Routing different subsets of an internet protocol flow over different points of attachment

• US 8,942,193 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Le, Khiem, Wu, Wei, Faccin, Stefano
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag
• Assistant Examiner(s): Van, Jenkey
• Application Number:
  US13/083,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20120257566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/005 Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

An IP flow is received by an Internet Protocol (IP) mobility anchor point, where the IP mobility anchor point is to anchor traffic of a mobile node. The IP mobility anchor point routes different subsets of the packets of the IP flow to corresponding different points of attachment of the mobile node.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) flow of packets at an IP mobility anchor point, wherein the IP mobility anchor point is configured to route traffic of a mobile node;

receiving, at the IP mobility anchor point, signaling to create an extended binding, the extended binding to facilitate routing different subsets of the packets of the IP flow to access networks in simultaneous attachment with the mobile node;

storing a mapping data structure at the IP mobility anchor point, the mapping data structure to store the extended binding;

for a duration of time, limiting a number of binding updates for the extended binding based on a threshold; and

routing the different subsets of the packets of the IP flow from the IP mobility anchor point to respective ones of the access networks based on the extended binding.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing further comprises routing copies of packets of at least a particular one of the subsets to another access network in simultaneous attachment with the mobile node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a second mapping data structure, wherein the second mapping data structure contains an indicator to indicate whether the extended binding is present in the mapping data structure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP mobility anchor point is a router in a visited network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a first one of the respective access networks is a cellular network and a second one of the respective access networks is a wireless local area network.

6. A method of a first node, comprising:

communicating, with a second node, an information element relating to an extended binding, the first node is one of a mobile node or an Internet Protocol (IP) mobility anchor point, the second node is the other of the mobile node and the IP mobility anchor point, and the IP mobility anchor point is to route traffic of the mobile node,

wherein the extended binding defines an association between an IP flow and plural access networks in simultaneous attachment with the mobile node, and wherein the extended binding is to cause the IP mobility anchor point to route different subsets of packets of the IP flow over respective ones of the access networks;

providing an extended binding to a mapping data structure at the IP mobility anchor point, the extended binding to facilitate routing different subsets of the packets of the IP flow to the access networks; and

for a duration of time, limiting a number of binding updates for the extended binding based on a threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing the threshold in a Binding Acknowledgement message.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the information element is communicated in a Binding Update message.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing a second mapping data structure that maps the IP flow to the extended binding.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the access networks are of different network types.

11. An Internet Protocol (IP) mobility anchor point, comprising:

an interface to receive an IP flow of packets; and

at least one processor configured to;

receive signaling to create an extended binding, the extended binding to facilitate routing different subsets of the packets of the IP flow to access networks in simultaneous attachment with a mobile node;

store the extended binding in a mapping data structure at the IP mobility anchor point, the extended binding to map the IP flow to the plural access networks;

according to the extended binding, route the different subsets of the packets of the IP flow to respective ones of the access networks; and

for a duration of time, limit a number of binding updates for the extended binding based on a threshold.

12. The IP mobility anchor point of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to store a second mapping data structure, wherein the second mapping data structure contains an indicator to indicate whether the extended binding is present in the mapping data structure.

13. The IP mobility anchor point of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a Binding Update message to create the extended binding.

14. The IP mobility anchor point of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide the threshold in a Binding Acknowledgment message.

15. The IP mobility anchor point of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to further:

upon sending the Binding Acknowledgment message, start a timer that is set to expire after the duration of time.

16. The IP mobility anchor point of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to further:

in response to receiving a Binding Update message to modify an extended binding relating to the mobile node, determine if a total number of Binding Update messages from the mobile node has exceeded the threshold.

17. The IP mobility anchor point of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is configured to further:

in response to determining that the total number of Binding Update messages has exceeded the predefined threshold and the timer has not yet expired, send an indication to reject the further Binding Update message.

18. The IP mobility anchor point of claim 11, wherein the access networks are of different network types.

19. A mobile node comprising:

an interface to communicate with an Internet Protocol (IP) mobility anchor point; and

at least one processor configured to;

send signaling to the IP mobility anchor point containing an information element relating to an extended binding, wherein the extended binding defines an association between an IP flow and plural access networks in simultaneous attachment with the mobile node, where the IP flow is associated with the mobile node;

provide the extended binding to store in a mapping data structure at the IP mobility anchor point, the extended binding to cause the IP mobility anchor point to route different subsets of packets of the IP flow over respective ones of the access networks; and

for a duration of time, limit a number of binding updates for the extended binding based on a threshold.

20. The mobile node of claim 19, wherein the signaling comprises a Binding Update message that contains the information element.

21. The mobile node of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is configured to further receive responsive signaling from the IP mobility anchor point that contains the threshold.

22. The mobile node of claim 19, wherein the access networks are of different network types.