Architecture for Mobile IPv6 Applications over IPv4

• US 20070050613A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Williams, John Mcfarlane, Junaid Islam
• Original Assignee: Carl Williams, John Mcfarlane, Junaid Islam
• Inventors: Williams, Carl, Islam, Junaid, McFarlane, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,810,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/52 Multiprotocol routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/045 involving different protocol versions, e.g. MIPv4 and MIPv6

Abstract

Mobile clients can execute IPv6 applications in an IPv4 environment without the need for any specialized IPv6 hardware or upgrades to the network infrastructure. The architecture provides a seamless, disruption-free connectivity experience for mobile clients. Mobile clients are automatically connected to other mobile clients irrespective of their network connectively, whether wireless, wire line, IPv4, IPv6, public or private. Mobile clients communicate with other mobile clients using a secure, end-to-end IPv6 tunnel. This creates a persistent VPN connection between two clients using software.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a home agent server, coupled to an IPv4 network, managing a plurality of groups of IPv6 clients;

providing a first IPv6 client and second IPv6 client coupled to the home agent via the IPv4 network, wherein the first and second IPv6 clients are in a first group;

from the first IPv6 client, sending to the home agent an IPv4 address and IPv6 address associated with the first IPv6 client;

from the second IPv6 client, sending to the home agent an IPv4 address and IPv6 address associated with the second IPv6 client;

when the first and second IPv6 clients are connected to the home agent server, implementing a first IPv6 tunnel in the IPv4 network between the first IPv6 client and the second IPv6 client; and

from the first IPv6 client, transferring data in an encrypted form using the first IPv6 tunnel directly from the first IPv6 client to the second IPv6 client, where the data does not pass through the home agent server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first IPv6 client implements of first IPv6 tunnel, without using the home agent server.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when the second IPv6 client becomes disconnected from first IPv6 client, implementing a second IPv6 tunnel in the IPv4 network between the first IPv6 client and the home agent server; and

from the first IPv6 client, continuing transferring the data in the encrypted form using the second IPv6 tunnel to a data cache at the home agent server associated with the second IPv6 client.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the data is stored in the data cache is stored in the encrypted form.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

when the second IPv6 client becomes reconnected to the home agent server, transferring data from the data cache to the second IPv6 client using a third IPv6 tunnel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second IPv6 clients do not have access to IPv6 addresses of IPv6 clients managed by the home agent server not in the first group.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a third IPv6 client in the first group coupled to the home agent via an IPv6 network;

implementing a second IPv6 tunnel between the first IPv6 client and the third IPv6 client.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when the first IPv6 client initiates a data transfer to the second IPv6 clients, at the home agent server, determining whether the first and second IPv6 client are behind a NAT firewall.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first IPv6 client makes a determination of whether the first IPv6 client is behind a firewall by comparing its private IPv4 address and its public IPv4 address, which is received from the home agent server.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein if the private IPv4 address is the same as the public IPv4, the first IPv6 client is not behind a firewall.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the first IPv6 client makes a determination of whether the second IPv4 client is behind a firewall by comparing the second IPv4 client'"'"'s private IPv4 address and public IPv4 address, both of which are received from the home agent server.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein if a public IPv4 address of the first IPv6 client is the same as a public IPv4 address of the second IPv6 client, then the first and second IPv6 are behind the same NAT firewall.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

if the first and second IPv6 clients are behind the same NAT firewall, implementing a second IPv6 tunnel in the IPv4 network between the first IPv6 client and the second IPv6 client using a private IPv4 address of the first IPv6 client and a private IPv4 address of the second IPv6 client; and

from the first IPv6 client, transferring data in an encrypted form using the second IPv6 tunnel directly from the first IPv6 client to the second IPv6 client, where the data does not pass through the home agent server.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

if both first and second IPv6 clients are each behind different firewalls, transferring data between the first and second IPv6 clients by passing the data through the home agent server, wherein the data is encrypted at the first IPv6 client and decrypted at the second IPv6 client.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the data is not decrypted by the home agent server before passing the data on to the second IPv6 client.

16. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

if the first IPv6 client is behind a firewall and the second IPv6 client is not behind a firewall, initiating a second IPv6 tunnel from the second IPv6 client to the first IPv6 client; and

from the first IPv6 client, transferring data in an encrypted form using the second IPv6 tunnel directly from the first IPv6 client to the second IPv6 client, where the data does not pass through the home agent server.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after a IPv6 client in the first group loses connectivity to the home agent server and later reestablishes a connection to the home agent server, updating all other IPv6 clients in the first group with connectivity information.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

publishing a list of shared files available for download to the IPv6 clients in the first group.

19. A method comprising:

providing a home agent server, coupled to a plurality of clients organized in groups, all connected in a network;

providing a set of commands comprising a PUSH command to transfer data from one of the clients in one group to another client in the same group, a PUBLISH command to show clients in one group files available to other clients in the same group, and a PULL command to request sending of at least one file made available through the PUBLISH command from the client having the file;

issuing a PUSH command from a first client of in a first group to transfer data to a second client in the first group;

when the second client is connected the network, executing the PUSH command by transferring the data directly from the first client to the second client;

when the second client is not connected the network, executing the PUSH command by transferring the data to a data cache on the home agent server; and

when the second client connects to the network, transferring the data from the data cache to the second client.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising:

issuing a PULL command from the first client of in the first group to request a data transfer from a third client in the first group;

when the third client is connected the network, executing the PUSH command by transferring the data directly from the third client to the first client;

when the third client is not connected the network, storing the PUSH command in the data cache of the home agent server; and

when the third client connects to the network, checking whether the first client is connected to the network.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

if the first client is connected to the network, initiating transferring of the data from the third client to the second client;

if the first client is not connected to the network, transferring the data to the data cache on the home agent server;

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

when the first client connects to the network after being disconnected, transferring the data from the data cache to the first client.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

issuing a PUBLISH command from the first client of the first group to show at least one file available for download from the first client to other clients in the first group; and

displaying a listing of the at least one file is provided to each of the clients in the first group, but not other groups.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

when the second client connects to the network, performing a binding update which includes transferring an IP address of the second client to the home agent server.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the commands are IPv6 commands and the network is an IPv4 network.