Transport efficiency optimization for Mobile IPv6

• US 7,466,680 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2002
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Spyder Navigations LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Grech, Sandro
• Primary Examiner(s): GESESSE, TILAHUN
• Application Number:
  US10/268,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20040071120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/349, 370/401, 370/475, 370/352, 370/466, 370/400, 370/328, 370/392, 370/236, 455/445, 455/432
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/10 Streamlined, light-weight or high-speed protocols, e.g. express transfer protocol [XTP] or byte stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• 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 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method and system for optimizing transport efficiency between a Mobile Node and a Correspondent Node in a Mobile IP network. A short Mobile Node Identifier is assigned to the Mobile Node. A Mobile Node Identifier Destination Option header comprising the assigned Mobile Node Identifier is used instead of the prior art Home Address Destination Option header in subsequent packets between the Mobile Node and the Correspondent Node.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing transport efficiency between a Mobile Node and a Correspondent Node in a Mobile IP Network, wherein traffic between the Mobile Node and the Correspondent Node comprises packets, the method comprising:

assigning a short Mobile Node Identifier to the Mobile Node; and

using a Mobile Node Identifier Destination Option header comprising the assigned short Mobile Node Identifier instead of a Home Address Destination Option header in subsequent packets between the Mobile Node and Correspondent Node,

wherein the assigned short Mobile Node Identifier is used throughout an entire communication path between the Mobile Node and the Correspondent Node.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a message from the Mobile Node to the Correspondent Node, the message received at the Correspondent Node comprising a set T flag,

wherein said assigning the short Mobile Node Identifier is executed in response to the set T flag in the received message.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the transmitted message is a Binding Update message.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the Binding Update message comprises a set Acknowledge flag, the Home Address of the Mobile Node and a Care-of Address of the Mobile Node.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the short Mobile Node Identifier in a Binding Cache of the Correspondent Node in association with a Home Address and a Care-of Address of the Mobile Node.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an acknowledgement message comprising the assigned short Mobile Node Identifier from the Correspondent Node to the Mobile Node.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

storing the received short Mobile Node Identifier in association with an IP address of the Correspondent Node in a data structure of the Mobile Node.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the acknowledgement message is a Binding Acknowledgement message.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein using the Mobile Node Identifier Destination Option header instead of the Home Address Destination Option header comprises:

removing the Home Address Destination Option header from a packet with said Home Address Destination Option header; and

adding the Mobile Node Identifier Destination Option header to said packet.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein using the Mobile Node Identifier Destination Option header instead of the Home Address Destination Option header comprises:

adding the Mobile Node Identifier Destination Option header to a packet with no Home Address Destination Option header.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

checking in the Correspondent Node whether an IP Source Address and a Mobile Node Identifier within a received packet correspond to the Care-of Address associated with said Mobile Node Identifier in the Binding Cache.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving the Home Address corresponding to the Mobile Node Identifier from the Binding Cache in response to a passed check; and

forwarding the packet to higher layers using the retrieved Home Address as IP Source Address of the packet.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transport efficiency optimizing is also applied to traffic between said Mobile Node and its Home Agent.

14. A system for optimizing transport efficiency between a Mobile Node and a Correspondent Node in a Mobile IP network, the network comprising at least one Mobile Node and at least one Correspondent Node, wherein traffic between the Mobile Node and the Correspondent Node comprises packets,

the system comprising:

an assigner for assigning a short Mobile Node Identifier to the Mobile Node; and

means for using a Mobile Node Identifier Destination Option header comprising the assigned short Mobile Node Identifier instead of a Home Address Destination Option header in subsequent packets between the Mobile Node and a Correspondent Node,

wherein the assigned short Mobile Node Identifier is used throughout an entire communication path between the Mobile Node and the Correspondent Node.

15. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a binding update (BU) Transmitter for transmitting a message from the Mobile Node to the Correspondent Node, the message comprising a set T flag, in response to which set T flag of a received message the assigner assigns the short Mobile Node Identifier.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the message is a Binding Update message.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the Binding Update message comprises a set Acknowledge flag, the Home Address of the Mobile Node and a Care-of Address of the Mobile Node.

18. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a Binding Cache of the Correspondent Node for storing the Mobile Node Identifier in association with a Home Address and a Care-of Address of the Mobile Node.

19. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a binding acknowledgement (BA) Transmitter for transmitting an acknowledgement message comprising the assigned short Mobile Node Identifier from the Correspondent Node to the Mobile Node.

20. The system according to claim 19, further comprising:

a data structure of the Mobile Node for storing the received short Mobile Node Identifier in association with an IP address of the Correspondent Node.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein the acknowledgement message is a Binding Acknowledgement message.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein the means for using a Mobile Node Identifier Destination Option header instead of a Home Address Destination Option header comprises:

means for removing the Home Address Destination Option header from a packet with said Home Address Destination Option header and for adding the Mobile Node Identifier Destination Option header to said packet.

23. The system according to claim 14, wherein the means for using a Mobile Node Identifier Destination Option header instead of a Home Address Destination Option header comprises:

means for adding the Mobile Node Identifier Destination Option header to a packet with no Home Address Destination Option header.

24. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a checker for checking in the Correspondent Node whether an IP Source Address and a Mobile Node Identifier within a received packet correspond to the Care-of Address associated with said Mobile Node Identifier in the Binding Cache.

25. The system according to claim 24, further comprising:

a retriever for retrieving the Home Address corresponding to the Mobile Node Identifier from the Binding Cache in response to a passed check; and

a forwarder for forwarding the packet to higher layers using the retrieved Home Address as IP Source Address of the packet.

26. The system according to claim 14, wherein the transport efficiency optimizing is also applied to traffic between the Mobile Node and its Home Agent.