Mobile data rate enhancement via foreign agent load balancing
First Claim
1. A method of routing data from a home agent of a home communications network to a mobile node associated with the home communications network but currently connected to a foreign communications network away from the home communications network, the method comprising:
- determining the location of a plurality of foreign agent nodes associated with the foreign communications network from which data may be transmitted to the mobile node; and
transmitting from the home agent successive data units from a received stream of data units intended for the mobile node to different respective ones of the foreign agent nodes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Data is routed through the Internet to a mobile node by using home agents and foreign agents to provide mobility functions. Data transfer rates to the mobile node are improved by providing for transfer of data from the home agent to a plurality of foreign agents on a round-robin basis, which can be enhanced by checking the quality of the connection between the foreign agent and the mobile node and re-routing the data through another foreign agent if certain predetermined quality criteria are not met.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of routing data from a home agent of a home communications network to a mobile node associated with the home communications network but currently connected to a foreign communications network away from the home communications network, the method comprising:
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determining the location of a plurality of foreign agent nodes associated with the foreign communications network from which data may be transmitted to the mobile node; and
transmitting from the home agent successive data units from a received stream of data units intended for the mobile node to different respective ones of the foreign agent nodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of routing data to a mobile node within a communications network, comprising:
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determining the location of a location of a plurality of agent nodes from which data may be transmitted to the mobile node; and
transmitting successive data units from a stream of data units intended for the mobile node to different respective ones of the agent nodes;
wherein the agent nodes are foreign agents within a Mobile IP based network.
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10. A communications system for mobile data transfer comprising:
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a mobile node connectable to a foreign network away from its home network;
a home agent node associated with the home network for receiving a stream of data units intended for the mobile node; and
a plurality of foreign agent nodes associated with the foreign network for forwarding data units received from the home agent node to the mobile node;
wherein the home agent node is configured to transmit different data units from the received stream of data units to different respective ones of the foreign agent nodes. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A communications system for mobile data transfer, the system comprising:
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a correspondent node;
a mobile node;
a first agent node and a second agent node for respectively receiving successive ones of data units transmitted from the correspondent node, the first agent node having a first individual data transfer rate to the mobile node and the second agent node having a second individual data transfer rate to the mobile node;
wherein the correspondent node is capable of transferring data to the mobile node at a composite data transfer rate which is the sum of the first and second individual data transfer rates. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method of transmitting successive data units from a stream of data units from a correspondent node of a home communications network to a mobile node through different respective ones of foreign agent nodes, wherein each of the foreign agent nodes is capable of transferring data to the mobile node at a respective individual data transfer rate, the mobile node being associated with the home communications network but currently connected to a foreign communications network away from the home communications network, wherein the method comprises:
transmitting from the correspondent node successive data units from a stream of data units to the mobile node using different respective ones of the foreign agent nodes associated with the foreign network at an aggregate data transfer rate, the aggregate data transfer rate being the sum of the individual data transfer rates. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A communications system for mobile data transfer, the system comprising:
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a correspondent node of a home communications network;
a mobile node associated with the home communications network but currently connected to a foreign communications network away from the home communications network; and
a plurality of foreign agent nodes associated with the foreign communications network for respectively receiving successive ones of data units transmitted from the correspondent node, each of the foreign agent nodes being capable of transferring data to the mobile node at a respective individual transfer rate;
wherein the correspondent node is capable of transferring data to the mobile node at a composite data transfer rate which is the sum of the individual data transfer rates. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification