Method and system for mobile IP nodes in heterogeneous networks

• US 7,643,455 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• 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: Danzeisen, Marc, Linder, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao; Seema S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURPHY, RHONDA L
• Application Number:
  US10/171,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,759 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 method for assigning IP addresses to mobile IP nodes in heterogeneous networks including checking, using an interface administration module of the mobile node, the mobile node for available physical network interfaces, generating a lookup table with the available and configurable physical network interfaces, linking the interface administration module 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 via the interface administration module, 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 method for 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, the method comprising the steps of:

checking, using an interface administration module of the mobile node, the mobile node for available physical network interfaces,

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

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

accessing with one or more active IP applications 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 via the interface administration module, 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 without interrupting the one or more active IP applications.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the interface administration module checks the mobile node for available physical network interfaces periodically.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the virtual IP network interface changes and updates the physical interfaces automatically via the interface administration module based on information of the lookup table.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the criteria for the automatic change of the physical interface through the interface administration module is determined by the user.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein outgoing IP data packets are buffered in a data buffer of the mobile node 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 by the data buffer or is kept within a particular fluctuation tolerance.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the available physical network interfaces are dynamically configured.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the available physical network interfaces are statically configured.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein outgoing IP data packets are buffered in a data buffer of the mobile node 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 by the data buffer or is kept within a particular fluctuation tolerance.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heterogeneous networks include at least one packet switched network and at least one circuit switched network.

10. A system for assigning IP addresses to mobile IP nodes in heterogeneous networks, which system comprises a home agent for dynamic assignment of 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 for redirecting IP data packets with the IP home address of the mobile node as a destination address to the care-of address of the mobile node, the system comprising:

a mobile node including an interface administration module, the interface administration module including,

a unit configured to check the mobile node for available physical network interfaces and

a unit configured to link to one of the available physical network interfaces,

the interface administration module includes a unit configured to generate a lookup table of the momentarily available and configurable physical network interfaces,

wherein the mobile node further includes a permanently generated, virtual IP network interface which is linked to the topologically current network indicated by the dynamic care-of-address via the interface administration module, the mobile node configured to access with one or more active IP applications the heterogeneous networks via the permanent virtual IP network, the link of the permanent virtual IP network interface to the network being updated based on the lookup table during a change of the physical network interface of the mobile node without interrupting the one or more active IP applications.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the checking of the mobile node for available physical network interfaces by the interface administration module is periodic.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the mobile node includes criteria according to which the physical network interface is changed and updated automatically based on information of the lookup table.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the criteria for the automatic change of the physical interface is determined by the user.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the mobile node comprises a data buffer in which outgoing IP data packets are buffered 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 by the data buffer or is kept within a fluctuation tolerance.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the mobile node comprises a unit configured to dynamically configure available physical network interfaces.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein the mobile node comprises a unit configured to statically configure available physical network interfaces.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the mobile node comprises a data buffer in which outgoing IP data packets are buffered 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 by the data buffer or is kept within a fluctuation tolerance.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the heterogeneous networks include at least one packet switched network and at least one circuit switched network.