Home network system and mobility anchor allocation method used in the home network system

• US 9,113,363 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Awano, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beyen, Zewdu A
• Application Number:
  US13/539,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20130170356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 370/399, 370/409, 370/252, 370/331, 370/338, 370/395.21, 370/329
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/088 among core entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Provided is a home network system in which an appropriate mobility anchor is allocated for a mobile node and the number of mobility anchors can be reduced. A subscriber information accumulation server (14) accumulates first communication load prediction data for each time of a mobile node (32). An anchor information accumulation server (15) accumulates second communication load prediction load for each time of each mobility anchor (11). When “a mobility anchor allocation request” is transmitted from the mobile node (32) to an anchor allocation server (13), the anchor allocation server (13) adds the first communication load prediction data and the second communication load prediction load data so as to obtain third communication load prediction data. Among a plurality of mobility anchors (11), a mobility anchor in which the third communication load prediction data is not greater than the load upper limit value at all the times and the maximum value of the second communication load prediction data is minimum is selected and allocated.

Claims

1. A network system, comprising:

a plurality of mobility anchors that accommodate a plurality of mobile nodes;

an anchor allocation hardware unit that allocates one of said plurality of mobility anchors to each of said mobile nodes, wherein

each of said mobility anchors registers a corresponding relationship between a home address assigned to each of said mobile nodes on a home network to which each of said mobile nodes accommodated belongs and a care-of address assigned to each of said mobile nodes on an external network to which each of said mobile nodes connects at its mobility destination, and when each of said mobile nodes is connected to said external network and a packet destined to each of said mobile nodes is received, transfer said packet to each of said mobile nodes based on the corresponding relationship,

said anchor allocation hardware unit allocates a same mobility anchor to a first mobile node and a second mobile node,

the first mobile node frequently communicates with the second mobile node; and

a subscriber information accumulation hardware unit that records the first mobile node ID for uniquely identifying the first mobile node corresponding to the second mobile node ID for uniquely identifying the second mobile node that frequently communicates with the first mobile node, wherein said anchor allocation hardware unit allocates said same mobility anchor to the first mobile node and the second mobile node referring to said subscriber information accumulation hardware unit, and

said anchor allocation hardware unit decides whether or not to allocate said same mobility anchor to the first mobile node and the second mobile node, based on amount of communication between the first mobile node and the second mobile node.

2. The network system as defined in claim 1, wherein

said anchor allocation hardware unit allocates said same mobility anchor to said first mobile node and said second mobile node when amount of communication between said first mobile node and said second mobile node is greater than a predetermined threshold.

3. The network system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a subscriber information accumulation hardware unit that accumulates first communication load prediction data predicting communication load values of each of said mobile nodes at a plurality of time points; and

an anchor information accumulation hardware unit that accumulates second communication load prediction data predicting communication load values of each of said mobility anchors at said plurality of time points, wherein

said anchor allocation hardware unit derives third communication load prediction data predicting communication load values of each of said mobility anchors at said plurality of time points when a relevant mobile node is accommodated based on said first communication load prediction data and said second communication load prediction data, and among said plurality of mobility anchors, selects and allocates a mobility anchor, having said third communication load prediction data not greater than a predetermined load upper limit value at all the time points and the smallest maximum value of said second communication load prediction data, to the relevant mobile node.

4. The network system as defined in claim 3, wherein

said anchor allocation hardware unit derives said third communication load prediction data by adding said first communication load prediction data and said second communication load prediction data when each of said mobile nodes transmits a mobility anchor allocation request.

5. A network device disposed in a network system that comprises a plurality of mobility anchors accommodating a plurality of mobile nodes;

said network device comprising;

an anchor allocation hardware unit that allocates one of said plurality of mobility anchors to each of said mobile nodes, wherein

each of said mobility anchors registers a corresponding relationship between a home address assigned to each of said mobile nodes on a home network to which each of said mobile nodes accommodated belongs and a care-of address assigned to each of said mobile nodes on an external network to which each of said mobile nodes connects at its mobility destination, and when each of said mobile nodes is connected to said external network and a packet destined to each of said mobile nodes is received, transfer said packet to each of said mobile nodes based on the corresponding relationship,

said anchor allocation hardware unit allocates a same mobility anchor to a first mobile node and a second mobile node,

and the first mobile node frequently communicates with the second mobile node,

the network system further comprises a subscriber information accumulation hardware unit that records the first mobile node ID for uniquely identifying the first mobile node corresponding to the second mobile node ID for uniquely identifying the second mobile node that frequently communicates with the first mobile node,

said anchor allocation hardware unit allocates said same mobility anchor to the first mobile node and the second mobile node referring to said subscriber information accumulation hardware unit, and

said anchor allocation hardware unit decides whether or not to allocate said same mobility anchor to the first mobile node and the second mobile node, based on amount of communication between the first mobile node and the second mobile node.

6. The network device as defined in claim 5, wherein

said anchor allocation hardware unit allocates said same mobility anchor to said first mobile node and said second mobile node when amount of communication between said first mobile node and said second mobile node is greater than a predetermined threshold.

