Partner node migration control unit and method

• US 8,054,841 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Wada, Hiromi, Yozawa, Takashi, Ohnishi, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai; Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/646,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20100098026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/349, 370/389, 370/392, 370/397, 370/409, 370/475
• US Class Current: 370/397
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/255 Maintenance or indexing of mapping tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• 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: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• 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 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Disclosed is a migration communication control device constructed to control a continuous communication between a mobile node and a node unaffected the mobile node'"'"'s migration. The migration communication control device comprises a first migration control unit, a second migration control unit on the mobile node, and a third migration control unit on the partner node. The first migration control unit comprises a packet transfer unit and an address post unit. The packet transfer unit receives a packet which was destined for an outdated address of the mobile node, generates a conversion packet which holds an updated address instead of the outdated address, and then transmits the conversion packet, while an address post unit transmits an address post message which indicates the updated address to the third migration control unit. The second migration control unit comprises a migration post unit and a packet resumption unit. The migration post unit transmits to the first migration control unit a migration post message which indicates the updated address when the mobile node migrates to another network while a packet resumption unit receives the conversion packet from both the first migration control unit and the third migration control unit and resumes an original packet from the conversion packet. The third migration control unit comprises a packet conversion unit which converts a destination address of a packet into the updated address, then transmits it to the mobile node.

Claims

1. A mobile node comprising:

(a) an address obtaining unit that obtains a temporary address that is assigned to the mobile node for each network to which the mobile node migrates;

(b) an address post processing unit that posts an address post message including the temporary address to a partner node with which the mobile node communicates; and

(c) an address hold unit that holds the temporary address by operatively correlating the temporary address with a home address of the mobile node.

2. The mobile node of claim 1 further comprising:

a transfer packet reception processing unit that converts a destination address of a packet received from the partner node to the home address when the destination address is the temporary address assigned to the mobile node; and

an application processing unit that receives the packet with the converted destination address to control communications in an application layer.

3. The mobile node of claim 2 wherein:

the transfer packet reception processing unit restores, from the received packet, an original packet destined for the home address, and sends data contained in the restored packet to the application processing unit.

4. The mobile node of claim 1 further comprising:

a packet transmission processing unit that converts a packet whose transmission source address is the home address to a packet whose transmission source address is the temporary address, and transmits the packet resulted from the conversion to the partner node.

5. A mobile communication method for a mobile node that migrates between networks, the mobile communication method comprising:

(a) obtaining a temporary address that is assigned to the mobile node for each network to which the mobile node migrates;

(b) posting an address post message including the temporary address to a partner node with which the mobile node communicates; and

(c) holding the temporary address by operatively correlating the temporary address with a home address of the mobile node.

6. The mobile communication method of claim 5 further comprising:

a packet transmission processing step for converting a packet whose transmission source address is the home address to a packet whose transmission source is the temporary address, and transmitting the packet resulted from the conversion to the partner node.

7. The mobile communication method of claim 5 further comprising:

converting a destination address of a packet received from the partner node to the home address when the destination address is the temporary address assigned to the mobile node; and

using the packet with the converted destination address to control communications in an application layer.