Method and apparatus for routing data to/from a mobile user

• US 7,203,761 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2000
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Wright, Shaun, Anderson, Mark, Fenton, Christopher John, Rai, Jagmohan S
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Chirag R.
• Application Number:
  US09/936,301
• Time in Patent Office: 2,589 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203, 709238-244, 709249-250, 709/209
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A home agent, attached to a home network, receives, adapts and forwards messages intended for a mobile node attached to one of a plurality foreign networks. The home agent, having received a message, passes the message on to a processing unit to assess whether the message should be adapted so as to be compatible with the destination foreign network and to adapt the message accordingly. The adapted message is returned to the home agent to be encapsulated and tunnelled to a foreign agent attached to the destination foreign network. The foreign agent decapsulates the message and passes it on to the mobile node. This method has the advantage that the mobile node is able to receive messages regardless of the type of network to which it is attached.

Claims

1. A method of routing communications data to a mobile user located in one of a plurality of data networks by a router, the router having a data store provided with data relating to characteristics of the networks and the associations between the networks, the method comprising:

receiving mobile user location information relating to the identity of the data network to which the mobile user is currently connected;

receiving and assembling from plural data packets communications data comprising a complete message to be sent to the mobile user,

retrieving from the store the associated characteristics of the data network to which the mobile user is currently connected, and the associations between that network and other networks;

adapting a presentational form of the complete message to another presentational form compatible with the retrieved characteristics of the data network, and

disassembling the adapted message into data packets and sending the disassembled data packets to the mobile user.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the router is a home agent attached to a home network.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the communications data comprises text data.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein the adapted communications data comprises voice data.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the adaptation of the presentational form comprises reducing its size by summarizing the communications data.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein the adapted communications data is received by an intermediary router and re-routed to the mobile user.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein the mobile user and the intermediary router are attached to the same one of the plurality of data networks.

12. A method as in claim 1, wherein the adaptation of the presentational form comprises converting image data of the complete message in a first graphics format to another graphics format.

13. A method as in claim 1, wherein the adaptation of the presentational form comprises removal of at least some of the data content.

8. A digital storage medium containing computer program to be loaded on a computer to route communications data to a mobile user located in one of a plurality of data networks each with associated characteristics, such that the computer:

stores data describing characteristics of the networks and associations between the networks;

receives mobile user location information, wherein the mobile user location information includes the identity of one of the plurality of data networks;

receives and assembles from plural data packets communications data comprising a complete message to be sent to the mobile user;

adapts a presentational form of the complete message to another presentational form compatible with the associated characteristics of the data network to which the mobile user is currently connected, and the associations between that network and other networks; and

disassembles the adapted message into data packets and sends the disassembled data packets to the mobile user.

9. A digital storage medium containing computer program in claim 8 wherein the computer program has been downloaded from a server and stored in digital storage media.

14. A digital storage medium containing computer program in claim 8 wherein the adaptation of the presentational form comprises converting image data of the complete message in a first graphics format to another graphics format.

15. A digital storage medium containing computer program in claim 8 wherein the adaptation of the presentational form comprises removal of at least some of the data content.

16. A digital storage medium containing computer program in claim 8 wherein the adaptation of the presentational form comprises converting text data to voice data.

10. A computer program stored on a storage medium, for controlling a

computer to route communications data to a mobile user located in one of a plurality of data networks by:

receiving mobile user location information which includes the identity of one of the plurality of data networks;

receiving and assembling from plural data packets communications data comprising a complete message to be sent to the mobile user;

retrieving, from a store of data describing characteristics of the networks and associations between the networks, data relating to the characteristics of said one of the plurality of data networks;

adapting a presentational form of the complete message so-as-to-be-to another presentational form compatible with the associated characteristics of said one of the plurality of data networks and

disassembling the adapted message into data packets and sending the disassembled data packets to the mobile user.

17. A computer program stored on a storage medium as in claim 10, wherein the adaptation of the presentational form comprises converting image data of the complete message in a first graphics format to another graphics format.

18. A computer program stored on a storage medium as in claim 10, wherein the adaptation of the presentational form comprises removal of at least some of the data content.

19. A computer program stored on a storage medium as in claim 10, wherein the adaptation of the presentational form comprises converting text data to voice data.

11. A data processor adapted to carry out data processing on communication data, the processor comprising:

a first receiver adapted to receive network information describing each of a plurality of data networks, wherein the network information includes data network type;

digital storage adapted to store network information;

a second receiver adapted to receive mobile user location information from a router, wherein the mobile user location information includes the identity of a selected one of the plurality of data networks;

a third receiver adapted to receive from the router communications data to be sent to the mobile user comprising a complete message assembled from plural data packets;

an information retrieval processor adapted to retrieve network information relating to the selected data network;

an adapting processor adapted to adapt a presentational form the complete message to another presentational form compatible with the data network type of the one of the plurality of data networks and

an output adapted to disassemble the adapted complete message into data packets and output the adapted disassembled data packets to the router.