Address option for use in an internet protocol-based multimedia mobile network

• US 6,765,896 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2000
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rege, Kiran M., Doshi, Bharat Tarachand, Jiang, Hong, Monogioudis, Pantelis, Ahmed, Walid
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Application Number:
  US09/480,763
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/395.52, 370/389, 370/390, 370/392, 455/426, 455/433, 455/456, 375/219, 375/220, 375/222, 375/295, 375/316
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

In an IP addressing aspect of the invention, a method for use in facilitating transfer of packets in an Internet Protocol (IP) based communications system, wherein the communications system includes a plurality of network nodes and a plurality of mobile user stations, comprises the steps of: (i) inserting an address option field in a packet header of a packet to be transferred in the communications system, the address option field including supplemental address related data for facilitating transfer of packets in the communications system; and processing the packet within at least one of a network node and a mobile user station in the communications system in accordance with the supplemental address related data in the address option field of the packet header. The address option field may comprise an address type field, an address length field and an address data field. Various address related data may be included in the address data field to facilitate transfer of packets in an IP-based communications system.

Claims

1. A method for use in facilitating transfer of packets in an Internet Protocol (IP) based communications system, the communications system including a plurality of network nodes and a plurality of mobile user stations, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning one or more temporary location IP addresses to one or more mobile user stations in the communications system, each temporary location IP address being a combination of an identifier of the mobile user station and an identifier of a network node in the communications system with which the mobile user station is currently associated;

inserting an address option field in a packet header of a packet to be transferred in the communications system, the address option field including supplemental address related data for facilitating transfer of packets in the communications system; and

processing the packet within at least one of a network node and a mobile user station in the communications system in accordance with a temporary location IP address and the supplemental address related data in the address option field of the packet header.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the address option field comprises at least one of an address type field, an address length field and an address data field.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the address option field comprises a permanent IP address of a mobile user station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the address option field further indicates that the recipient of the packet to be transferred is a home location register of a mobile user station in the communications system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the address option field includes a temporary location IP address previously associated with a mobile user station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the address option field includes a temporary location IP address to be subsequently associated with a mobile user station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the address option field includes an IP address of a multicast group associated with a mobile user station.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of network nodes is mobile.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP-based communications system is an IPv4-based communications system.

10. Apparatus for use in a mobile user station for facilitating transfer of packets in an Internet Protocol (IP) based communications system, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor operative to;

(i) insert data in an address option field in a packet header of a packet to be transferred in the communications system, the inserted data including supplemental address related data for facilitating transfer of packets in the communications system; and

(ii) process a received packet in accordance with supplemental address related data in an address option field of a packet header of the received packet, wherein the mobile user station has a temporary location IP address assigned thereto, the temporary location IP address being a combination of an identifier of the mobile user station and an identifier of a network node in the communications system with which the mobile user station is currently associated.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the address option field comprises at least one of an address type field, an address length field and an address data field.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the address option field comprises a permanent IP address of a mobile user station.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the address option field further indicates that the recipient of the packet to be transferred is a home location register of a mobile user station in the communications system.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the address option field includes a temporary location IP address previously associated with a mobile user station.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the address option field includes a temporary location IP address to be subsequently associated with a mobile user station.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the address option field includes an IP address of a multicast group associated with a mobile user station.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the IP-based communications system is an IPv4-based communications system.

18. Apparatus for use in a network node for facilitating transfer of packets in an Internet Protocol (IP) based communications system, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor operative to;

(i) insert data in an address option field in a packet header of a packet to be transferred in the communications system, the inserted data including supplemental address related data for facilitating transfer of packets in the communications system; and

(ii) process a received packet in accordance with supplemental address related data in an address option field of a packet header of the received packet, wherein a mobile user station in the communications system has a temporary location IP address assigned thereto, the temporary location IP address being a combination of an identifier of the mobile user station and an identifier of a network node in the communications system with which the mobile user station is currently associated.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the address option field comprises at least one of an address type field, an address length field and an address data field.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the address option field comprises a permanent IP address of a mobile user station.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the address option field further indicates that the recipient of the packet to be transferred is a home location register of a mobile user station in the communications system.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the address option field includes a temporary location IP address previously associated with a mobile user station.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the address option field includes a temporary location IP address to be subsequently associated with a mobile user station.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the address option field includes an IP address of a multicast group associated with a mobile user station.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the IP-based communications system is an IPv4-based communications system.