ROUTE OPTIMIZATION OF A DATA PATH BETWEEN COMMUNICATING NODES USING A ROUTE OPTIMIZATION AGENT

• US 20120044949A1
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Inventors: Velev, Genadi, Bachmann, Jens, Ikeda, Shinkichi, Hirano, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 8,737,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• 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

The invention relates to optimizing a data path between two communication nodes. A route optimization agent (ROA) is determined in the current network of the second communication node, preferably on the data path between the two communication nodes. Then, an IP tunnel is established between the first communication node and the ROA, the IP tunnel and the corresponding security association of said IP tunnel being based on the home address of the first communication node in its home network. The first communication node may have two IP tunnels based on the same home address, one to its home agent and one to the ROA. Corresponding routing entries and binding cache entries need to be established in the ROA and the first communication node so that all data packets between the two communication nodes are exchanged via the established IP tunnel over the ROA.

Claims

1-36. -36. (canceled)

37. A method for optimizing a data path along which data packets are exchanged between a first communication node and a second communication node in a communications system, wherein at least the first communication node is located in a foreign network, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting from the first communication node a local connection request to a management entity of the first communication node in the foreign network, the local connection request comprising identity information of the second communication node,

determining by the management entity in the foreign network in response to the received local connection request a local data gateway in the foreign network based on the identity information of the second communication node, wherein the local data gateway is determined to be a gateway of the second communication node in the foreign network or a gateway of the first communication node in the foreign network, and

exchanging all data packets between the first and second communication node via the local data gateway.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the local data gateway is the gateway used by the second communication node, the method further comprising the step of:

establishing a tunnel between a radio control entity, to which the first communication node is attached in the foreign network, and the local data gateway, wherein the data packets are forwarded between the radio control entity and the local data gateway over the established tunnel.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the management entity in the foreign network instructs the radio control entity and the local data gateway to establish the tunnel between them.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the management entity in the foreign network determines the gateway used by the second communication node based on the identity information of the second communication node.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein the management entity in the foreign network determines the gateway used by the second communication node based on the identity information of the second communication node.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein the identity information of the second communication node is an IP (Internet Protocol) address, and the management entity in the foreign network infers the gateway used by the second communication node from the IP prefix of the IP address of the second communication node.

43. The method according to claim 40, wherein the management entity in the foreign network transmits a request to a management entity of the second communication node, and the management entity of the second communication node transmits information on the gateway used by the second communication node to the management entity of the first communication node.

44. The method according to claim 40, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting by the first communication node a gateway detection message towards the second communication node,

intercepting by an intercepting entity on the data path between the first and second communication nodes the gateway detection message, and transmitting in response a gateway detection reply message to the first communication node comprising information on the gateway used by the second communication node,

wherein the local gateway request transmitted from the first communication node to the management entity of the first communication node comprises the received information on the gateway used by the second communication node, and

wherein the gateway used by the second communication node is determined by the management entity based on the information on the gateway used by the second communication node received in the local gateway request.

45. The method according to claim 38, further comprising the step of:

defining in the local data gateway a routing entry associating the home address of the first communication node with the established tunnel to the radio control entity for forwarding data packets, coming from the second communication node and destined to the home address of the first communication node, from the local data gateway to the radio control entity using the established tunnel.

46. The method according to claim 37, wherein the local data gateway is the gateway used by the second communication node, and wherein a serving gateway of the first communication node is determined by the management entity to be the local serving gateway of the first communication node, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a tunnel between the serving gateway of the first communication node in the foreign network and the local data gateway, wherein the data packets are forwarded between the serving gateway and the local data gateway over the established tunnel, and

establishing a second tunnel between a radio control entity, to which the first communication node is attached in the foreign network, and the serving gateway of the first communication node, wherein the data packets are forwarded between the radio control entity and the serving gateway of the first communication node over the established second tunnel.

47. The method according to claim 45, wherein the management entity of the first communication node instructs the serving gateway to establish the tunnel with the local data gateway, and instructs the serving gateway and the radio control entity to establish the second tunnel.

48. The method according to claim 45, further comprising the step of:

defining in the local data gateway a routing entry associating the home address of the first communication node with the established tunnel to the serving gateway for forwarding data packets, coming from the second communication node and destined to the home address of the first communication node, from the local data gateway to the serving gateway using the established tunnel,

defining in the serving gateway of the first communication node another routing entry associating the home address of the first communication node with the established second tunnel to the radio control entity,

defining in the serving gateway of the first communication node another routing entry associating the home address of the second communication node with the established tunnel to the local data gateway, and

defining in the radio control entity another routing entry associating the home address of the second communication node with the established second tunnel to the serving gateway of the first communication node.

49. The method according to claim 37, wherein the first communication node is attached to a relay node, and data packets to and from the first communication node are tunneled between the relay node and a relay node gateway being the serving gateway of the first communication node, and the local data gateway is determined to be the gateway used by the second communication node, the method further comprising the step of:

instructing the relay node gateway by the management entity of the first communication node to establish a tunnel to the local data gateway.

50. The method according to claim 49, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting by the first communication node or the relay node information to the management entity of the first communication node about the first communication node being attached to the relay node, and

determining the relay node gateway by the management entity of the first communication node based on the received information on the relay node.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein the step of informing the management entity includes transmitting an access point name of the relay node to the management entity of the first communication node, and the step of determining the relay node gateway is based on the access point name of the relay node.

52. The method according to claim 37, wherein the local data gateway is determined to be the gateway used by the first communication node in the foreign network, based on information on the location of the first communication node in the foreign network, the method further comprising the steps of:

determining by the management entity of the first communication note a gateway of the second communication node in the foreign network, based on the identity information of the second communication node, and

establishing a tunnel between the local data gateway and the gateway of the second communication node in the foreign network, for forwarding data packets between the local data gateway and the gateway of the second communication node.

53. A communication node that exchanges data packets with a second communication node in a communications system, wherein the communication node is located in a foreign network, the communication node comprising:

a transmitter adapted to transmit a local connection request to a management entity of the communication node in the foreign network, the local connection request comprising identity information of the second communication node, wherein the local connection request and the comprised identity information of the second communication node are used by the management entity to determine a local data gateway in the foreign network to be either a gateway of the second communication node or a gateway of the first communication node in the foreign network.

54. The communication node according to claim 53, wherein the communication node has a home IP address, and further comprises a receiver, adapted to receive from the local data gateway or the management entity IP address information on the local data gateway,

wherein a processor of the communication node is adapted to configure a new local IP address for the communication node based on the IP address information on the local data gateway, and

wherein the transmitter is further adapted to transmit data packets to the second communication node using the home IP address, and data packets to other communication nodes using the local IP address of the communication node.

55. The communication node according to claim 53, wherein the local connection request transmitted to the management entity further comprises a cell identifier of a cell to which the communication node is attached.

56. The communication node according to claim 53, wherein the communication node is attached to a relay node, and data packets to and from the communication node are tunneled between the relay node and a relay node gateway, the communication node comprising:

the transmitter adapted to transmit information to the management entity of the communication node about the communication node being attached to the relay node.