Method and system for fast IP connectivity in a mobile network

• US 6,930,988 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Perkins, Charles E., Koodli, Rajeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABELSON, RONALD B
• Application Number:
  US10/282,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20040081122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/315, 370328-329, 370/465, 370/475, 370/389, 370/392, 370/397, 370/310, 370/310.2, 370/469, 455/432, 455436-440
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• 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

An apparatus, system, and method are directed to managing connectivity in a network by expediting the ability of a mobile node to send Internet Protocol (IP) packets subsequent to a handover. The mobile node is configured to determine an unconfirmed address for use on an access router. Upon establishing a link-layer connection, and before establishing a network-layer connection with the access router, the mobile node employs the unconfirmed address to send an IP packet to the access router. Employing the unconfirmed address prior to network-layer connectivity enables the reduction of handover latencies. If the access router determines that the unconfirmed address conflicts with an existing address, the access router provides a message to the mobile node indicating the conflict in addresses. In response to the message, the mobile node performs actions to resolve the address conflict.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing connectivity in a network, comprising:

(a) a network interface that employs a packet-based protocol to send and receive packets;

(b) a mobile node configured to perform actions, including;

determining an unconfirmed address; and

if the mobile node is handed over to a router, and a network-layer connection is unestablished with the router, employing the network interface to provide a packet including the unconfirmed address to the router, wherein the mobile node singularly confirms the use of the unconfirmed address.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile node is further configured to perform actions, including:

receiving a message in response to the provided packet; and

if the message indicates that the unconfirmed address associated with the packet is already in use, determining another address.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein determining another address further comprises performing a duplicate address detection.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile node is further configured to perform actions, including:

determining if a timer is expired before a response to the provided packet is received; and

if the timer is expired before the response is received, determining another address.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining the unconfirmed address further comprises receiving information associated with the unconfirmed address from at least one of a proxy router advertisement, and a server.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the router is an access router.

7. An apparatus for managing connectivity in a network, comprising:

(a) a network interface that employs a packet-based protocol to send and receive packets;

(b) a mobile node configured to perform actions, including;

determining an unconfirmed address by receiving information associated with the unconfirmed address from at least one of a proxy router advertisement, and a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server; and

if the mobile node is handed over to a router, and a network-layer connection is unestablished with the router, employing the network interface to provide a packet including the unconfirmed address to the router, wherein the mobile node singularly confirms the use of the unconfirmed address.

8. An apparatus for managing connectivity in a network, comprising:

(a) a network interface that employs a packet-based protocol to send and receive packets;

(b) a mobile node configured to perform actions, including;

determining an unconfirmed address; and

if the mobile node is handed over to a router, and a network-layer connection is unestablished with the router, employing the network interface to provide a packet including the unconfirmed address to the router, wherein the mobile node singularly confirms the use of the unconfirmed address, and wherein the packet comprises an indicator representing that the packet includes an unconfirmed address.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the indicator is a link frame type configured to indicate a fast handover.

10. An apparatus for managing connectivity in a network, comprising:

(a) a network interface configured to send and receive packets;

(b) a router configured to enable a mobile node to connect to the network, wherein the router performs actions, including;

receiving a packet from the mobile anode over the network interface before a network-layer connection is established with the mobile node and during a handover, wherein the packet is associated with an unconfirmed address;

determining if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address; and

if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address, providing a message to the mobile node, wherein responding to the message the mobile node configures a different address.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein determining if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address further comprises determining if an entry in a memory location already exists that matches the unconfirmed address.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein determining a different address further comprises performing a duplicate address detection.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein providing the message to the mobile node further comprises using a protocol selected from one of an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), a Neighbor Discovery (ND), an Inverse Neighbor Discovery (ND), and a Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP).

14. An apparatus for managing connectivity in a network, comprising:

(a) a network interface configured to send and receive packets;

(b) a router configured to enable a mobile node and during a handover to connect to the network, wherein the router performs actions, including;

receiving a packet from the mobile node over the network interface before a network-layer connection is established with the mobile node, wherein the packet is associated with an unconfirmed address;

determining if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address; and

if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address, providing a neighbor discovery message to the mobile node, wherein responding to the message the mobile node configures a different address.

