METHOD AND FUNCTION FOR MAINTAINING MAPPING BETWEEN MEDIA INDEPENDENT HANDOVER FUNCTIONS AND TRANSPORT ADDRESSES

• US 20090232094A1
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Four Batons Wireless LLC (Two Gold Capital LLC)
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson), Toshiba America Electronic Components Incorporated (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: OHBA, Yoshihiro, CHENG, Yuu-Heng Alice
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/005 involving radio access media independent information, e.g. MIH [Media independent Hand-off]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A media-independent handover (MIH) environment supports a MIH function that uses a mapping table to communicate with other MIH functions using a MIH transport protocol. The MIH function updates the mapping table upon receipt of a message having fields to invoke an operation. The operation can update an existing mapping or delete a mapping. The operation also can update a lifetime value for a mapping for a particular address. The mapping table includes mappings. A mapping includes a MIH function identifier, a list of transport addresses, and a lifetime value.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining mapping between entities within a media-independent handover (MIH) environment, the method comprising:

accessing a mapping table to obtain at least one transport address corresponding to a peer MIH function, wherein the at least one transport address is used by a MIH transport protocol; and

invoking an operation regarding a mapping of the at least one transport address in the mapping table based on a change of a status of the peer MIH function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the peer MIH function is a mobile node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of invoking an operation includes invoking an update address operation that updates the at least one transport address in the mapping table.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of invoking the update address operation includes invoking a create address operation to create the at least one transport address in the mapping table.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of invoking the update address operation includes modifying the at least one transport address within the mapping table.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of invoking the operation includes deleting a mapping of the at least one transport address from the mapping table.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of invoking the operation includes updating a lifetime of a mapping within the mapping table.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a message having fields to invoke the operation, wherein at least one field includes a source identifier that indicates the peer MIH function.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the message includes a heartbeat message.

10. A method for maintaining mapping within a media-independent handover (MIH) network having at least two MIH functions, the method comprising:

generating a mapping table at a MIH function, wherein the mapping table includes a mapping having a MIH function identifier, a list of transport addresses and a lifetime value;

receiving a message at the MIH function from a peer MIH function; and

invoking an operation to update or delete the mapping in response to the message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the invoking step includes invoking a create mapping operation to create the mapping in the mapping table using a source identifier and transport address list within the message.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the invoking step includes invoking a modify address operation to modify the mapping within the mapping table using information within fields of the message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the invoking the modify address operation step includes replacing the list of transport addresses within the mapping.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the invoking the modify address operation step includes appending at least one new transport address to the list of transport addresses.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the message using a MIH transport protocol.

16. A media-independent handover (MIH) function within a network having a MIH transport protocol, the function comprising:

a mapping table including a mapping to communicate with another MIH function within the network, wherein the mapping includes a MIH function identifier, a list of transport addresses and a lifetime value corresponding the other MIH function; and

a transport protocol to provide a message from the other MIH function that invokes an operation to maintain the mapping based upon information within the fields of the message.

17. The MIH function of claim 16, wherein the MIH function includes a point of service function.

18. The MIH function of claim 16, wherein the MIH function includes a mobile node.

19. The MIH function of claim 16, wherein the mapping includes a lifetime value that indicates when the mapping is to be deleted unless updated.

20. The MIH function of claim 19, wherein the lifetime value is assigned per a transport address.

21. A method of maintaining mapping at an entity within a media-independent handover (MIH) environment, the method comprising:

receiving a message at the entity indicating an operation to be invoked regarding a mapping within a mapping table at the entity, wherein the mapping table is used in communications by the entity;

performing the operation for the mapping in the mapping table, wherein the operation updates a list of transport addresses in the mapping; and

updating a lifetime value for the mapping based on information within a field in the message.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the updating step includes assigning the lifetime value per a transport address.