MOBILE IP HOME AGENT DISCOVERY

• US 20090010206A1
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tsirtsis (Georgios), George, Ahmavaara, Kalie I., Giaretta, Gerardo
• Granted Patent: US 8,559,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate Mobile IP home agent (HA) discovery in a wireless communication system. Discovery of a HA for Mobile IP can be conducted as described herein for a mobile terminal located on a network wherein movement of the terminal is managed by a network-based mobility protocol. For example, various aspects described herein can be utilized for discovery of a HA located in a 3GPP network from 3GPP and/or non-3GPP access. Further, various aspects described herein can be utilized to discover a gateway acting as mobility anchor for a network mobility protocol utilized by the network. As additionally described herein, HA discovery can be conducted in connection with DNS query formation and communication, network attach and/or re-attach procedures, Neighbor Discovery signaling, and/or other procedures.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP) home agent (HA) in a wireless communication system, comprising:

identifying a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN GW) serving as an anchor point of a network-based mobility protocol used for communication in the wireless communication system;

communicating one or more messages to the identified PDN GW containing respective requests for a MIP HA address; and

receiving information relating to the MIP HA address from the PDN GW in response to the one or more messages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the communicating one or more messages comprises communicating a Domain Name System (DNS) query to the PDN GW for a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) corresponding to the MIP HA; and

the receiving comprises receiving the MIP HA address in response to the DNS query.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising configuring the FQDN based on an access point name (APN) associated with the MIP HA.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising configuring the FQDN based on respective identities of a requesting device and a network operator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the communicating one or more messages comprises communicating a Router Solicitation message to the PDN GW; and

the receiving comprises receiving a Router Advertisement message from the PDN GW that indicates a global address for the MIP HA.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identifying comprises identifying a PDN GW with which a connection is to be established;

the communicating one or more messages comprises sending an attach request message to the identified PDN GW; and

the receiving comprises receiving an attach accept message from the identified PDN GW and an indication of a global address for the MIP HA.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the global address for the MIP HA is received in a protocol configuration option provided by the attach accept message.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the global address for the MIP HA is received from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) that is disparate from the PDN GW in a separate message from the attach accept message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the identifying comprises identifying a serving PDN GW;

the communicating one or more messages comprises communicating a DNS query for the MIP HA to the serving PDN GW;

the receiving comprises receiving a DNS reply from the serving PDN GW that indicates that the MIP HA is collocated with a PDN GW disparate from the serving PDN GW; and

the method further comprises de-attaching from the serving PDN GW and re-attaching to the PDN GW indicated in the DNS reply.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving a DNS reply from the serving PDN GW that indicates a global address for the MIP HA.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the receiving further comprises receiving a DNS reply that indicates a name of a PDN GW with which the MIP HA is collocated; and

the method further comprises receiving a global address of the MIP HA from the PDN GW indicated in the DNS reply upon attachment thereto.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-based mobility protocol is at least one of General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) or Proxy Mobile Internet Protocol (PMIP).

13. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores data relating to a home agent (HA) for Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) communication and an access router (AR) that manages the wireless communications apparatus using at least one of Proxy Mobile IP (PMIP) or General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP); and

a processor configured to provide one or more messages to the AR requesting a global address for the HA and to receive information corresponding to the global address of the HA in response.

14. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 13, wherein the memory further stores data relating to a domain name associated with the HA and the processor is further configured to communicate a Domain Name System (DNS) query to the AR for the domain name associated with the HA and to receive a responsive DNS reply comprising a global address of the HA.

15. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to configure the domain name associated with the HA based on an access point name (APN) associated with the HA.

16. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to configure the domain name associated with the HA based on respective identities of the wireless communications apparatus and an operator of the HA.

17. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a Router Solicitation message to the AR and to receive a Router Advertisement message from the AR in response that includes a global address for the HA.

18. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 13, wherein the memory further stores data relating to an AR with which a communication session is to be established and the processor is further configured to provide an attach request message to the AR with which a communication session is to be established and to receive an attach accept message and an indication of a global address of the HA in response.

19. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to identify the global address of the HA in a protocol configuration option provided in the attach accept message.

20. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the global address of the HA from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) that is disparate from the AR in connection with receiving the attach accept message.

21. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 13, wherein the memory further stores data relating to a serving AR and a domain name associated with the HA and the processor is further configured to communicate a DNS query to the AR based on the domain name of the HA, to identify a DNS reply from the AR indicating that the HA is collocated with a non-serving AR, and to de-attach from the serving AR and re-attach with the AR at which the HA is located in response to the DNS reply.

22. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to identify a global address for the HA in the DNS reply.

23. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to identify a global address for the HA from the AR indicated in the DNS reply during attachment thereto.

24. An apparatus that facilitates discovery of a Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) home agent, the apparatus comprising:

means for communicating a request for a global IP address of a home agent to a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN GW) serving as an anchor point of a network-based mobility protocol; and

means for receiving information relating to the global IP address of the home agent in response to the request.

25. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

identifying a serving access router serving as a network anchor point for one or more of Proxy Mobile Internet Protocol (PMIP) or General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP);

determining whether a Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP) home agent (HA) is collocated with the serving access router;

if a MIP HA is collocated with the serving access router, discovering a global address for the MIP HA; and

if a MIP HA is not collocated with the serving access router, establishing a connection with an access router at which a MIP HA is located and discovering a global address for the MIP HA upon establishment of a connection with the access router.

26. An integrated circuit that executes computer-executable instructions for discovering a global address of a home agent, the instructions comprising:

requesting a global address of a home agent from a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN GW) serving as an anchor point for at least one of Proxy Mobile Internet Protocol (PMIP) or General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) by employing at least one of a Domain Name Service (DNS) query for a domain name configured based on the home agent or a connection attachment procedure; and

receiving information relating to the global address of the home agent from the PDN GW.

27. A method for coordinating discovery of a Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP) home agent (HA), comprising:

identifying a mobile terminal managed through one or more of Proxy MIP or General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP);

receiving one or more messages from the identified mobile terminal containing respective requests for a global MIP HA address; and

transmitting information relating to the global MIP HA address in response to the one or more messages.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the receiving one or more messages comprises identifying a Domain Name System (DNS) query transmitted from the mobile terminal relating to a domain name configured for the MIP HA; and

the transmitting comprises transmitting a DNS reply to the mobile terminal that indicates the global MIP HA address.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the domain name used for the DNS query is configured based on an access point name (APN) associated with the MIP HA.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the domain name used for the DNS query is configured based on respective identities of the mobile terminal and an operator of the MIP HA.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the identifying a DNS query comprises intercepting a DNS query transmitted from the mobile terminal and determining whether the DNS query relates to a domain name configured for the MIP HA.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the receiving comprises receiving a Router Solicitation message from the mobile terminal; and

the transmitting comprises transmitting a Router Advertisement message to the mobile terminal that indicates the global MIP HA address.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the receiving comprises receiving one or more of a request for attachment or a request for de-attachment from the mobile terminal; and

the transmitting comprises transmitting a message to the mobile terminal accepting the received request that indicates the global MIP HA address.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the transmitting further comprises instructing a Mobility Management Entity (MME) to provide the global MIP HA address to the mobile terminal.

35. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores data relating to an access terminal for which the wireless communications apparatus serves as a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN GW) and an anchor point for a network-based mobility protocol and one or more communications of data received from the access terminal; and

a processor configured to identify respective requests for a global home agent address from the communications of data received from the access terminal and to communicate an indication of the global home agent address to the access terminal in response to the requests.

36. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 35, wherein the memory further stores data relating to a Domain Name System (DNS) query received from the access terminal relating to a domain name of the home agent and the processor is further configured to transmit a DNS reply to the access terminal that indicates the global address of the home agent.

37. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 35, wherein the domain name used for the DNS query is configured based on an access point name (APN) associated with the home agent.

38. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 35, wherein the domain name used for the DNS query is configured based on respective identities of the access terminal and an operator of the home agent.

39. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 35, wherein the processor is further configured to intercept one or more DNS queries from the access terminal and to determine whether one or more of the intercepted DNS queries relate to a domain name configured for the home agent.

40. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 35, wherein the memory further stores data relating to a Router Solicitation message received from the access terminal and the processor is further configured to transmit a Router Advertisement message to the access terminal that indicates the global home agent address.

41. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 35, wherein the memory further stores data relating to at least one of an attach request or a re-attach request received from the access terminal and the processor is further configured to provide an acceptance of a received request to the mobile terminal.

42. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 41, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the global home agent address to the access terminal in the acceptance of the received request.

43. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 41, wherein the processor is further configured to instruct a Mobility Management Entity (MME) disparate from the wireless communications apparatus to provide the global home agent address to the access terminal upon accepting the received request.

44. An apparatus that facilitates Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP) home agent (HA) discovery, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request from a user equipment (UE) managed via one or more of Proxy Mobile Internet Protocol (PMIP) or General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) for a global address corresponding to a MIP HA address for the UE; and

means for transmitting information corresponding to the global address of the MIP HA to the UE in response to the request.

45. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

identifying information comprising one or more of a Domain Name System (DNS) query, a Router Solicitation message, or an attachment request provided by a terminal managed via at least one of Proxy Mobile Internet Protocol (PMIP) or General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP); and

providing information to the terminal relating to a global address of a home agent for the terminal in response to the identified information.

46. An integrated circuit that executes computer-executable instructions for facilitating discovery of a home agent at a requesting mobile device, the instructions comprising:

identifying a mobile device utilizing at least one of Proxy Mobile Internet Protocol (PMIP) or General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP) for mobility management through an associated wireless communication network;

receiving a request for a global home agent address from the mobile device in connection with at least one of a Domain Name Service (DNS) query for a domain name configured based on the home agent or a connection attachment procedure; and

relaying information relating to the global home agent address to the mobile device.