FAST HANDOVER METHOD USING L2/L3 COMBINATION

• US 20090316650A1
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: HONG, Kang Woon, UM, Tai Won, RYU, Won
• Application Number:
  US12/434,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20090316650A1
• 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 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Provided is a fast handover method using a layer 2 (L2) and layer 3 (L3) combination. When a mobile node moves from a present region to another region, fast handover of the mobile node is provided using a location update function between handover control agents (HCAs), and data bicasting from an old HCA wherein the mobile node performs handover to a new HCA.

Claims

1. A handover method in an apparatus for managing location information of a mobile node, the handover method comprising:

receiving a binding update request message;

updating binding information of the mobile node by using a temporary location identifier that is newly assigned; and

transmitting an acknowledgment in response to the binding update request message.

2. The handover method of claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the binding update request message, checking whether the binding update request message is to handle a handover situation, or initial connection establishment of the mobile node.

3. The handover method of claim 1, wherein the updating comprises updating the temporary location identifier to an identifier that is newly assigned in the mobile node, in the binding information indicating a mapping relationship between a persistent location identifier that is not changed when the mobile node moves to another region and the temporary location identifier that is changed when the mobile node moves to another region.

4. The handover method of claim 1, wherein the temporary location identifier comprises an Internet protocol (IP) address.

5. A handover method in a relaying apparatus of a mobile communication network, the handover method comprising:

if receiving notification of a layer 2 (L2) association with a mobile node, transmitting a binding update request message for the mobile node;

if receiving an acknowledgment in response to the binding update request message, transmitting a tunnel update message regarding the mobile node; and

receiving an acknowledgment in response to the tunnel update message.

6. The handover method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting of the binding update request message comprises:

transmitting the binding update request message to an entity managing location information of the mobile node.

7. The handover method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting of the tunnel update message comprises:

transmitting the tunnel update message to an entity L2-associated with the mobile node.

8. A handover method in a relaying apparatus of a mobile communication network, the handover method comprising:

if recognizing a temporary location identifier regarding a correspondent node of the mobile node, transmitting a message regarding a change in an endpoint of a data tunnel towards the mobile node; and

receiving an acknowledgment in response to the message.

9. The handover method of claim 8, wherein the transmitting of the message comprises:

transmitting the message to an entity that presently controls another endpoint of the data tunnel which is associated by the correspondent node.

10. The handover method of claim 8, wherein the transmitting of the message comprises:

if receiving a tunnel update message from an entity managing location information of the mobile node, transmitting the message.

11. The handover method of claim 8, further comprising:

if receiving the acknowledgment, transmitting an acknowledgment in response to a tunnel update message to an entity managing location information of the mobile node.

12. A handover method in a relaying apparatus of a mobile communication network, the handover method comprising:

receiving a temporary location identifier of a correspondent node from an entity where a mobile node is previously located before the mobile node moves;

transmitting a message regarding a change in an endpoint of a data tunnel towards the mobile node; and

receiving an acknowledgment in response to the message.

13. The handover method of claim 12, wherein the transmitting of the message comprises:

transmitting the message to an entity that presently controls another endpoint of the data tunnel which is associated by the correspondent node.

14. A mobility supporting method of a mobile node when the mobile node performs handover from a first access network comprising a first handover control agent (HCA) to a second access network comprising a second HCA, in a system comprising handover control agents associating access networks with a core network, and a mobility information control system (MICS) located in the core network, the mobility supporting method comprising:

setting-up a tunnel towards the first HCA, based on an address of the first HCA of a message received from the MICS, wherein the setting-up is performed by the second HCA;

setting-up a tunnel towards the second HCA, based on an address of the second HCA of a deregistration message received from the MICS, wherein the setting-up is performed by the first HCA;

transmitting a location update message comprising an address of the mobile node and the address of the second HCA to a third HCA of a third access network to which a correspondent node belongs, wherein the transmitting is performed by the first HCA or the second HCA;

changing tunnel information regarding the mobile node from the first HCA to the second HCA, wherein the changing is performed by the third HCA; and

releasing a tunnel between the first HCA and the second HCA after a predetermined period of time by timeout.

15. The mobility supporting method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting of the location update message comprises:

receiving a packet of a correspondent node, which is IP-in-IP encapsulated, from the first HCA through the tunnel, wherein the receiving is performed by the second HCA;

recognizing an address of a third HCA of a third access network to which the correspondent node belongs through decapsulation of the packet, wherein the recognizing is performed by the second HCA; and

transmitting a location update message comprising an address of the mobile node and an address of the second HCA, wherein the transmitting is performed by the second HCA.

16. The mobility supporting method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting of the location update message comprises:

receiving a packet of a correspondent node, which is IP-in-IP encapsulated, wherein the receiving is performed by the first HCA;

recognizing an address of a third HCA to which the correspondent node belongs through decapsulation of the packet, wherein the recognizing is performed by the first HCA; and

transmitting a location update message comprising an address of the first HCA and an address of the second HCA to the third HCA.

17. A mobility supporting method of a mobile node when the mobile node performs handover from a first access network comprising a first handover control agent (HCA) to a second access network comprising a second HCA, in a system comprising handover control agents associating access networks with a core network, and a mobility information control system (MICS) located in the core network, the mobility supporting method comprising:

transmitting a location report message comprising an address of the mobile node, wherein the transmitting is performed by the second HCA;

receiving a deregistration message comprising an address of the second HCA from the MICS, wherein the receiving is performed by the first HCA;

if receiving a packet from a third HCA of a second access network to which a correspondent node belongs, transmitting a location update message comprising an address of the second HCA, wherein the transmitting is performed by the first HCA; and

changing tunnel information regarding the mobile node from the first HCA to the second HCA, wherein the changing is performed by the third HCA.

18. A mobility supporting method of a mobile node, in a system comprising handover control agents associating access networks with a core network, and a mobility information control system (MICS) located in the core network, the mobility supporting method comprising:

setting-up a tunnel to a second handover control agent (HCA), wherein the setting-up is performed by a first HCA receiving a link going down message generated when the mobile node performs handover from a first access network comprising the first HCA to a second access network comprising the second HCA;

forwarding a packet, received regarding the mobile node to the mobile node located in the first access network, to the mobile node located in the first access network, and forwarding the packet to the second HCA through the tunnel, wherein the forwarding is performed by the first HCA;

forwarding the packet received from the tunnel to a point of attachment (PoA) of the second access network through the tunnel; and

automatically releasing the tunnel after a predetermined period of time by timeout.