Method, system and packet data serving node (PDSN) for mobile IP (MIP) registration of a mobile node (MN)

• US 6,904,033 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2000
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Perras, Michelle, Segura, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BRIAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/715,161
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/229, 370/230, 370/231, 370/335, 370/342, 370/352, 370/353, 370/395.52, 370/441, 370/465, 370/469, 455/435.1, 455/432.1, 455/433
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server

Abstract

In an IP-based cellular telecommunications network, such as for example in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 2000 cellular telecommunications network, a method, a system and a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) for registering a Mobile Node (MN) with the PDSN. Once a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connection is established between the MN and the PDSN, a PPP timer is started, the PPP timer being set to expire after a predetermined period of time. A Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP) registration takes place between the MN and the PDSN. The PDSN detects if the MIP registration is successful and if so, resets the PPP timer to a substantially higher value and the PPP session continues until one of the involved parties terminates it. If the MIP registration is not successful, the PDSN further detects if a new MIP registration request is received before the expiration of the predefined period of time, and if so, the PDSN resets the PPP timer again to the predefined period of time. Otherwise, if a new MIP registration request is not received before the timer expiration, the PDSN terminates the PPP connection. The PDSN comprises the PPP timer, an RP stack for supporting an RP connection, a PPP stack activated for the duration of the PPP connection, and a foreign agent for performing the MIP registration of the MN, which may be implemented using software or hardware modules, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. In a cellular telecommunications network, a method for Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP) registration between a Mobile Node (MN) and a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN), the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connection between the MN and the PDSN;

responsive to the establishment of the PPP connection, starting a PPP timer set to expire after a predetermined period of time;

attempting an MIP registration of the MN with the PDSN;

detecting if the MIP registration is successful;

upon detecting an unsuccessful MIP registration of the MN with the PDSN, keeping alive the PPP connection between the MN and the PDSN until an expiration of the predetermined period of time of the PPP timer;

detecting if a new MIP registration request is received by the PDSN from the MN before the expiration of the predetermined period of time; and

if a new MIP registration request is received by the PDSN from the MN before the expiration of the predetermined period of time, resetting the PPP timer to the predetermined period of time.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of attempting an MIP registration, i) is performed responsive to a receipt at the MN of an agent advertisement message received from the PDSN, and ii) comprises sending from the MN to the PDSN an MIP registration request.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time is comprised in a range of one second to ten minutes.

4. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein the predetermined period of time is comprised in a range of one minute to 5 minutes.

5. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

terminating the PPP connection if a new MIP registration request is not received by the PDSN from the MN before the expiration of the predetermined period of time.

6. An Internet Protocol-based (IP-based) cellular telecommunications system comprising:

a Mobile Node (MN); and

a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) connected to the MN through a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connection;

wherein responsive to an establishment of the PPP connection, the PDSN starts a PPP timer set to expire after a predetermined period of time, detects if an Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP) registration is successful and wherein upon detecting an unsuccessful MIP registration attempt of the MN with the PDSN, the PDSN keeps alive the PPP connection between the MN and the PDSN until an expiration of the predetermined period of time of the PPP timer, further detects if a new MIP registration request is received from the MN before the expiration of the predetermined period of time, and if a new MIP registration request is received from the MN before the expiration of the predetermined period of time, resets the PPP timer to the predefined period of time.

7. The system claimed in claim 6, wherein the IP-based cellular telecommunications system is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 2000 cellular telecommunications system.

8. The system claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the PDSN sends an agent advertisement message to the MN;

responsive to a receipt at the MN of the agent advertisement message sent by the PDSN, the MN sends an MIP registration request message for attempting to register with the PDSN.

9. The system claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined period of time is comprised in the range of one second to ten minutes.

10. The system claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined period of time is comprised in the range of one minute to 5 minutes.

11. The system claimed in claim 6, wherein the PDSN terminates the PPP connection if a new MIP registration request is not received from the MN before the expiration of the predetermined period of time.

12. A Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) comprising:

a Point-to-Point Protocol connection (PPP) timer started upon establishment of a PPP connection between the PDSN and a Mobile Node (MN), the PPP timer being set to expire after a predetermined period of time;

a PPP stack enabled upon the establishment of the PPP connection;

a PDSN/Foreign agent functionality for performing a Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP) registration of the MN with the PDSN and for detecting if the MIP registration is successful; and

wherein upon detecting an unsuccessful MIP registration attempt of the MN with the PDSN, the PDSN/Foreign agent keeps the PPP stack enabled and the PPP connection alive between the MN and the PDSN until an expiration of the predetermined period of time of the PPP timer, detects if a new MIP registration request is received from the MN before the expiration of the Predetermined period of time; and

if a new MIP registration request is received from the MN before the expiration of the predetermined period of time, resets the PPP timer to the predefined period of time.

13. The PDSN claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the PPP timer, the PPP stack, and the PDSN/Foreign agent are software modules.

14. The PDSN claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the PPP timer, the PPP stack, and the PDSN/Foreign agent are hardware modules.

15. The PDSN claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the PPP timer, the PPP stack, and the PDSN/Foreign agent are software modules running on an operating system itself running on top of a hardware platform.

16. The PDSN claimed in claim 12, wherein the PDSN operates in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 2000 cellular telecommunications system.

17. The PDSN claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the PDSN/Foreign agent sends an agent advertisement message to the MN upon establishment of the PPP connection between the PDSN and the MN; and

responsive to a receipt at the MN of the agent advertisement message, the MN sends an MIP registration request message for attempting to register with the PDSN/Foreign agent.

18. The PDSN claimed in claim 12, wherein the predetermined period of time is comprised in the range of one second to ten minutes.

19. The PDSN claimed in claim 12, wherein the predetermined period of time is comprised in the range of one minute to 5 minutes.

20. The PDSN claimed in claim 12, wherein the PDSN/Foreign agent terminates the PPP connection if a new MIP registration request is not received from the MN before the expiration of the predetermined period of time.

21. In a cellular telecommunications network, a method for Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP) registration between a Mobile Node (MN) and a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN), the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connection between the MN and the PDSN;

responsive to the establishment of the PPP connection, starting a PPP timer set to expire after a predetermined period of time;

attempting an MIP registration of the MN with the PDSN;

detecting if the MIP registration is successful; and

upon detecting an unsuccessful MIP registration of the MN with the PDSN;

sending from the PDSN to the MN an MIP registration reply for informing the MN that the MIP registration was unsuccessful;

keeping alive the PPP connection between the MN and the PDSN until an expiration of the predetermined period of time of the PPP timer; and

responsive to a receipt of the MIP registration reply at the MN, attempting an additional MIP registration of the MN with the PDSN by sending an additional MIP registration request from the MN to the PDSN, detecting if the additional MIP registration request is received by the PDSN from the MN before the expiration of the redetermined period of time and if the additional MIP registration request is received by the PDSN from the MN before the expiration of the predetermined period of time, resetting the PPP timer to the predetermined period of time wherein the steps of attempting an MIP registration and the step of attempting an additional MIP registration comprise sending from the MN to the PDSN an MIP registration request.

22. The method claimed in claim 21, wherein the predetermined period of time is comprised in a range of one second to ten minutes.

23. The method claimed in claim 22, wherein the predetermined period of time is comprised in a range of one minute to 5 minutes.

24. The method claimed in claim 21, further comprising the step of:

terminating the PPP connection if the additional MIP registration request is not received by the PDSN from the MN before the expiration of the predetermined period of time.