Efficient dynamic home agent discovery algorithm and system

• US 6,751,672 B1
• Filed: 06/02/1999
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Khalil, Mohamed, Akhtar, Haseeb, Qaddoura, Emad
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, LAMBERT L
• Application Number:
  US09/324,323
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/230, 709/204, 709/206, 709/220, 709/221, 709/201, 714/4, 379/219, 379/202.01, 379/309
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

An efficient and improved dynamic home agent discovery algorithm and system to be used in a protocol for network communications. The present invention encapsulates and integrates communications of the home agents into a single home agent communication. Communication between a mobile node and the home agents is simplified to a single home agent communication. Dynamic home agent discovery processes are performed, based on the single home agent communication. Encapsulation is achieved by having each of the home agents maintain a home agent list that contains information about each of the home agents coupled to the home link. A designated home agent receives and processes home agent discovery requests from the mobile node on behalf of home agents coupled to the home link, and a designated home agent sends home agent advertisements to and communicates with the mobile node.

Claims

1. An efficient dynamic home agent discovery method for managing communications and utilization of resources between a mobile node and home agents coupled to a home link, said method comprising:

encapsulating and integrating communications of multiple home agents into a single home agent communication,

generating a list of one or more available home agents,

integrating into the single home agent communication the list of the available home agents,

communicating the single home agent communication to a mobile node so that the mobile node can select a home agent from the list of available home agents.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step further comprises:

one or more of the home agents maintaining the list of the available home agents, said list containing one or more items of information about one or more of the available home agents, wherein the one or more items of information include at least one of an Internet Protocol address of the home agent, a remaining lifetime relating to the home agents, and one or more items of priority information relating to the home agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step further comprises:

transmitting one or more heart beat messages between the multiple home agents.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing the encapsulating, integrating, and communicating steps with a single server.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more heart beat messages further comprise:

a type field for indicating a type of the home agents, a priority field for indicating a priority status of the home agent, a home agent Internet Protocol address field for indicating a home agent Internet Protocol address of the home agent, and a life time field for indicating a life time of the home agent.

6. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

selecting a designated home agent to communicate to the mobile node on behalf of the multiple home agents, and

wherein said communicating step further comprises said designated home agent communicating the single home agent communication to the mobile node.

7. An efficient method for managing communication and utilization of resources between a mobile node and home agents coupled to a home link, said method comprising:

receiving an encapsulated and integrated communication from a home agent, said encapsulated and integrated communication containing a list of one or more available home agents and one or more of items of information included in the set of a type of the home agent as indicated in a type field, a priority status of the home agent as indicated in a priority status field, a home agent Internet Protocol address as indicated in a home agent Internet Protocol address field, and a life time of the home agent as indicated in a life time field,

responsive to receiving the list of available home agents contained in the encapsulated and integrated communication, retrieving, from the list of one or more available home agents, one or more of said items of information,

responsive to retrieving one or more of said items of information, selecting and designating for communication a home agent from the list of available home agents.

8. An efficient dynamic home agent discovery system for managing communication and utilization of resources between a mobile node and home agents coupled to a home link, said method comprising:

means for encapsulating and integrating communications of multiple home agents into a single home agent communication,

means for generating a list of one or more available home agents,

means for integrating into the single home agent communication the list of the available home agents,

means for communicating the single home agent communication to a mobile node so that the mobile node can select a home agent from the list of available home agents.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the generating means further comprise:

means for one or more of the home agents maintaining the list of the available home agents, said list containing means for one or more items of information about one or more of the available home agents, wherein the one or more items of information include means for at least one of an Internet Protocol address of the home agent, means for a remaining lifetime relating to the home agent, and means for one or more items of priority information relating to the home agent.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the generating means further comprise:

means for transmitting one or more heart beat messages between the multiple home agents.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for performing the encapsulating, integrating, and communicating steps with a single server.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for transmitting one or more heart beat messages further comprise:

means for a type field for indicating a type of the home agent, means for a priority field for indicating a priority status of the home agent, means for a home agent Internet Protocol address field for indicating a home agent Internet Protocol address of the home agent, and means for a life time field for indicating a life time of the home agent.

13. The system of claim 8, said method further comprising:

means for selecting a designated home agent to communicate to the mobile node on behalf of the multiple home agents, and

wherein said communicating means further comprise means for said designated home agent communicating the single home agent communication to the mobile node.

14. An efficient system for managing communication and utilization of resources between a mobile node and home agents coupled to a home line, said system comprising:

means for receiving an encapsulated and integrated communication from a home agent, said encapsulated and integrated communication containing a list of one or more available home agents and one or more of items of information included in the set of a type of the home agent as indicated in a type field, a priority status of the home agent as indicated in a priority status field, a home agent Internet Protocol address as indicated in a home agent Internet Protocol address field, and a life time of the home agent as indicated in a life time field,

means for, responsive to receiving the list of available home agents contained in the encapsulated and integrated communication, retrieving, from the list of one or more available home agents, one or more of said items of information,

means for, responsive to retrieving one or more of said items of information, selecting and designating for communication a home agent from the list of available home agents.

15. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for providing efficient dynamic home agent discovery for managing communication and utilization of resources between a mobile node and home agents coupled to a home link, said computer program product comprising:

instructions on the computer readable medium for encapsulating and integrating communications of multiple home agents into a single home agent communication,

instructions on the computer readable medium for generating a list of one or more available home agents,

instructions on the computer readable medium for integrating into the single home agent communication the list of the available home agents,

instructions on the computer readable medium for communicating the single home agent communication to a mobile node so that the mobile node can select a home agent from the list of available home agents.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the generating instructions further comprise:

instructions on the computer readable medium for one or more of the home agents maintaining the list of the available home agents, said list containing one or more items of information about one or more of the available home agents, wherein the one or more items of information include at least one of an Internet Protocol address of the home agents, a remaining lifetime relating to the home agent, and one or more items of priority information relating to the home agent.

17. The computer program product in a computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the generating instructions further comprises:

instructions on the computer readable medium for transmitting one or more heart beat messages between the multiple home agents.

18. The computer program product in a computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

instructions on the computer readable medium for performing the encapsulating, integrating, and communicating steps with a single server.

19. The computer program product in a computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein instructions on the computer readable medium for transmitting one or more heart beat messages further comprise:

instructions on the computer readable medium for generating a type field for indicating a type of the home agent, a priority field for indicating a priority status of the home agent, a home agent Internet Protocol address field for indicating a home agent Internet Protocol address of the home agent, and a life time field for indicating a life time of the home agent.

20. The computer program product in a computer readable medium of claim 15, said computer program product further comprising:

instructions on the computer readable medium for selecting a designated home agent to communicate to the mobile node on behalf of the multiple home agents, and

wherein said instructions on the computer readable medium further comprise instructions for said designated home agent communicating the single home agent communication to the mobile node.

21. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for efficient management of communication and utilization of resources between a mobile node and home agents coupled to a home line, said method comprising:

instructions on the computer readable medium for receiving an encapsulated and integrated communication from a home agent, said encapsulated and integrated communication containing a list of one or more available home agents and one or more of items of information included in the set of a type of the home agent as indicated in a type field, a priority status of the home agent as indicated in a priority status field, a home agent Internet Protocol address as indicated in a home agent Internet Protocol address field, and a life time of the home agent as indicated in a life time field,

instructions on the computer readable medium for, responsive to receiving the list of available home agents contained in the encapsulated and integrated communication, retrieving, from the list of one or more available home agents, one or more of said items of information,

instructions on the computer readable medium for, responsive to retrieving one or more of said items of information, selecting and designating for communication a home agent from the list of available home agents.