COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM, COMMUNICATIONS PROCESSING METHOD, AND NODES

• US 20090207855A1
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: WATANABE, Teruyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,089,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

To the logical links established between the first node and the second node by use of the first protocol belonging to the first layer, a signal, which is a signal of the second protocol belonging to the second layer higher than the first layer and to which signal the information identifying the transmission source node is transmitted. The first and the second nodes manage the communications links in association with the node identifier added to the signal received through the communications links.

Claims

1. A communication system including a first node and a second node operable to communicate with the first node, the system comprising:

means that transmits a signal of a second protocol belonging to a second layer, the signal having a source node identifier, to a logical communication link established between the first node and the second node by using a first protocol belonging to the first layer, the second layer being higher than the first layer; and

means that manages the communication link in association with the node identifier added to the signal received through the communication link.

2. A method of communication processing in a communication system including a first node and a second node operable to communicate with the first node, the method comprising:

transmitting a signal of a second protocol belonging to a second layer, the signal having a source node identifier, to a logical communication link established between the first node and the second node by using a first protocol belonging to the first layer, the second layer being higher than the first layer; and

managing the communication link in association with the node identifier added to the signal received through the communication link.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the management includes processing of identifying, based on the node identifier, logical communication links redundantly established between the first node and the second node and releasing either one of the links.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the node executing the releasing is a node having the node identifier, as number information, smaller than that of the other node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the logical communication link to be subjected to the releasing is established by a node serving as a source node and having the number information, as the node identifier, smaller than that of the other node.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first node and the second node each are radio base stations,

wherein the first protocol is a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) belonging to a transport layer as the first layer, and

wherein the signal of the second protocol is an inter-base station control signal belonging to an application layer as the second layer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the inter-base station control signal is a control signal relating to handover processing.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the first node and the second node each have a communication function used for a security architecture for Internet protocol (IPSec) that belongs to a network layer as the first layer, and

wherein the signal of the second protocol is an inter-node control signal belonging to an application layer as the second layer.

9. A second node operable to communicate with a first node, the second node comprising:

reception means operable to receive a signal of a second protocol belonging to a second layer, the signal having a node identifier of the first node, from a logical communication link established between the nodes by using a first protocol belonging to a first layer, the second layer being higher than the first layer; and

management means operable to manage the communication link in association with the node identifier added to the signal received by the reception means.

10. The node of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting means operable to transmit a signal of the second protocol, which signal has a node identifier of the second node added thereto, to the link.

11. The node of claim 9, wherein the management means comprises:

an identifying unit to identify, based on the node identifier, logical communication links redundantly established between the nodes; and

a releasing unit to release either one of the identified communication links.

12. The node of claim 11, wherein the releasing unit executes the releasing, when the node identifier, as number information, of the second node is smaller than that of the node identifier received from the first node.

13. The node of claim 12, wherein the releasing unit releases the link established by the second node serving as a source node.

14. The node of claim 9, wherein the first node and the second node each are radio base stations,

wherein the first protocol is a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) belonging to a transport layer as the first layer, and

wherein the signal of the second protocol is an inter-base station control signal belonging to an application layer as the second layer.

15. The node of claim 14, wherein the inter-base station control signal is a control signal relating to handover processing.

16. The node of claim 9,

wherein the first node and the second node each are nodes having a communication function used for a security architecture for Internet protocol (IPSec) as the first protocol belonging to a network layer as the first layer, and

wherein the signal of the second protocol is a inter-node control signal belonging to an application layer as the second layer.

17. A first node operable to communicate with a second node, the first node comprising:

node identifier adding means operable to add a node identifier of the first node to a signal to be transmitted to a logical communication link established between the nodes by using a first protocol belonging to a first layer, which signal is a signal of a second protocol belonging to a second layer higher than the first layer; and

transmitting means to transmit the signal of the second protocol, the signal having the node identifier, to the communication link.