Network discovery mechanisms

• US 8,717,931 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2005
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Four Batons Wireless LLC (Two Gold Capital LLC)
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson), Toshiba Corporation
• Inventors: Taniuchi, Kenichi, Ohba, Yoshihiro, Madhani, Sunil, Das, Subir, Dutta, Ashutosh
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Jr., Michael J
• Application Number:
  US11/267,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,102 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/10 Reselecting an access point controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

In some of the preferred embodiments, a method for network discovery of a mobile device to use at least one of a plurality of access networks within an IP network includes: obtaining specified network information in the vicinity of a given location based on a set of criteria when a mobile is connected to the IP network from any location.

Claims

1. A method for network discovery of a mobile device to use at least one of a plurality of access networks within an IP network, comprising:

said mobile device querying specified network information in the vicinity of a specific location based on a condition; and

providing the mobile device with network information in the vicinity of said specific location, wherein said network information satisfies the condition specified by the querying;

wherein said specific location is based on a geo-coordinate of said mobile device or an address of an access point, and wherein said condition is a distance condition based on a range of geo-coordinates of the mobile device, said range of geo-coordinates being based on the velocity or mobility pattern of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

a) dynamically populating at least one discovery database of network information of an information server; and

b) transmitting network information about a target network from said at least one discovery database to the mobile device before the mobile device is connected to the target network responsive to said querying from the mobile device;

further including using resource description framework (RDF) as a database structure;

further including using said method to discover information used by the mobile device for handoff and pre-authentication.

3. The method of claim 2, further including portioning media independent information service schema into basic schema and extended schema categories, wherein basic schema is essential for a media independent handover to support and extended schema is optional for a media independent handover to support.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said method uses network-assisted discovery mechanisms.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said method uses mobile-assisted discovery mechanisms.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said method uses network-assisted mechanisms for constructing said database.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said method uses mobile-assisted mechanisms for constructing said database.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile queries an AIS server or a peer mobile to obtain information regarding networking elements in the target network.

9. The method of claim 8, further including using reporting agents (RAs) to obtain the information.

10. The method of claim 8, further including using AAA servers to obtain the information.

11. The method of claim 8, further including using DNS servers to obtain the information.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the method employs a peer-to-peer model in which mobile devices serve as information servers.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method employs a scoped multicast approach.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the method employs a recursive broadcast approach.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

employing an application-layer mechanism within an information server for an information services (AIS) based service discovery scheme using resource description framework (RDF) as a database structure to maintain information regarding a plurality of locations or networks; and

said application layer mechanism providing network information from the information to said mobile device based on said querying from the mobile node; and

further including setting up a secured pre-authentication for a user by discovering network elements in neighboring elements ahead of time; and

further including discovering one or more of the following network elements ahead of time;

Access Points, routers, SIP servers, and PANA servers.

16. The method of claim 15, further including using SOAP, HTTP, XML, WSDL and/or JENA as accompanying protocols to provide proper transport mechanism for database population by the scouts, reporting agents and/or information querying by the mobiles.

17. The method of claim 1, further including:

providing an information server employing an information database that portions media independent information service schema into basic schema and extended schema categories, wherein basic schema is essential for a media independent handover to support and extended schema is optional for a media independent handover to support; and

transmitting the basic schema or the extended schema to said mobile node based on said query from the mobile node, wherein the basic schema or the extended schema pertains to a plurality of networks or locations.

18. The method of claim 17, further including providing vendor specific extended schema.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said network information includes information used by the mobile device to access said access networks.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said network information includes network attachment point identification of an access point.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said information includes layer 3 type information.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said information includes a security type supported by an access point.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said information includes a provider name.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said information includes addresses of servers or agents.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein said information includes addresses of authentication agents.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein said information includes addresses of access routers.

27. A method for network discovery for a mobile device to use at least one of a plurality of access networks within an IP network prior to handover, comprising:

said mobile device querying for specified network information, said specified network information including information used by the mobile device to pre-authenticate with an access network prior to handover and pertaining to a specific location within a radio coverage of an access point, and said specified network information being based on a condition specified by the querying; and

providing the mobile device with network information pertaining to said specific location within the radio coverage of an access point, wherein said network information satisfies the condition specified by the querying;

wherein said specific location is based on a geo-coordinate of said mobile device or an address of an access point, and wherein said condition includes a distance condition based on a range of geo-coordinates of the mobile device, said range of geo-coordinates being based on the velocity or mobility pattern of the mobile device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said specific location is substantially smaller than and inside the radio coverage of an access point.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said specific location is identified based on specific geo-coordinates.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said specific geo-coordinates are determined based on a GPS system.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein said specific location is identified based on an address.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said address is a MAC address, a geographic address or a civic address.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said address is a MAC address of an access point.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein said condition includes a network information type condition.