Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating local mobility management in a heterogeneous radio communication network

• US 7,463,605 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sarikaya, Behcet, Choyi, Vinod Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kang; Suk Jin
• Application Number:
  US10/313,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20040109472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395.5, 370/395.54
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method for facilitating routing of a datagram sourced at a content source to a mobile node. The mobile node is selectably operable in a heterogeneous network having two or more network parts operable pursuant to different operating protocols. An ARP broadcast is generated either gratuitously or by proxy mechanism on behalf of the mobile by the GGSN, Access Router or by the Home Agent indicating the network element that is responsible for forwarding of datagrams to the mobile and thereby implying the network part with which the mobile node is resident. And, the datagram is forwarded from the gateway network to the network element that is responsible for forwarding of datagrams to the mobile node. The datagrams are then routed through the network part identified by the broadcast to be the network part with which the mobile node is resident.

Claims

1. In a radio communication system having a network including a first part operable pursuant to a first operating protocol and a second part operable pursuant to a second operating protocol, and the radio communication system having a mobile node selectably operable pursuant to each of the first and second operating protocols and positionable to be resident with either of the first part and the second part, an improvement of apparatus for facilitating routing of a datagram to an appropriate one of the first part and the second part, said apparatus comprising:

a detector operable to receive a mobile-generated message from the mobile node indicating residence of the mobile node within one of the first part and the second part of the network;

a network-based identification broadcaster at least coupled to receive presence indication representative of residence of the mobile node with either of the first part and the second part of the network from said detector, and in response thereto, said network-based identification broadcaster for generating and simultaneously broadcasting to nodes other than the mobile node within both the first part and the second part of the network a broadcast message identifying the mobile node, the residence thereof with either of the first part and the second part of the network, and an address of a network element responsible for forwarding of the datagram to the mobile node within either of the first part and the second part of the network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said detector detects in which, if any, of the first part and the second part with which the mobile node is resident based on the mobile-generated message.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said detector comprises a first part detector portion associated with the first part of the network, said first part detector portion for detecting residence of the mobile node with the first part of the network.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said detector comprises a second part detector portion associated with the second part of the network, said second part detector portion for detecting when the mobile node is resident with the second part of the network.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the mobile node selectably generates a registration message and wherein said detector detects in which, if any, of the first part and the second part with which the mobile node is resident responsive to detection of the registration message.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the registration message generated by the mobile node is selectably of a first type and of a second type, generation of the first type made when the mobile node is to be resident with the first part and generation of the second type made when the mobile node is to be resident with the second part, and wherein said detector comprises parts capable of detecting the registration message of the first type and of the second type.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the network further comprises a home agent and wherein said detector is embodied at the home agent.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said network-based identification broadcaster is embodied at the home agent.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said network-based identification broadcaster comprises a first part identification broadcaster portion associated with the first part of the network, said first part identification broadcaster portion for broadcasting the message identifying the mobile node, the residence thereof when the mobile node is resident with the first part of the network, and the MAC address of the network element responsible for forwarding of datagrams to the mobile within the first part of the network.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first part of the network comprises a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) having an access router, and wherein said first part identifier broadcaster portion is embodied at the access router of the WLAN.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first part identifier broadcaster portion performs Proxy or Gratuitous Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) broadcasts at selected intervals responsive to residence of the mobile node with the WLAN.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a first part listing maintained at the WLAN, the first part listing identifying indicia of the mobile node when resident with the WLAN.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the mobile node is identified by an IP (Internet Protocol) address and wherein the identifying indicia of the mobile node contained at the first part listing comprises the IP address of the mobile node along with the MAC address of the mobile node.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said network based identification broadcaster further comprises a second part identification broadcaster portion associated with the second part of the network, said second part identification broadcaster portion for broadcasting the message identifying the mobile node, the residence thereof when the mobile node is resident with the second part of the network, and the MAC address of the network element responsible for forwarding of datagrams to the mobile node within the second part of the network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the second part of the network comprises a cellular network operable pursuant to a cellular system operating specification and having an access gateway, and wherein said second part identifier broadcaster is embodied at the access gateway.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the cellular network is operated pursuant to a GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service) or UMTS operating specification, wherein the access gateway defines a GGSN (Gateway GPRS Service Node), and wherein said second part identifier is embodied at the GGSN.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said second part identifier broadcaster portion performs either Proxy or Gratuitous Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) broadcasts at selected intervals responsive to residence of the mobile node with the cellular network.

18. In a method for communicating in a radio communication system having a network including a first part operable pursuant to a first operating protocol and a second part operable pursuant to a second operating protocol, and the radio communication system having a mobile node selectably operable pursuant to each of the first and second operating protocols and positionable to be resident with either of the first part and second part, an improvement of a method for facilitating routing of a datagram to an appropriate one of the first part and the second part, said method comprising:

detecting with which of the first part and the second part of network the mobile node resides upon receipt of a mobile-generated message from the mobile node indicating residence of the mobile node within one of the first part and the second part of the network; and

generating and simultaneously broadcasting to nodes other than the mobile node within both the first part and the second part of the network a broadcast message identifying the mobile node and the residence thereof with either of the first part and the second part of the network in response to the mobile-generated message and wherein the broadcast message also identifies a link-layer address of a network element that is responsible for forwarding of datagrams to the mobile node within either of the first part and the second part of the network.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said operation of detecting comprises the operations of separately detecting, at each of the first part of the network and the second part of the network, for residence of the mobile node thereat.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said operation of broadcasting comprises generating from the first part of the network, Proxy or Gratuitous Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) broadcasts responsive to detection of residence of the mobile node with the first part of the network.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein said operation of broadcasting comprises generating, from the second part of the network;

Proxy or Gratuitous Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) broadcasts responsive to detection of residence of the mobile node with the second part of the network.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein said operation of broadcasting comprises generating from the gateway network part of the network;

Proxy or Gratuitous Address Resolution Protocol broadcasts responsive to detection of residence of the mobile node within either the first or the second part of the network.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising an operation of maintaining a listing containing identifying indicia identifying the mobile node when resident at each of the first and second parts of the network.