7. The network device as defined in claim 5, wherein

the network system further comprises:

a subscriber information accumulation hardware unit that accumulates first communication load prediction data predicting communication load values of each of said mobile nodes at a plurality of time points; and

an anchor information accumulation hardware unit that accumulates second communication load prediction data predicting communication load values of each of said mobility anchors at said plurality of time points, wherein

said anchor allocation hardware unit derives third communication load prediction data predicting communication load values of each of said mobility anchors at said plurality of time points when a relevant mobile node is accommodated based on said first communication load prediction data and said second communication load prediction data, and among said plurality of mobility anchors, selects and allocates a mobility anchor, having said third communication load prediction data not greater than a predetermined load upper limit value at all the time points and the smallest maximum value of said second communication load prediction data, to the relevant mobile node.

8. The network device as defined in claim 7, wherein

said anchor allocation hardware unit derives said third communication load prediction data by adding said first communication load prediction data and said second communication load prediction data when each of said mobile nodes transmits a mobility anchor allocation request.

9. A network method, comprising:

by a plurality of mobility anchors, accommodating a plurality of mobile nodes;

by an anchor allocation hardware unit, allocating one of said plurality of mobility anchors to each of said mobile nodes, wherein

each of said mobility anchors registers a corresponding relationship between a home address assigned to each of said mobile nodes on a home network to which each of said mobile nodes accommodated belongs and a care-of address assigned to each of said mobile nodes on an external network to which each of said mobile nodes connects at its mobility destination, and when each of said mobile nodes is connected to said external network and a packet destined to each of said mobile nodes is received, transfer said packet to each of said mobile nodes based on the corresponding relationship,

said anchor allocation hardware unit allocates a same mobility anchor to a first mobile node and a second mobile node,

the first mobile node frequently communicates with the second mobile node, and by a subscriber information accumulation hardware unit, recording the first mobile node ID for uniquely identifying the first mobile node corresponding to the second mobile node ID for uniquely identifying the second mobile node that frequently communicates with the first mobile node, wherein said anchor allocation hardware unit allocates said same mobility anchor to the first mobile node and the second mobile node referring to said subscriber information accumulation hardware unit, and said anchor allocation hardware unit decides whether or not to allocate said same mobility anchor to the first mobile node and the second mobile node, based on amount of communication between the first mobile node and the second mobile node.

10. The network method as defined in claim 9, wherein

said anchor allocation hardware unit allocates said same mobility anchor to said first mobile node and said second mobile node when amount of communication between said first mobile node and said second mobile node is greater than a predetermined threshold.

11. The network method as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

by a subscriber information accumulation hardware unit, accumulating first communication load prediction data predicting communication load values of each of said mobile nodes at a plurality of time points; and

by an anchor information accumulation hardware unit, accumulating second communication load prediction data predicting communication load values of each of said mobility anchors at said plurality of time points, wherein

said anchor allocation hardware unit derives third communication load prediction data predicting communication load values of each of said mobility anchors at said plurality of time points when a relevant mobile node is accommodated based on said first communication load prediction data and said second communication load prediction data, and among said plurality of mobility anchors, selects and allocates a mobility anchor, having said third communication load prediction data not greater than a predetermined load upper limit value at all the time points and the smallest maximum value of said second communication load prediction data, to the relevant mobile node.

12. The network method as defined in claim 11, wherein

said anchor allocation hardware unit derives said third communication load prediction data by adding said first communication load prediction data and said second communication load prediction data when each of said mobile nodes transmits a mobility anchor allocation request.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program executable by a network device to perform a method, the network device disposed in a network system that comprises a plurality of mobility anchors accommodating a plurality of mobile nodes, the method comprising:

by an anchor allocation hardware unit of the network device, allocating one of said plurality of mobility anchors to each of said mobile nodes, wherein

each of said mobility anchors registers a corresponding relationship between a home address assigned to each of said mobile nodes on a home network to which each of said mobile nodes accommodated belongs and a care-of address assigned to each of said mobile nodes on an external network to which each of said mobile nodes connects at its mobility destination, and when each of said mobile nodes is connected to said external network and a packet destined to each of said mobile nodes is received, transfer said packet to each of said mobile nodes based on the corresponding relationship,

said anchor allocation hardware unit allocates a same mobility anchor to a first mobile node and a second mobile node,

and the first mobile node frequently communicates with the second mobile node,

the network system further comprises a subscriber information accumulation hardware unit that records the first mobile node ID for uniquely identifying the first mobile node corresponding to the second mobile node ID for uniquely identifying the second mobile node that frequently communicates with the first mobile node,

said anchor allocation hardware unit allocates said same mobility anchor to the first mobile node and the second mobile node referring to said subscriber information accumulation hardware unit mobile node information hardware unit, and

said anchor allocation hardware unit decides whether or not to allocate said same mobility anchor to the first mobile node and the second mobile node, based on amount of communication between the first mobile node and the second mobile node.