Method for performing handovers in a communication system

• US 20080096562A1
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tuononen, Janne, Wu, Yi, Latvala, Mikael
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

The invention relates to a method wherein a transport layer association is established. Thereafter, a handover condition is detected in the first mobile node, which obtains a second address. The second address is updated to a first name server node. A query message is sent to a second name server node for an address of the second mobile node. The second address is indicated to the second mobile node. The first mobile node waits for a response from the second name server node or the second mobile node. Upon receiving a new address for the second mobile node from the second name server node, the first mobile node repeats the indication of the second address of the first mobile node to the second mobile node using the new address as a destination address for the second mobile node.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a transport layer association between a first mobile node and a second mobile node, said first mobile node using a first address in said establishing of said transport layer association;

detecting a handover condition in said first mobile node;

obtaining a second address for the use of said first mobile node;

updating said second address of said first mobile node to a first name server node;

indicating said second address of said first mobile node to said second mobile node;

waiting for a response from said second mobile node in said first mobile node;

upon receiving a new address for said second mobile node from a second name server node, repeating said indication of said second address of said first mobile node to said second mobile node, said repetition using said new address as a destination address for said second mobile node.

2. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

sending a query message for an address of said second mobile node to a second name server node.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the waiting step further comprises:

waiting for a response from said second name server node in said first mobile node.

4. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving said second address of said first mobile node in said second mobile node; and

recovering said transport layer association between said first mobile node and said second mobile node based on said second address of said first mobile node.

5. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

sending an initial query message for an address of said second mobile node to said second name server node from said first mobile node;

receiving an initial address of said second mobile node to said first mobile node; and

storing a logical name for said second mobile node in said first mobile node.

6. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

starting a timer for the receiving of said new address for said second mobile node from said second name server node or for the receiving of an acknowledgement for the indication of said second address of said first mobile node from said second mobile node; and

upon expiry of said timer repeating said sending of a query message for an address of said second mobile node to a second name server node and said indication of said second address of said first mobile node to said second mobile node.

7. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving an address update message in said first name server node;

extracting a logical name from said address update message;

checking whether said logical name is associated with a mobile node; and

assigning a higher priority to the updating of said address if said logical name is associated with a mobile node.

8. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving query message in said first name server node, said query message providing a logical name;

checking whether said logical name is associated with a mobile node; and

assigning a higher priority to the processing of said query message if said logical name is associated with a mobile node.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first name server node comprises a domain name server.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first name server comprises at least part of a distributed hash table for mapping logical names to node addresses.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said transport layer association comprises a stream control transmission protocol association.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first mobile node comprises a mobile station within a mobile communication system.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first mobile node comprises a wireless local area network terminal.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a transport entity configured to establish a transport layer association between said electronic device and a second mobile node, said electronic device using a first address in said establishing of said transport layer association, to receive a second address for the use of said electronic device, to indicate said second address of said electronic device to said second mobile node, to wait for a response from said second mobile node, upon receiving a new address for said second mobile node from said second name server node, to repeat said indication of said second address of said electronic device to said second mobile node, said indication using said new address as a destination address for said second mobile node;

a network entity configured to update said second address for said electronic device to a first name server node; and

a network interface configured to detect a handover condition.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, the electronic device further comprising:

said transport entity configured to send a query message for an address of said second mobile node to a second name server node.

16. The electronic device according to claim 14, the electronic device further comprising:

said transport entity configured to wait for a response from said second name server node.

17. The electronic device according to claim 14, the electronic device further comprising:

said transport entity configured to receive said second address of said first mobile node in said second mobile node and to recover said transport layer association between said first mobile node and said second mobile node based on said second address of said first mobile node.

18. The electronic device according to claim 14, the electronic device further comprising:

said transport entity configured to send an initial query message for an address of said second mobile node to said second name server node, to receive an initial address of said second mobile node to said electronic device and to store a logical name for said second mobile node in said electronic device.

19. The electronic device according to claim 14, the electronic device further comprising:

said transport entity configured to start a timer for the receiving of said new address for said second mobile node from said second name server node or for the receiving of an acknowledgement for the indication of said second address of said first mobile node from said second mobile node and, upon expiry of said timer, to repeat said sending of a query message for an address of said second mobile node to a second name server node and said indication of said second address of said electronic device to said second mobile node.

20. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein said transport layer association comprises a stream control transmission protocol association.

21. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein said electronic device comprises a mobile station within a mobile communication system.

22. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein said electronic device comprises a wireless local area network terminal.

23. An electronic device, comprising:

means for establishing a transport layer association between said electronic device and a second network node, said electronic device using a first address in said establishing of said transport layer association;

means for detecting a handover condition;

means for obtaining a second address for the use of said electronic device;

means for updating said second address of said electronic device to a first name server node;

means for indicating said second address of said electronic device to said second mobile node;

means for waiting for a response from said second mobile node in said electronic device; and

means for repeating said indication of said second address of said electronic device to said second mobile node upon receiving a new address for said second mobile node from said second name server node, said repetition of said indication using said new address as a destination address for said second mobile node.

24. A communication system, comprising:

a mobile node configured to establish a transport layer association to a second mobile node, said mobile node using a first address in said establishing of said transport layer association, to detect a handover condition, to obtain a second address, to update said second address of said mobile node to a first name server node, to indicate said second address to said second mobile node, to wait for a response from said second mobile node, upon receiving a new address for said second mobile node from a second name server node, to repeat the indication of said second address of said mobile node to said second mobile node, said repeated indication using said new address as a destination address for said second mobile node;

said second mobile node configured to establish a transport layer association with said mobile node and to receive an indication of said second address of said mobile node; and

said first name server node configured to update of said second address for said mobile node.

25. The communication system according to claim 24, the system further comprising:

said first name server node configured to receive an address update message, to extract a logical name from said address update message, to check whether said logical name is associated with a mobile node and to assign a higher priority to the updating of said address if said logical name is associated with a mobile node.

26. The communication system according to claim 24, the communication system further comprising:

said first name server node configured to receive a query message, said query message providing a logical name, to check whether said logical name is associated with a mobile node and to assign a higher priority to the processing of said query message if said logical name is associated with a mobile node.

27. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising code for controlling a processor to execute a method comprising:

establishing a transport layer association between a first mobile node and a second mobile node, said first mobile node using a first address in said establishing of said transport layer association;

obtaining a second address for said first mobile node;

updating said second address of said first mobile node to a first name server node;

indicating said second address of said first mobile node to said second mobile node;

waiting for a response from said second mobile node;

upon receiving a new address for said second mobile node from said second name server node, repeating said indication of said second address of said first mobile node to said second mobile node, said repetition of said indication using said new address as a destination address for said second mobile node.

28. The computer program according to claim 27, wherein said computer readable medium is a removable memory card.

29. The computer program according to claim 27, wherein said computer readable medium is a magnetic or an optical disk.