15. An apparatus for managing connectivity in a network, comprising:

(a) a network interface configured to send and receive packets;

(b) a router configured to enable a mobile node to connect to the network, wherein the router performs actions, including;

receiving a packet from the ode over the network interface before a network-layer connection is established with the mobile node and during a handover, wherein the packet comprises an indicator representing that the packet is associated with an unconfirmed address;

determining if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address; and

if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address, providing a message to the mobile node, wherein responding to the message the mobile node configures a different address.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indicator is a link frame type configured to indicate a fast handover.

17. A system for managing connectivity in a network, comprising:

(a) a network interface configured to send arid receive packets;

(b) a mobile node configured to perform actions, including;

(i) determining an unconfirmed address;

(ii) providing a packet associated with the unconfirmed address over the network interface;

(c) a router configured to perform actions, including;

(i) establishing link-layer connectivity with the mobile node;

(ii) if network-layer connectivity is unestablished with the mobile node, receiving the packet associated with the unconfirmed address from the mobile node before;

(iii) determining if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address; and

(iv) if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address, providing a message to the mobile node, wherein the mobile node determines a different address in response to the message.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein determining the different address further comprises performing a duplicate address detection.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein determining if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address further comprises determining if an entry in a memory location already exists that approximately matches the unconfirmed address.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile node is further configured to perform actions, including if a timer is expired before the message from the router is received, determining another address.

21. A system for managing connectivity in a network, comprising:

(a) a network interface configured to send and receive packets;

(b) a mobile node configured to perform actions, including;

(i) determining an unconfirmed address, in part, by determining an address from information received from at least one of a proxy router advertisement, and a server;

(ii) providing a packet associated with the unconfirmed address over the network interface;

(c) a router configured to perform actions, including;

(i) establishing link-layer connectivity with the mobile node;

(ii) if network-layer connectivity is unestablished with the mobile node, receiving the packet associated with the unconfirmed address from the mobile node before;

(iii) determining if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address; and

(iv) if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address, providing a message to the mobile node, wherein the mobile node determines a different address in response to the message.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the server is a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the packet further comprises an indicator representing that the packet is associated with an unconfirmed address.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the indicator is a link frame type configured to indicate a fast handover.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the mobile node is further configured to perform actions, including:

if the packet is associated with the unconfirmed address, setting a flag to indicate that the packet is associated with the unconfirmed address;

if a timer is expired before the message from the router is received, setting the flag to indicate an error; and

if the router provides a message to the mobile node that is associated with a confirmed address, setting the flag to indicate that a subsequent packet is a normal link frame type.

26. A method for managing connectivity in a network, comprising:

establishing a link-layer connection between a router and a requesting entity in the network;

providing a packet to the router before a network-layer connection is established between the router and a mobile node and during a handover, wherein the packet includes an unconfirmed address;

receiving the packet associated with the unconfirmed address from the requesting entity; and

if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address, providing a message to the requesting entity, wherein the requesting entity is enabled to inform the mobile node to employ a different address in response to the message.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein determining a different address further comprises performing a duplicate address detection.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein providing the message to the requesting entity further comprises using a protocol selected from one of an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), a Neighbor Discovery (ND), an Inverse Neighbor Discovery (IND), and a Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP).

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the requesting entity is at least one of a mobile node, and another router.

30. A method for managing connectivity in a network, comprising:

establishing a link-layer connection between a router and a requesting entity in the network;

providing a packet to the router before a network-layer connection is established between the router and a mobile node and during a handover, wherein the packet includes an unconfirmed address and wherein the packet further comprises an indicator representing that the packet is associated with an unconfirmed address;

receiving the packet associated with the unconfirmed address from the requesting entity; and

if the unconfirmed address conflicts with another address, providing a message to the requesting entity, wherein the requesting entity is enabled to inform the mobile node to employ a different address in response to the message.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the indicator is a link frame type configured to indicate a fast handover.