Method and apparatus for mobile internet protocol regional paging

• US 7,142,520 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2000
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Haverinen, Henry, Malinen, Jari T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, PHUC H
• Application Number:
  US09/595,112
• Time in Patent Office: 2,356 Days
• Field of Search: 405/433, 370310-330, 370/335, 370/338, 370/340, 370/345, 370/350, 370/311, 370503-512, 370/347
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/00 Access restriction access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08; Network selection; Access point selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile internet protocol regional paging network 10 includes a paging foreign agent for handling a regional registration of a mobile node visiting a paging area, which includes internet protocol subnetworks. In operation, the mobile node periodically can provide an idle mode request to the paging foreign agent to enter an idle mode so as to deactivate one or more components for energy-saving purposes and reduce active communication with the mobile internet protocol regional paging network. The invention provides a small and link-layer independent extension to Mobile Internet Protocol with Regional Registrations to support power-constrained operation in the mobile nodes and to reduce routing state information in the visited domain. The extension allows a Mobile Node to enter a power saving Idle Mode during which its location is known with the coarse accuracy defined by a Paging Area. The mobile node and the visited domain may optionally agree on time slots used for Agent Advertisements and paging. The mobile node 14 may include a mobile phone, a pager, or any telecommunications device capable of wireless communicating, including communication over the internet.

Claims

1. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network having a visited-domain mobility agent for handling a regional registration of a mobile node visiting a paging area,

the mobile node having an idle mode module for periodically providing an idle mode request to the visited-domain mobility agent containing information that the mobile node is entering an idle mode so as to deactivate one or more components for energy-saving purposes and reduce active communication with the mobile internet protocol regional paging network,

the mobile node negotiating a time slot based paging scheme with the visited-domain mobility agent.

2. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 1, characterized in that

the time slot based paging scheme includes the exchange of information about time slots used for paging area advertisements by the visited-domain mobility agent, a message for the mobile node to deduce its current paging area, or a combination thereof.

3. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 1, characterized in that

time instant are expressed in relation to a current time of day, if the mobile node and the visited-domain agent have accurate and synchronized time of day clocks.

4. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 1, characterized in that

time instants are expressed in relation to some time instant that the mobile node and the visited-domain agent both know, including time instants when periodic paging area advertisements are broadcast.

5. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 1, characterized in that

the idle mode request contains parameters for negotiating time slot based paging with the visited-domain mobility agent.

6. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 5, characterized in that

one of the parameters is a paging slot interval parameter for time slot based paging support.

7. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 1, characterized in that

the visited-domain mobility agent has an idle mode reply extension module that provides an idle mode reply containing parameters that can be used to determine a time instant when the mobile node expects to be paged.

8. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 7, characterized in that

the parameters include a paging slot index parameter and a paging slot offset.

9. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 1, characterized in that

the visited-domain mobility agent has a visitor list module that responds to the idle mode request, modifies its visitor list to include the mobile node and maintains a paging state for the mobile node as an idle mode.

10. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 1, characterized in that

the mobile internet protocol regional paging network further comprises a leaf foreign agent for providing a paging area advertisement with a paging area ID extension containing information about the paging area the mobile node is visiting.

11. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 10, characterized in that

the paging area advertisement contains an advertisement interval extension that specifies a time interval between subsequent paging area advertisements.

12. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 1, characterized in that

the visited-domain mobility agent responds to a regional registration request from the mobile node and maintains the paging state for the mobile node as an active mode.

13. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 1, characterized in that

the visited-domain mobility agent responds to a packet from a corresponding node addressed to the mobile node by requesting the visited-domain agent of the paging area to page the mobile node.

14. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 1, characterized in that

the mobile node responds to a paging message containing an identifier of the mobile node and enters an active mode.

15. A mobile internet protocol regional paging network according to claim 1, characterized in that

the mobile node responds to a paging area advertisement having a paged mobile node address extension with a paging multicast address and enters an active mode.

16. A method for entering an idle mode in a mobile internet protocol regional paging network having a visited-domain mobility agent for handling a regional registration of a mobile node visiting a paging area, the mobile node having a plurality of components that consume energy when activated, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:

periodically providing with the mobile node an idle mode request to the visited-domain mobility agent containing information that the mobile node is entering an idle mode so as to deactivate one or more components of the mobile node for energy-saving purposes and reduce active communication with the mobile internet protocol regional paging network; and

negotiating a time slot based paging scheme with the visited-domain mobility agent and agreeing on time slots used for paging area advertisements and paging within the paging area.

17. A method according to claim 16, characterized in that the method further comprises the steps of:

responding with the visited-domain mobility agent to the idle mode request from the mobile node;

modifying a visiting list to include the mobile node; and

maintaining a paging state for the mobile node as an idle mode.

18. A mobile node for entering a mobile internet protocol regional paging network having a visited-domain mobility agent for handling a regional registration of the mobile node visiting a paging area, the mobile node comprising:

an idle mode module for periodically providing an idle mode request to the visited-domain mobility agent containing information that the mobile node is entering an idle mode so as to deactivate one or more components for energy-saving purposes and reduce active communication with the mobile internet protocol regional paging network; and

a time slot paging module for negotiating time slot based paging with the visited-domain mobility agent.

19. A mobile node according to claim 18, characterized in that

the time slot paging module negotiates a time slot based paging scheme with the visited-domain mobility agent and agrees on time slots used for paging area advertisements and paging within the paging area.

20. A mobile node according to claim 18, characterized in that

time instant are expressed in relation to a current time of day, if the mobile node and the visited-domain agent have accurate and synchronized time of day clocks.

21. A mobile node according to claim 18, characterized in that

time instants are expressed in relation to some time instant that the mobile node and the visited-domain agent both know, including a time instants when periodic paging area advertisements are broadcast.

22. A mobile node according to claim 18, characterized in that

the idle mode request contains parameters for negotiating time slot based paging with the visited-domain mobility agent.

23. A visited-domain mobility agent for handling a regional registration of a mobile node visiting a paging area in a mobile internet protocol regional paging network,

the mobile node having an idle mode module for periodically providing an idle mode request to the visited-domain mobility agent containing information that the mobile node is entering an idle mode so as to deactivate one or more components for energy-saving purposes and reduce active communication with the mobile internet protocol regional paging network,

the visited-domain mobility agent having an idle mode reply extension module for negotiating time slot based paging with a time slot paging module of the mobile node.

24. A visited-domain mobility agent according to claim 23, characterized in that

the visited-domain mobility agent negotiates a time slot based paging scheme with the mobile node and agrees on time slots used for paging area advertisements and paging within the paging area.

25. A visited-domain mobility agent according to claim 23, characterized in that

time instant are expressed in relation to a current time of day, if the mobile node and the visited-domain agent have accurate and synchronized time of day clocks.

26. A visited-domain mobility agent according to claim 23, characterized in that

time instants are expressed in relation to some time instant that the mobile node and the visited-domain agent both know, including time instants when periodic paging area advertisements are broadcast.