Method and system for local mobility management

• US 7,539,164 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Maenpaa, Sanna, Vesterinen, Seppo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scheibel, Robert C
• Application Number:
  US10/989,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/352, 370/338, 709/239, 709/238, 709/202, 709/250, 455/436
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/085 involving hierarchical organized mobility servers, e.g. hierarchical mobile IP [HMIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/087 for preserving data network PoA address despite hand-offs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

The present invention describes a method and system for local mobility management in which the mobility management taking place inside the mobile agent (MA) domain is hidden from the home agent (HA) and correspondent node (CN). In the method the mobile agent (MA) prefix information is broadcast over the air interface. An access router is implemented in the cellular access node (CAN). The cellular access node (CAN) also comprises a cellular access point (CAP). Proxy functionality is arranged to the cellular access point (CAP). Binding entries are created to the mobile agent (MA) so that only basic mobile IPv6 needs to be supported in the mobile node (MN).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

registering binding updates when a mobile node changes location in a mobile internet protocol access network; and

performing an internet protocol local mobility management operation where a proxy function is not visible to the mobile node by having a proxy function in a cellular access point encapsulate a binding update message from the mobile node, and being responsible for protocol signalling, and by using a care of address generated based on a prefix of a mobile agent prefix and a locally unique identifier of the mobile node in a binding update message, said encapsulation of said binding update message comprising changing at least one of the source address of the message to an access router address and the destination address of the message to a mobile agent'"'"'s address, and

wherein the mobile node mobility inside a local mobility domain is hidden from a home agent and a correspondent node both of said home agent and said correspondent node being separate from the cellular access point and being connected to the internet.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network is a packet switched network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network is an internet protocol version-6 network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network is an internet protocol version-4 network.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network is a cellular communications network.

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

broadcasting a layer-3 mobile agent prefix over an air interface of the network.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the locally unique identifier is the mobile node'"'"'s layer-2 address.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile agent creates the binding entry comprising a proxy care of address based on a prefix of a mobile agent and the mobile node'"'"'s layer-2 address associated with an access router address.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the binding is updated whenever the access router changes.

10. A system, comprising:

a home agent connected to the internet;

a mobile agent connected to the internet;

a mobile internet protocol access network comprising one or more local internet protocol mobility domains;

a correspondent node connected to the internet;

one or more cellular access nodes connected to the mobile internet protocol access network; and

one or more mobile nodes connected to the cellular access nodes,

wherein the cellular access node further comprises a cellular access point comprising a proxy function which performs encapsulating a binding update message from the mobile node and being responsible for protocol signalling, said encapsulation of said binding update message comprising changing at least one of the source address of the message to an access router address and the destination address of the message to the mobile agent'"'"'s address, and

wherein a mobile node is configured to generate a care of address based on a prefix of the mobile agent and a locally unique identifier of the mobile node, and to use the care of address in a binding update message, and said home agent, said mobile agent and said correspondent node are separate from the cellular access point.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the mobile agent is configured to create a binding entry including a proxy care of address based on the prefix of the mobile agent and mobile node'"'"'s layer-2 address associated with an access router address.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the network is a packet switched network.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the network is an internet protocol version-6 network.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the network is an internet protocol version-4 network.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the network is a cellular communications network.

19. The system according to claim 10, wherein the mobile agent is configured to update the binding whenever the access router changes.

20. The system according to claim 10, wherein the locally unique identifier is the mobile agent'"'"'s layer-2 address.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving a proxy binding update message;

creating a binding entry including a proxy related address based on a mobile agent prefix and a mobile node related address by having a proxy function in a cellular access point encapsulate a binding update message from the mobile node, and being responsible for protocol signalling, and by using a care of address generated based on a prefix of the mobile agent prefix and a locally unique identifier of the mobile node in a binding update message, said encapsulation of said binding update message comprising changing at least one of the source address of the message to an access router address and the destination address of the message to a mobile agent'"'"'s address;

transmitting an acknowledgement message to the source of the binding update message, and transmitting a changed binding entry information to a home agent, and

wherein said home agent is separate from the cellular access point;

receiving an acknowledgment message from the home agent; and

repeating one or more of the above operations when the mobile agent prefix changes.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a proxy binding update message;

an entry creator configured to create a binding entry including a proxy related address based on a mobile agent prefix and a mobile node related address by having a proxy function in a cellular access point encapsulate a binding update message from the mobile node, and being responsible for protocol signalling, and by using a care of address generated based on a prefix of the mobile agent prefix and a locally unique identifier of the mobile node in a binding update message, said encapsulation of said binding update message comprising changing at least one of the source address of the message to an access router address and the destination address of the message to a mobile agent'"'"'s address;

a transmitter configured to transmit an acknowledgement message to the source of the binding update message, and transmitting a changed binding entry information to a home agent, and wherein said home agent is separate from the cellular access point; and

an acknowledgment receiver configured to receive an acknowledgment message from the home agent.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a proxy binding update message;

creating means for creating a binding entry including a proxy related address based on a mobile agent prefix and a mobile node related address by having a proxy function in a cellular access point encapsulate a binding update message from the mobile node, and being responsible for protocol signalling, and by using a care of address generated based on a prefix of the mobile agent prefix and a locally unique identifier oaf the mobile node in a binding update message, said encapsulation of said binding update message comprising changing at least one of the source address of the message to an access router address and the destination address of the message to a mobile agent'"'"'s address;

transmitting means for transmitting an acknowledgement message to the source of the binding update message, and transmitting a changed binding entry information to a home agent, and wherein said home agent is separate from the cellular access point;

receiving means for receiving an acknowledgment message from the home agent; and

repeating means for repeating one or more of the above operations when the mobile agent prefix changes.