METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUS LOCATION PRIVACY AND ROUTE OPTIMIZATION FOR COMMUNICATION SESSIONS

• US 20090168698A1
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Weniger, Kilian, Bachmann, Jens, Schuringa, Jon
• Granted Patent: US 8,230,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for routing packets in a system of packet-switched networks comprising a plurality of home agents, at least one mobile node and at least one correspondent node, the mobile node having at least a first home address and communicating with the correspondent node over a first of the plurality of home agents. The method comprises the following steps carried out by the mobile node: receiving an application layer request message from the correspondent node; looking up a correspondent node address in a part of the application layer request message; locating a second of the plurality of home agents in proximity to a direct path between the mobile node and the correspondent node using the correspondent node address; bootstrapping with the second home agent to obtain a second home address; including the second home address in a part of an application layer response message to the correspondent node to enable the correspondent node to use the second home address for data communications with the mobile node.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method for routing packets in a system of packet-switched networks comprising a plurality of home agents, at least one mobile node and at least one correspondent node, the mobile node having at least a first home address and communicating with the correspondent node over a first of the plurality of home agents, the method comprising the following steps carried out by the mobile node:

a) receiving an application layer request message from the correspondent node;

b) looking up a correspondent node address in a part of the application layer request message;

c) locating a second of the plurality of home agents in proximity to a direct path between the mobile node and the correspondent node using the correspondent node address;

d) bootstrapping with the second home agent to obtain a second home address; and

e) including the second home address in a part of an application layer response message to the correspondent node to enable the correspondent node to use the second home address for data communications with the mobile node.

23. The method for routing packets of claim 22, wherein the application layer request message is a session initiation protocol invite.

24. The method for routing packets according to claim 22, wherein locating step c) comprises looking up the correspondent node address in a session description protocol part or in a contact field of the application layer request message.

25. The method for routing packets according to claim 22, wherein step e) comprises including the second home address in a session description protocol part or in a contact field of the application layer response message.

26. The method for routing packets according to claim 22, wherein the application layer response message is a session initiation protocol 200 ok response.

27. A method for routing packets in a system of packet-switched networks comprising a plurality of home agents, at least one mobile node and at least one correspondent node, the mobile node having at least a first home address and communicating with the correspondent node over a first of the plurality of home agents, the method comprising the following steps carried out by the mobile node:

sending a first application layer request message to the correspondent node;

receiving an application layer response message from the correspondent node;

looking up a correspondent node address in a part of the application layer response message;

locating a second of the plurality of home agents in proximity to a direct path between the mobile node and the correspondent node using the correspondent node address;

bootstrapping with the second home agent to obtain a second home address; and

informing the correspondent node to use the second home address for data communications with the mobile node.

28. The method for routing packets according to claim 27, wherein the application layer request message is a session initiation protocol invite.

29. The method for routing packets according to claim 27, wherein the locating step comprises looking up the correspondent node address in a session description part or in a contact field of the application layer response message.

30. The method for routing packets according to claim 27, wherein the application layer response message is a session initiation protocol 200 ok response.

31. The method for routing packets according to claim 27, wherein the application layer response message is a session initiation protocol 180 ringing response.

32. The method for routing packets according to claim 27, wherein the step of informing the correspondent node comprises sending a session initiation protocol re-invite message or a session initiation protocol update message.

33. A mobile node in a system of packet-switched networks comprising a plurality of home agents and at least one correspondent node, the mobile node having at least a first home address and communicating with the correspondent node over a first of the plurality of home agents, the mobile node comprising:

receiving means adapted to receive an application layer request message from the correspondent node;

means adapted to look up a correspondent node address in a part of the application layer request message;

locating means adapted to locate a second of the plurality of home agents in proximity to a direct path between the mobile node and the correspondent node using the correspondent node address;

bootstrapping means adapted to bootstrap with the second home agent to obtain a second home address; and

means adapted to include the second home address in a part of an application layer response message to the correspondent node to enable the correspondent node to use the second home address for data communications with the mobile node.

34. The mobile node according to claim 33 wherein the application layer request message is a session initiation protocol invite.

35. The mobile node according to claim 33, wherein the locating means are further adapted to look up the correspondent node address in a session description protocol part or in a contact filed of the application layer request message.

36. The mobile node according to claim 33, wherein the second home address is included in a session description protocol part or in a contact filed of the application layer response message.

37. The mobile node according to claim 33, wherein the application layer response message is a session initiation 200 ok response.

44. A system of packet-switched networks comprising a plurality of home agents, at least one mobile node according to claim 33 and at least one correspondent node, the mobile node having at least a first home address and communicating with the correspondent node over a first of the plurality of home agents.

38. A mobile node in a system of packet-switched networks comprising a plurality of home agents and at least one correspondent node, the mobile node having at least a first home address and communicating with the correspondent node over a first of the plurality of home agents, the mobile node comprising:

transmission means adapted to send an application layer request message to the correspondent node;

receiving means adapted to receive an application layer response message from the correspondent node;

means adapted to look up a correspondent node address in a part of the application layer request message;

locating means adapted to locate a second of the plurality of home agents in proximity to a direct path between the mobile node and the correspondent node using the correspondent node address;

bootstrapping means adapted to bootstrap with the second home agent to obtain a second home address; and

transmission means adapted to inform the correspondent node to use the second home address for data communications with the mobile node.

39. The mobile node according to claim 38, wherein the application layer request message is a session initiation protocol invite.

40. The mobile node according to claim 38, wherein location comprises looking up the correspondent node address in a session description protocol part or in a contact field of the application layer response message.

41. The mobile node according to claim 38, wherein the application layer response message is a session initiation protocol 200 ok response.

42. The mobile node according to claim 38, wherein the application layer response message is a session initiation protocol 180 ringing response.

43. The mobile node according to claim 38, wherein informing the correspondent node comprises sending a session initiation protocol re-invite message or a session initiation protocol update message.