Method and system for mobile IP nodes in heterogeneous networks

• US 7,356,013 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2002
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Linder, Jan, Danzeisen, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Huy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURPHY, RHONDA L
• Application Number:
  US10/481,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20040176023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,127 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A recording medium including computer program instructions which cause a computer to execute a method of assigning IP addresses to mobile IP nodes in heterogeneous networks in which a home agent dynamically assigns a temporary IP care-of address to a static IP home address when the mobile node is moved in the heterogeneous networks, the dynamic care-of address indicating the topologically current network location of the mobile node and IP data packets having the IP home address of the mobile node as a destination address being redirected to the care-of address of the mobile node, including checking the mobile node for available physical network interfaces, generating a lookup table with the available and configurable physical network interfaces, linking to one of the available physical network interfaces, accessing the heterogeneous networks via a permanent virtual IP network interface generated in the mobile node, the generated permanent virtual IP network interface being linked to the current network, and including a generated virtual L3 layer and a generated virtual L2 layer and updating, during a change of the physical network interface of the mobile node, the link of the permanent virtual IP network interface to the network based on the lookup table.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium including computer program instructions which cause a computer to execute a method of assigning IP addresses to mobile IP nodes in heterogeneous networks in which a home agent dynamically assigns a temporary IP care-of address to a static IP home address when a mobile node is moved in the heterogeneous networks, the dynamic care-of address indicating the topologically current network location of the mobile node and IP data packets having the IP home address of the mobile node as a destination address being redirected to the care-of address of the mobile node, said method comprising:

checking the mobile node for available configurable physical network interfaces,

generating a lookup table with the available and configurable physical network interfaces,

linking an interface administration module to one of the available configurable physical network interfaces,

accessing the heterogeneous networks via a permanent virtual IP network interface generated in the mobile node, the generated permanent virtual IP network interface being linked to the topologically current network indicated by the dynamic care-of address, and including a generated virtual L3 layer and a generated virtual L2 layer, and

updating, during a change of the physical network interface of the mobile node, the link of the permanent virtual IP network interface to the network based on the lookup table.

2. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the checking step is completed periodically.

3. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the updating step is completed automatically.

4. The computer-readable medium according to claim 3, wherein criteria for the automatic updating of the physical interface is determined by a user.

5. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, further comprising instructions which cause the computer to execute a method comprising:

buffering outgoing IP data packets when the network link of the mobile node is interrupted, so that the output data rate of the one or more IP applications is maintained or is kept within a particular fluctuation tolerance.

6. The computer-readable medium according to claim 3, further comprising instructions which cause the computer to execute a method comprising:

buffering outgoing IP data packets when the network link of the mobile node is interrupted, so that the output data rate of the one or more IP applications is maintained or is kept within a particular fluctuation tolerance.