Network Discovery Mechanisms

• US 20100165947A1
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Four Batons Wireless LLC
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson), Toshiba Corporation
• Inventors: Taniuchi, Kenichi, Ohba, Yoshihiro, Madhani, Sunil, Das, Subir, Dutta, Ashutosh
• Granted Patent: US 8,929,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/10 Reselecting an access point controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

In some of the preferred embodiments, a method for network discovery of a mobile device to use at least one of a plurality of access networks within an IP network includes: obtaining specified network information in the vicinity of a given location based on a set of criteria when a mobile is connected to the IP network from any location.

Claims

1. A method for a media independent handover function entity to discover and obtain network information, comprising;

making a query by using location information of the media independent handover function entity;

delivering the query from the media independent handover function entity to an information server; and

reporting back the list of network information refined based on the location information from the server to the media independent handover function entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information is used as a look-up key while making the query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information is a MAC address of a network element.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the media independent handover function entity obtains the MAC address of the network element by listening to a beacon frame.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information element is an access point.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information is a geographic address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information is a civic address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information is geo-coordinates.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a range of the geo-coordinates is associated with an IP address when the geo-coordinates are used as the location information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the media independent handover function entity is a mobile.