Access terminal for communicating packets using a home anchored bearer path or a visited anchored bearer path

• US 20070206557A1
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leung, Kent, Iyer, Jayaraman, Oswal, Anand, Stammers, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 7,929,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 : Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 : Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 : Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 : Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 : Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0033 : with transfer of context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 : Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 : Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 : Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• 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 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 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Communicating packets along a bearer path includes receiving a home network address and a visited network address at an access terminal. The home network address corresponds to a home anchored bearer path anchored at a home network of the access terminal. The visited network address corresponds to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at a visited network. The access terminal determines whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path, and communicates packets using the home network address or the visited network address in accordance with the determination.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a plurality of packets along a bearer path, comprising:

receiving a home network address at an access terminal, the home network address corresponding to a home anchored bearer path anchored at a home network of the access terminal;

receiving a visited network address at the access terminal, the visited network address corresponding to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at a visited network;

determining whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path; and

communicating a plurality of packets using the home network address or the visited network address in accordance with the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the visited network address at the access terminal further comprises:

receiving the visited network address in a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) response.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the visited network address at the access terminal further comprises:

receiving the visited network address during initiation of a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path further comprises:

receiving a policy specifying use of the visited network address; and

determining to use the visited network address according to the received policy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path further comprises:

determining to use the visited network address according to an instruction stored at the mobile node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path further comprises:

using the home network address as a default address.

7. An access terminal for communicating a plurality of packets along a bearer path, comprising:

a memory operable to;

store a home network address, the home network address corresponding to a home anchored bearer path anchored at a home network of the access terminal; and

store a visited network address, the visited network address corresponding to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at a visited network; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to;

determine whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path; and

communicate a plurality of packets using the home network address or the visited network address in accordance with the determination.

8. The access terminal of claim 7, wherein the visited network address is received in a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) response.

9. The access terminal of claim 7, wherein the visited network address is received during initiation of a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context.

10. The access terminal of claim 7, the processor operable to determine whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path by:

receiving a policy specifying use of the visited network address; and

determining to use the visited network address according to the received policy.

11. The access terminal of claim 7, the processor operable to determine whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path by:

determining to use the visited network address according to an instruction stored at the mobile node.

12. The access terminal of claim 7, the processor operable to determine whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path by:

using the home network address as a default address.

13. Logic for communicating a plurality of packets along a bearer path, the logic embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and operable to:

receive a home network address at an access terminal, the home network address corresponding to a home anchored bearer path anchored at a home network of the access terminal;

receive a visited network address at the access terminal, the visited network address corresponding to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at a visited network;

determine whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path; and

communicate a plurality of packets using the home network address or the visited network address in accordance with the determination.

14. The logic of claim 13, further operable to receive the visited network address at the access terminal by:

receiving the visited network address in a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) response.

15. The logic of claim 13, further operable to receive the visited network address at the access terminal by:

receiving the visited network address during initiation of a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context.

16. The logic of claim 13, further operable to determine whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path by:

receiving a policy specifying use of the visited network address; and

determining to use the visited network address according to the received policy.

17. The logic of claim 13, further operable to determine whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path by:

determining to use the visited network address according to an instruction stored at the mobile node.

18. The logic of claim 13, further operable to determine whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path by:

using the home network address as a default address.

19. A system for communicating a plurality of packets along a bearer path, comprising:

means for receiving a home network address at an access terminal, the home network address corresponding to a home anchored bearer path anchored at a home network of the access terminal;

means for receiving a visited network address at the access terminal, the visited network address corresponding to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at a visited network;

means for determining whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path; and

means for communicating a plurality of packets using the home network address or the visited network address in accordance with the determination.

20. A method for communicating a plurality of packets along a bearer path, comprising:

receiving a home network address at an access terminal, the home network address corresponding to a home anchored bearer path anchored at a home network of the access terminal;

receiving a visited network address at the access terminal, the visited network address corresponding to a visited anchored bearer path anchored at a visited network, receiving the visited network address further comprising;

receiving the visited network address in a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) response;

or

receiving the visited network address during initiation of a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context;

determining whether to use the home anchored bearer path or the visited anchored bearer path by;

receiving a policy specifying use of the visited network address, and determining to use the visited network address according to the received policy;

determining to use the visited network address according to an instruction stored at the mobile node; and

using the home network address as a default address; and

communicating a plurality of packets using the home network address or the visited network address in accordance with the determination.