PROVIDING PROXY MOBILE IP OVER A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20110128913A1
• Filed: 11/23/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: MARKS, Robert, GIBBS, Andrew, CHOWDHURY, Kuntal, VELANDY, Rajesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing interconnection between network operation environments are disclosed in some embodiments. This can include providing interoperability between 3GPP and 3GPP2 standards environments. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes receiving a request from a mobile device for service at a gateway, determining a mode of operation for the mobile device by inspecting an incoming message, wherein the mode of operation includes 3GPP and 3GPP2, establishing a connection using a proxy mobile internet protocol (PMIP), where the type of connection established is dependent on the mode of operation, providing an IP address to a mobile device based on the mode of operation and the parameters associated with the mode of operation, and communicating with an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server operating in accordance with the mode of operation.

Claims

1. A gateway comprising:

an interface configured to operate in accordance with a plurality of modes of operation, wherein the modes of operation include a 3GPP operating mode and a 3GPP2 operating mode;

an interworking module configured to manage the mode of operation, establish a proxy mobile internet protocol (PMIP) connection based on the mode of operation, and provide an internet protocol (IP) address to a mobile device based on the mode of operation and parameters associated with the mode of operation; and

an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) proxy module that is configured to communicate with a 3GPP2 AAA server in the 3GPP2 operating mode and is configured to communicate with a 3GPP AAA server in the 3GPP operating mode.

2. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the interworking module is further configured to determine the mode of operation by inspecting a registration request (RRQ) or a proxy binding update (PBU) message that includes an indication of the mode of operation.

3. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the proxy communicates with an accounting and authorization (AAA) server using a S6b interface.

4. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the gateway is an access gateway and includes functionalities of a packet data serving node (PDSN), a mobility access gateway (MAG), and/or a foreign agent (FA).

5. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the interface communicates with the mobile device in accordance with client mobile IP (CMIP) or simple IP (SIP).

6. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the interworking module provides a proxy binding acknowledgement message that provides a packet data network type.

7. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the interworking module provides for a plurality of packet data network (PDN) connections and IP addresses with the mobile device.

8. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the 3GPP operating mode includes one or more of GSM, UMTS, HSPA, and LTE, and the 3GPP2 operating mode includes one or more of IS-95, CDMA 2000, and EVDO.

9. The gateway of claim 1, wherein the authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) proxy module communicates with the 3GPP AAA server in the 3GPP operating mode via a 3GPP2 proxy.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a mobile device for service at a gateway;

determining a mode of operation for the mobile device by inspecting an incoming message, wherein the mode of operation includes 3GPP and 3GPP2;

establishing a connection using a proxy mobile internet protocol (PMIP), where the type of connection established is dependent on the mode of operation;

providing an IP address to the mobile device based on the mode of operation and the parameters associated with the mode of operation; and

communicating with an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server operating in accordance with the mode of operation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the mode of operation includes inspecting a proxy binding update (PBU) message that includes an indication of mode of operation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the communicating with an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server includes communicating over a S6b interface.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the establishing is performed on the access gateway that includes functionalities of a packet data serving node (PDSN), a mobility access gateway (MAG), and/or a foreign agent (FA).

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating with the mobile device in accordance with client mobile IP (CMIP) or simple IP (SIP) from the gateway.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a proxy binding acknowledgement (PBA) message that includes a packet data network (PDN) type.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a plurality of packet data network (PDN) connections and IP addresses with the mobile device.

17. Logic encoded on one or more tangible computer readable media for execution and when executed operable to:

receive a request from a mobile device for service;

determine a mode of operation for the mobile device by inspecting an incoming message, wherein the mode of operation includes 3GPP and 3GPP2;

establish a connection using a proxy mobile internet protocol (PMIP), where the type of connection established is dependent on the mode of operation;

provide an IP address to the mobile device based on the mode of operation and parameters associated with the mode of operation; and

communicate with an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server operating in accordance with the mode of operation.

18. The logic of claim 17, wherein the establishing is performed at the access gateway that includes functionalities of a packet data serving node (PDSN), a mobility access gateway (MAG), and/or a foreign agent (FA).

19. The logic of claim 17, further comprising providing a plurality of packet data network (PDN) connections and IP addresses with the mobile device.

20. The logic of claim 17, further comprising providing a proxy binding acknowledgement (PBA) message that includes a packet data network (PDN) type.