parameter is then determined and sent to the device. The device can then be configured in accordance with information received from the network element.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a device for communication, the method comprising:

accessing a communication network by the device;

detecting at a network element a need to provide the device with at least one configuration parameter;

determining information regarding the at least one configuration parameter;

sending the information regarding the at least one configuration parameter to the device; and

configuring the device in accordance with the information received from the network element.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting comprises detecting a need to provide the device with at least one address parameter, the step of determining comprises determining information regarding the at least one address parameter, and the step of sending the information comprises sending the information regarding the at least one address parameter.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of detecting comprises detecting an indication of the need to provide the device with at least one configuration parameter from a signal received from the device.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

including in a signal an indication that the at least one configuration parameter is unknown to the device for setting up a data carrier.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of including the indication comprises including an additional information element into a message for setting up the data carrier.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of including the indication comprises leaving empty a predefined field of a message requesting for the data carrier.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of including said indication comprises leaving empty predefined octets of any one of an IPv4 and IPv6 message.

8. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of including the indication comprises including a predefined indication in a field of a message requesting for the data carrier.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one configuration parameter comprises the information about at least one of a home agent address and a home address.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one configuration parameter comprises the information about an Internet Protocol address of at least one of a home agent address and a home address.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network element comprises a gateway.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the gateway comprises any one of a gateway of a GPRS network, a gateway of a CDMA2000 network, and a gateway of a wireless local area network.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a mobile device.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the step of configuring comprises configuring the mobile device with at least one mobile IP parameter.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuration of the device is dynamic.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the information regarding the at least one configuration parameter comprises obtaining by the network element data from an external data repository.

17. A computer program embodied within a computer readable medium for configuring a device for communication, the computer program being configured to perform the steps of:

accessing a communication network by the device;

detecting at a network element a need to provide the device with at least one configuration parameter;

determining information regarding the at least one configuration parameter;

sending the information regarding the. at least one configuration parameter to the device; and

configuring the device in accordance with the information received from the network element.

18. A network element configured for detecting a need to provide a communication device with at least one configuration parameter, for determining the information regarding the at least one configuration parameter, and for sending information regarding the at least one configuration parameter to the communication device, wherein the communication device can configure itself based on the information from the network element.

19. A network element as claimed in claim 18, wherein the network element is configured to provide the communication device with the at least one configuration parameter in response to the detection by the communication device that the at least one configuration parameter is needed.

20. A network element as claimed in claim 19, wherein the network element is configured to detect if the communication device has included in a signal an indication that at least one configuration parameter is unknown to the device for setting up a data carrier.

21. A network element as claimed in claim 18, wherein the network element is configured to detect if an additional information element is included by the communication device into a request for a data carrier.

22. A network element as claimed in claim 18, wherein the network element is configured to detect if a predefined field of a message requesting for a data carrier is left empty by the communication device.

23. A network element as claimed in claim 18, wherein the at least one configuration parameter comprises address information.

24. A network element as claimed in claim 23, wherein the address information comprises information about at least one of a home agent address and a home address.

25. A network element as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a gateway.

26. A network element as claimed in claim 25, wherein the gateway comprises any one of a gateway of a GPRS network, a gateway of a CDMA2000 network, and a gateway of a wireless local area network.

27. A network element as claimed in claim 18, wherein the network element is configured to detect if a communication device needs to be provided with the at least one configuration parameter.

28. A data communication system for providing services for communication devices, comprising a network element configured for detecting a need to provide a communication device with at least one configuration parameter, for determining the information regarding the at least one configuration parameter, and for sending information regarding the at least one configuration parameter to the communication device, whereby wherein the communication device can configure itself based on the information from the network element.

29. A communication device for communication with a data network, comprising:

an interface to communicate with an access network; and

a controller configured to include in a signal an indication that at least one configuration parameter is unknown to the communication device for setting up a data carrier, interpreting information received from the access network regarding the at least one configuration parameter to the communication device, and configuring the communication device in accordance with said information from the access network.

30. A communication device as claimed in claim 29, wherein the interface comprises a radio part for wireless communication with the access network.

31. A communication device as claimed in claim 30, wherein the communication device comprises a mobile IP node.

32. A communication device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the information from the access network system comprises at least one of a home agent IP address and a home IP address.

33. A communication device as claimed in claim 29, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically configure the communication device based on configuration information from the access network.