METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING MOBILE AND OTHER INTERMITTENT CONNECTIVITY IN A COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20070265000A1
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netmotion Wireless Holdings, Inc. (NetMotion Software, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Netmotion Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Olson, Erik, Sturniolo, Emil, Savarese, Joseph, Menn, Anatoly, HANSON, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 9,473,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/432.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0019 adapted for mobile IP [MIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/182 Network node acting on behalf of an other network entity, e.g. proxy

Abstract

A seamless solution transparently addresses the characteristics of nomadic systems, and enables existing network applications to run reliably in mobile environments. A Mobility Management Server coupled to the mobile network maintains the state of each of any number of Mobile End Systems and handles the complex session management required to maintain persistent connections to the network and to other peer processes. If a Mobile End System becomes unreachable, suspends, or changes network address (e.g., due to roaming from one network interconnect to another), the Mobility Management Server maintains the connection to the associated peer task—allowing the Mobile End System to maintain a continuous connection even though it may temporarily lose contact with its network medium. An interface-based listener uses network point of attachment information supplied by a network interface to determine roaming conditions and to efficiently reestablish connection upon roaming. The Mobility Management Server can distribute lists to Mobile End Systems specifying how to contact it over disjoint networks.

Claims

1. In a mobile computing network including at least one mobile computing device coupled to the network via a network point of attachment, an improvement comprising an interface-assisted roaming listener that detects, based at least in part on identification of the network point of attachment, whether said mobile computing device has roamed to a different network layer segment while managing application and transport layer communications endpoints used for data communications between the mobile computing device and a peer computing system.

2. A network as in claim 1 wherein said mobile computing device includes at least one network interface adapter, and said listener obtains said network point of attachment identification from said network interface adapter.

3. A network as in claim 1 wherein said listener maintains a network topology map storing information that correlates said network point of attachment identification with further information concerning a network connection.

4. A network as in claim 1 wherein said listener detects when communications with said network is interrupted or reestablished.

5. A network as in claim 4 wherein said listener generates a roam signal in response to detection of (a) network communications interruption and re-establishment, and/or (b) change of said network point of attachment identification.

6. An interface-based listener for use in a mobile computing device, said interface-based listener integrating information from at least one network interface adapter with information available from at least one network stack to determine whether said mobile computing device has moved to a new network point of attachment while managing application and transport layer communications endpoints used for data communications between the mobile computing device and a peer computing system.

7. The interface-based listener of claim 6 including a network topology map providing network connection information including network points of attachment information.

8. The listener of claim 7 wherein said listener dynamically constructs said network topology map based on learned information.

9. The interface-based listener of claim 6 including a status checker that checks status based on occurrence of an event.

10. The interface-based listener of claim 6 wherein said event comprises any of a timer timeout, a low level roaming driver callback, and a network level activity hint.

11. The interface-based listener of claim 6 including a connection information searcher that queries an interface as to whether the mobile computing system has already visited the current network point of attachment.

12. The interface-based listener of claim 6 including a connection arrangement that registers or reacquires a current address to be valid on a new network segment.

13. The interface-based listener of claim 6 including a roam signal generator that generates a roam signal in response to detection, based at least in part on information provided by an interface, that the mobile computing device has roamed to a different network segment.

14. The interface-based listener or claim 13 further including a heuristic analyzer that determines whether a previously assigned network address is still valid.

15. A method of determining whether a mobile node has moved to a new network point of attachment, comprising:

(a) receiving network point of attachment identification information from a network interface;

(b) using said network point of attachment identification information to determine whether said mobile node has moved to a new network point of attachment; and

(c) generating signaling in response to said step (b)

while managing application and transport layer communications endpoints used for data communications between the mobile computing device and a peer computing system.

16. A method as in claim 15 further including maintaining a network topology map, and using said map to perform step (c).

17. A method as in claim 15 wherein said step (c) includes generating a roam signal.

18. A method as in claim 15 wherein said step (b) includes obtaining said network point of attachment information from at least one network adapter.

19. A method as in claim 15 further including falling back to an alternative roaming detection mechanism if a network interface is not available that supports generic signaling.

20. A method as in claim 15 further including selecting, at least in part in response to said network point of attachment information, between alternate network connection paths.

21. A process for providing least cost routing in a network having plural disjoint segments, comprising:

(a) establishing communications between the network and a temporarily-attached mobile computing device;

(b) using a roaming mechanism to allow the temporarily-attached mobile computing device to roam between said plural disjoint segments; and

(c) enforcing at least one policy parameter to enable efficient automatic selection of alternate valid network paths for re-establishing communication between the network and the mobile computing device in response to mobile computing device roaming.

22. The process of claim 21 wherein the policy parameter comprises an element selected from the following group:

bandwidth, cost per data unit and quality of service.