Method and apparatus for communication control of mobile computers in communication network systems using private IP addresses

• US 6,965,946 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimbo, Atsushi, Ishiyama, Masahiro, Inoue, Atsushi, Moriya, Osamu, Okamoto, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C.
• Application Number:
  US10/180,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/245, 709/227, 709/228, 455/432, 455/444, 455/433, 455/434, 455/435, 370/254, 370/328, 370/475
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/005 Data network PoA devices

Abstract

A communication control in a communication network system using a mobile computer, capable of realizing flexible address control and management for the mobile computer. When the mobile computer is located within a home network, a communication with the mobile computer is carried out by transferring data using a home address specific to the mobile computer which is a private address. When the mobile computer is located within an external own organization network, a communication with the mobile computer is carried out by routing data to the external own organization network using a care-of address indicating a current visited location of the mobile computer in the system which is a global address, and addressing the mobile computer within the external own organization network using the home address. When the mobile computer is located within an external other organization network, a communication with the mobile computer is carried out by routing data to the external other organization network using the care-of address, and addressing the mobile computer within the external other organization network using a mobile address assigned to the mobile computer at a time of moving outside the own organization networks which is a global address.

Claims

1. A relay device for relaying communication data in a communication network system formed by a plurality of computers for communicating data with each other through a plurality of interconnected networks, said plurality of computers including at least one mobile computer for communicating data while changing a location in the communication network system, the relay device being provided in a home network of the mobile computer and comprising:

management means for managing an address information for the mobile computer within own organization networks of the mobile computer, the address information containing a corresponding set of a first location identifier, a second location identifier and a third location identifier, the first location identifier being a location identifier specific to the mobile computer which is uniquely defined within the own organization networks, the second location identifier being a location identifier reserved for the mobile computer which is uniquely defined over all the networks, and the third location identifier being a location identifier indicating a current visited location of the mobile computer in the communication network system which is uniquely defined over all the networks;

processing means for obtaining the third location identifier corresponding to the first location identifier or the second location identifier of a destination computer attached to communication data transmitted from a source computer according to the address information, and transferring the communication data by attaching the obtained third location identifier to the destination computer; and

means for managing a plurality of location identifiers reserved for mobile computers belonging to the own organization networks, and assigning one of said plurality of location identifiers as the second location identifier to each mobile computer which is moving out to an external other organization network.

2. A relay for relaying communication data in a communication data in a communication network system formed by a plurality of computers for communicating data with each other through a plurality of interconnected networks, said plurality of computers including at least one mobile computer for communicating data while changing a location in the communication network system, the relay device being provided in a home network of the mobile computer and comprising:

management means for managing an address information for the mobile computer within own organization networks of the mobile computer, the address information containing a corresponding set of a first location identifier, a second location identifier and a third location identifier, the first location identifier being a location identifier specific to the mobile computer which is uniquely defined within the own organization networks, the second location identifier being a location identifier reserved for the mobile computer which is uniquely defined over all the networks, and the third location identifier being a location identifier indicating a current visited location of the mobile computer in the communication network system which is uniquely defined over all the networks; and

processing means for obtaining the third location identifier corresponding to the first location identifier or the second location identifier of a destination computer attached to communication data transmitted from a source computer according to the address information, and transferring the communication data by attaching the obtained third location identifier to the destination computer;

wherein when the mobile computer is located within an external own organization network and the communication data has a destination specified by the first location identifier, the processing means encapsulates the communication data including the first location identifier using the third location identifier corresponding to the first location identifier and then transfers the communication data to the external own organization network.

3. A relay device for relaying communication data in a communication network system formed by a plurality of computers for communicating data with each other through a plurality of interconnected networks, said plurality of computers including at least one mobile computer for communicating data while changing a location in the communication network system, the relay device being provided in a home network of the mobile computer and comprising:

management means for managing an address information for the mobile computer within own organization networks of the mobile computer, the address information containing a corresponding set of a first location identifier, a second location identifier and a third location identifier, the first location identifier being a location identifier specific to the mobile computer which is uniquely defined within the own organization networks, the second location identifier being a location identifier reserved for the mobile computer which is uniquely defined over all the networks, and the third location identifier being a location identifier indicating a current visited location of the mobile computer in the communication network system which is uniquely defined over all the networks; and

processing means for obtaining the third location identifier corresponding to the first location identifier or the second location identifier of a destination computer attached to communication data transmitted from a source computer according to the address information, and transferring the communication data by attaching the obtained third location identifier to the destination computer;

wherein when the mobile computer is located within an external other organization network and the communication data has a destination specified by the first location identifier, the processing means encapsulates the communication data using the third location identifier corresponding to the first location identifier, and then transmits the communication data to a data packet processing device provided in a home network of the mobile computer.

4. A relay device for relaying communication data in a communication network system formed by a plurality of computers for communicating data with each other through a plurality of interconnected networks, said plurality of computers including at least one mobile computer for communicating data while changing a location in the communication network system, the relay device being provided in a home network of the mobile computer and comprising:

management means for managing an address information for the mobile computer within own organization networks of the mobile computer, the address information containing a corresponding set of a first location identifier, a second location identifier and a third location identifier, the first location identifier being a location identifier specific to the mobile computer which is uniquely defined within the own organization networks, the second location identifier being a location identifier reserved for the mobile computer which is uniquely defined over all the networks, and the third location identifier being a location identifier indicating a current visited location of the mobile computer in the communication network system which is uniquely defined over all the networks; and

processing means for obtaining the third location identifier corresponding to the first location identifier or the second location identifier of a destination computer attached to communication data transmitted from a source computer according to the address information, and transferring the communication data by attaching the obtained third location identifier to the destination computer;

wherein when the mobile computer is located within an external other organization network and the communication data has a destination specified by the first location identifier, the processing means replaces the first location identifier contained in the communication data by the second location identifier corresponding to the first location identifier, then encapsulates the communication data using the third location identifier corresponding to the first location identifier, and then transmits the communication data to the external other organization network.