ROUTE OPTIMIZATION FOR DIRECTLY CONNECTED PEERS

• US 20100260101A1
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Vanderveen, Michaela, Park, Vincent D., Tsirtsis, George
• Application Number:
  US12/420,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20100260101A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Aspects relate to allowing peer nodes that establish a communication through a home agent to move that session to a directly connected link. Thus, the directly connected nodes can exchange packets natively without encapsulation. Further aspects allow a node that does not have any home agent entity to switch from a local network to a global network without losing ongoing sessions.

Claims

1. A method performed by a first node for moving a communication session from a network path to a directly connected path, the method comprising:

employing a processor executing instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium to implement the following;

sending to a second node a first message that includes an address of the first node;

receiving at the first node a second message that includes a first information element, the second message is received at the address over the network path;

sending a third message to the second node over a directly connected path, the third message includes the first information element; and

tunneling messages between the first node and the second node over the directly connected path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein including the first information element in the third message indicates that the address points to the first node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a communication session between the first node and the second node over the network path;

ascertaining the first node and the second node are directly connected; and

selecting to communicate over the directly connected path before sending the first message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information element is a token generated by the second node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is sent through a home agent over the network path.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the address is a home address of the first node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is a Home Test Init Message, the second message is a Home Test message, and the third message is a Home Test Response Message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is sent to initiate a return routability test for the address of the first node.

9. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to communicating to a node an address included in a first message, conveying to the node a second message that includes a first element received in a reply message from the node, and tunneling messages over a directly connected path, wherein the reply message is received over a network path and the second message is conveyed over the directly connected path; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions retained in the memory.

10. The communication apparatus of claim 9, the memory further retains instructions related to establishing a communication session with the node over the network path and deciding to transfer the communication to the directly connected path before sending the first message.

11. The communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein deciding to transfer the communication to the directly connected path is based on peer discovery or link sensing.

12. The communication apparatus of claim 9, wherein the reply message is received at the address included in the first message.

13. The communication apparatus of claim 9, wherein the reply message is not received if the address is not owned by the communication apparatus.

14. The communication apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first element is a token generated by the node and the address is a home address of the communication apparatus.

15. The communication apparatus of claim 9, wherein the reply message is routed though a home agent over the network path.

16. A communication apparatus that transfers a communication session from a network path to a directly connected path, comprising:

means for communicating to a peer node a first message that includes a home address of communication apparatus;

means for receiving from the peer node a second message that includes a first element, the second message is received over a network path;

means for transmitting to the peer node a third message that includes the first element, the third message is transmitted over a directly connected path; and

means for tunneling messages over the directly connected path.

17. The communication apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for establishing a session with the peer node over the network path;

means for determining an availability of the directly connected path; and

means for deciding to communicate with the peer node over the directly connected path, before the first message is communicated.

18. The communication apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first element is a token generated by the peer node and the first element included in the third message indicates that the home address points to the communication apparatus.

19. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to establish a communication link with a peer node over a network path;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to ascertain a direct path is available for communication with the peer node;

a third set of codes for causing the computer to send a first message to the peer node, the first message includes a home address;

a fourth set of codes for causing the computer to receive at the home address a second message that includes a first element, the second message is received over the network path;

a fifth set of codes for causing the computer to transmit a third message over the direct path; and

a sixth set of codes for causing the computer to tunnel messages with the peer node over the direct path.

20. At least one processor configured to switch a communication session from a network path to a directly connected path, comprising:

a first module for sending to a peer node a first message that includes an address;

a second module for receiving a second message that includes a first element, the second message is sent to the address over the network path;

a third module for sending a third message to the second node over a directly connected path, the third message includes the first element; and

a fourth module for tunneling messages between the first node and the second node over the directly connected path.

21. A method performed by a first node for moving a communication session from a network path to a directly connected path, the method comprising:

employing a processor executing instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium to implement the following;

receiving from a second node a first message that includes an address;

transmitting a second message that includes a first element to the second node, the second message is sent to the address over the network path;

receiving a third message over a directly connected path;

ascertaining if the third message includes the first element; and

tunneling messages over the directly connected path if the third message includes the first element.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the third message from the second node includes the first element if the home address points to the second node.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

establishing a session with the second node over a network link; and

receiving an indication that the second node is available over the directly connected path.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the first element is a token generated by the first node.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the first message is received from a home agent over a network path.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the first message is a Home Test Init Message, the second message is a Home Test message, and the third message is a Home Test Response Message.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the first message is received for initiation of a return routability test for the address of the second node.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the address is a home address of the second node.

29. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to receiving a first message that includes an address of a peer node, transmitting over a network path to the address a reply message that includes a first element, receiving a second message over a directly connected path, determining if the second message includes the first element, and tunneling messages over the directly connected path if the second message includes the first element; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions retained in the memory.

30. The communications apparatus of claim 29, the memory further retains instructions related to establishing a session with the peer node over the network path before receiving the first message.

31. The communications apparatus of claim 29, wherein receiving the second message that includes the first element indicates that the address points to the peer node.

32. The communications apparatus of claim 29, wherein the first element is a token generated by the communications apparatus.

33. The communications apparatus of claim 29, wherein if the second message does not include the first element it indicates that the address does not point to the peer node.

34. The communications apparatus of claim 29, wherein the address received in the first message is a home address of the first node.

35. The communications apparatus of claim 29, wherein the first message is received from a home agent over the network path.

36. A communications apparatus that transfers a communication session from a network path to a directly connected path, comprising:

means for establishing a communication session with a peer node over a network path;

means for receiving a first message from the peer node, the first message includes an address;

means for conveying a second message to the address over the network path, the second message includes a first element;

means for ascertaining if a third message received from the peer node over a directly connected path includes the first element; and

means for tunneling messages over the directly connected path with the peer node if the third message includes the first element.

37. The communications apparatus of claim 36, wherein the first element is a token generated by the communications apparatus.

38. The communications apparatus of claim 36, wherein the first message is received for initiation of a return routability test for the address of the peer node.

39. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to establish a communication link with a peer node over a network path;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to receive a first message from the peer node, the first message includes a home address;

a third set of codes for causing the computer to transmit to the home address a second message that includes a first element, the second message is transmitted over the network path;

a fourth set of codes for causing the computer to receive a third message over the direct path; and

a fifth set of codes for causing the computer to tunnel messages with the peer node over the directly connected path if the third message includes the first element.

40. At least one processor configured to switch a communication session from a network path to a directly connected path, comprising:

a first module for receiving from a peer node a first message that includes an address of the peer node;

a second module for transmitting a second message that includes a first element to the address over the network path;

a third module for receiving a third message over a directly connected path; and

a fourth module for tunneling messages with the peer node over the directly connected path if the third message includes the first message.