ACCESS TECHNOLOGY INDEPENDENT IDENTIFIER GENERATION

• US 20100041373A1
• Filed: 08/14/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starent Networks Corporation (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: RAMANKUTTY, Rajesh, VELANDY, Rajesh, PUTHIYANDYIL, Sanil Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 8,238,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• 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 88/005 Data network PoA devices

Abstract

A network system for communicating with mobile nodes has multiple gateways that can operate with each using a different access technology. In an IPv6 system, the access gateways each provide an interface identifier to the mobile nodes using the same one or more keys and hash so that different the same interface identifier regardless of the access technology used. The access gateways can have multiple options for using keys and/or hashes to provide an interface identifier such that the method for determining the interface identifier is configurable.

Claims

1. A network system for communicating with mobile nodes, the system comprising:

a first access gateway for communicating with mobile nodes using a first access technology, the first access gateway receiving one or more keys from a mobile node and computing an interface identifier as a function of the one or more keys, wherein the one or more keys are unchanging identifiers that are specific to a particular mobile node, the access gateway communicating with the mobile node to provide a home address that is a function of the interface identifier; and

a second access gateway for communicating with mobile nodes using a second access technology different from the first access technology, the second access gateway receiving the same one or more keys from a mobile node as the first access gateway and using the one or more keys in the same manner as the first access gateway to compute the same interface identifier as a function of the one or more keys;

the second access gateway and the first access gateway thereby determining the same interface identifier when a mobile node moves from communicating with the first access gateway to communicating with the second access gateway.

2. The network of claim 1, further comprising a server for providing authentication, the server responsive to a request from the access gateway and providing an authentication response that includes a home link prefix and a home agent address.

3. The network of claim 1, further comprising an authentication server in communication with the home agent, the authentication server providing a response in response to an authentication request after a binding update, the home agent then providing a binding acknowledgement.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a home agent that communicates with the mobile node to provide a home agent binding, the home agent receiving tunneled payload information from the mobile node.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the home agent communicates payload information with the mobile node and provides the payload information to and from a correspondent node.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the keys include one or more of the following:

MSID (mobile subscriber identification), an ESN (electronic serial number), a MEID (mobile equipment identification), an IMEI (international mobile equipment identity), a NAI (network access identifier, and a username.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the access gateway obtains a home link prefix for a mobile node from a subscriber profile.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the gateways has a plurality of configurable options for determining an interface identifier.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second access gateways have a plurality of configurable options for determining an interface identifier, and wherein the gateways are configured to implement the same options for different access technologies.

10. A network device that can communicate with mobile devices and with other network nodes to implement packet data communication, the network node for determining an interface identifier from a key, received from a mobile node, and including one or a combination of a MSID (mobile subscriber identification), an ESN (electronic serial number), a MEID (mobile equipment identification), an IMEI (international mobile equipment identity), a NAI (network access identifier), and a username, and from a processing technique used on the key to produce the interface identifier for determining an address to use in communication with a mobile node, wherein the network node has multiple options for which key and/or which processing technique to use such that the key and/or processing technique are configurable.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein the network device allows a same anchor to be chosen for the mobile node, preserving the sessions running on the mobile node, if the mobile node becomes disconnected.

12. The network device of claim 10, wherein the network uses Mobile IPv6 (MIPv6) and a Home Address (HoA) is used to identify the mobile node in the network, the HoA being assigned to the mobile node by the network device during a MIPv6 bootstrapping procedure.