SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ALLOCATING AN ANCHORING POINT FOR A MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20090022124A1
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Faccin, Stefano
• Granted Patent: US 8,023,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/085 involving hierarchical organized mobility servers, e.g. hierarchical mobile IP [HMIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• 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 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A mobile terminal includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address module that requests and receives a first IP address from a home anchoring point within a home network. The first IP address is an address of the home anchoring point. The system also includes a packet module that exchanges packets with the home anchoring point via a first attachment point. The packets include the first IP address.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal, comprising:

an Internet Protocol (IP) address module that requests and receives a first IP address from a home anchoring point within a home network, wherein said first IP address is an address of said home anchoring point; and

a packet module that exchanges packets with said home anchoring point via a first attachment point, wherein said packets include said first IP address.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1 wherein said IP address module requests and receives said first IP address when the mobile terminal is establishing connectivity with said home network.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1 further comprising a mobility management module that selects one of host based IP mobility management and network based IP mobility management for the mobile terminal.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 3 wherein said IP mobility management includes at least one of a Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP), a proxy mobile IP (PMIP) and General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP).

5. The mobile terminal of claim 3 wherein said packet module exchanges packets with said home anchoring point via a second attachment point when the mobile terminal is roaming within a range of said second attachment point.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 3 wherein said mobility management module selects said host based IP mobility for communicating with said home anchoring point via said second attachment point.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1 wherein said first IP address corresponds to a public IP address for said home anchoring point.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 1 wherein one of said packets further includes a second IP address that includes an IP source address for payload data of said one of said packets, wherein said IP source address indicates a location within a packet data network from which said payload data originated.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1 further comprising an access module that requests connection to said first attachment point.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 1 wherein said packet module encapsulates outgoing ones of said packets with said first IP address, payload data, and a second IP address that identifies a destination within a packet data network for said payload data.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10 wherein said packet module encapsulates outgoing ones of said packets with a source IP address for the mobile terminal.

12. A network system, comprising:

the mobile terminal of claim 3, wherein said mobile terminal selects one of a plurality of types of mobility management; and

said home anchoring point, wherein said home anchoring point selectively provides said first IP address based on said selected one of said plurality of types of mobility management.

13. The network system of claim 12 further comprising a visited network, wherein said mobile terminal requests said connection to said first attachment point when roaming in said visited network.

14. The network system of claim 12 wherein said mobile terminal requests said connection to said first attachment point when roaming in the home network.

15. A home anchoring point within a home network, comprising:

a public address module that selectively provides a public address for the home anchoring point in response to selection of the home anchoring point by a device of the home network, wherein said selection is based on a private address for the home anchoring point, wherein said public address is requested by and is directly addressable by a mobile terminal; and

a packet module that exchanges packets with said mobile terminal, wherein said packets include said public address.

16. The home anchoring point of claim 15 wherein at least one of said public and private addresses comprises an Internet protocol (IP) address.

17. The home anchoring point of claim 15 further comprising a mobility management module that determines whether the home anchoring point supports a request for mobility from the mobile terminal.

18. The home anchoring point of claim 17 wherein said request for mobility includes a request to use one of a Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP), a proxy mobile IP (PMIP) and General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP).

19. The home anchoring point of claim 15 wherein one of said packets further includes a second address that includes an IP source address for payload data of said one of said packets, wherein said IP source address indicates a location within a packet data network from which said payload data originated.

20. The home anchoring point of claim 15 wherein said packet module encapsulates outgoing ones of said packets with said first address, payload data, and a second address that identifies a source within a packet data network for said payload data.

21. The home anchoring point of claim 20 wherein said packet module encapsulates outgoing ones of said packets with a third address that corresponds to said mobile terminal.

22. A method for operating a mobile terminal, comprising:

requesting a first Internet protocol (IP) address from a home anchoring point within a home network;

receiving said first IP address from said home anchoring point, wherein said first IP address is an address of said home anchoring point; and

exchanging packets with said home anchoring point via a first attachment point, wherein said packets include said first IP address.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising requesting and receiving said first IP address when the mobile terminal is establishing connectivity with said home network.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising selecting one of host based IP mobility management and network based IP mobility management for the mobile terminal.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said IP mobility management includes at least one of a Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP), a proxy mobile IP (PMIP) and General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP).

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising exchanging packets with said home anchoring point via a second attachment point when the mobile terminal is roaming within a range of said second attachment point.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising selecting said host based IP mobility for communicating with said home anchoring point via said second attachment point.

28. The method of claim 22 wherein said first IP address corresponds to a public IP address for said home anchoring point.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein one of said packets further includes a second IP address that includes an IP source address for payload data of said one of said packets, wherein said IP source address indicates a location within a packet data network from which said payload data originated.

30. The method of claim 22 further comprising requesting connection to said first attachment point.

31. The method of claim 22 further comprising encapsulating outgoing ones of said packets with said first IP address, payload data, and a second IP address that identifies a destination within a packet data network for said payload data.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising encapsulating outgoing ones of said packets with a source IP address for the mobile terminal.

33. The method of claim 24 further comprising selecting one of a plurality of types of mobility management;

and

selectively providing said first IP address based on said selected one of said plurality of types of mobility management.

34. A method for operating a home anchoring point within a home network, comprising:

selectively providing a public address for the home anchoring point in response to selection of the home anchoring point by a device of the home network, wherein said selection is based on a private address for the home anchoring point, wherein said public address is requested by and is directly addressable by a mobile terminal; and

exchanging packets with said mobile terminal, wherein said packets include said public address.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein at least one of said public and private addresses comprises an Internet protocol (IP) address.

36. The method of claim 34 further comprising determining whether the home anchoring point supports a request for mobility from the mobile terminal.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said request for mobility includes a request to use one of a Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP), a proxy mobile IP (PMIP) and General Packet Radio Service Tunneling Protocol (GTP).

38. The method of claim 34 wherein one of said packets further includes a second address that includes an IP source address for payload data of said one of said packets, wherein said IP source address indicates a location within a packet data network from which said payload data originated.

39. The method of claim 34 further comprising encapsulating outgoing ones of said packets with said first address, payload data, and a second address that identifies a source within a packet data network for said payload data.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising encapsulating outgoing ones of said packets with a third address that corresponds to said mobile terminal.