Non-local dynamic internet protocol addressing system and method

• US 6,052,725 A
• Filed: 07/02/1998
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: McCann, Peter J., Wang, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/109,534
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/228, 709/245, 370/389, 370/392, 370/466, 370/469
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A communication system having a local network communicating with a remote network for assigning a dynamic Internet Protocol address to a communication device to enable a communication session between the communication device and an IP network The communication device sends an address request to the local network. If the local network does not selectively assign a local dynamic IP address, the address request is transmitted to a remote network to determine whether a non-local dynamic IP address from a remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses is able to be assigned. The communication system selectively communicates with other remote networks until a non-local dynamic IP address can be assigned to satisfy the address request. Once a non-local dynamic IP address has been assigned, the non-local dynamic IP address will be maintained for the duration of the communication session between the communication device and the IP network. If the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses is able to assign a non-local dynamic IP address, then a tunnel set up request is transmitted from the local router of the local network to the remote router of the remote network to establish and OSI layer 3 tunnel to enable communications between the communication device and the IP network.

Claims

1. A method of providing dynamic Internet Protocol (IP) addressing in a communication system having a communication device for accessing data from an IP network such that the communication device is associated with a local network having a local pool of local dynamic IP addresses, comprising the steps of:

transmitting an address request from the communication device to the local network;

selecting a remote network to receive the address request in which the remote network has a remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses;

determining if the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses of the remote network is able to assign a non-local dynamic IP address;

assigning the communication device the non-local dynamic IP address from the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses of the remote network in response to the determination that the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses is able to assign the non-local dynamic IP address; and

establishing an OSI layer 3 tunnel between the local network and the remote network for transmission of IP packets.

2. The method of claim 1 including the steps of determining that the communication device is located in a local coverage area,

determining that the local coverage area is associated with the local network having the local pool of local dynamic IP addresses.

3. The method of claim 2 including the steps of determining that the non-local dynamic IP address was assigned from the remote network associated with a remote coverage area,

determining that the communication device has moved into the remote coverage area,

removing the OSI layer 3 tunnel between the local network and the remote network, and

treating the local network as the remote network such that the remote network functions as another local network.

4. The method of claim 3 including the steps of determining that the communication device has moved from the remote coverage area to another coverage area associated with another remote network,

establishing a new OSI layer 3 tunnel between another remote router of the other remote network and the remote router, and

removing the OSI layer 3 tunnel between the local network and the remote network.

5. The method of claim 3 including the steps of determining that the non-local dynamic IP address was assigned from another remote network associated with another remote coverage area,

determining that the communication device has moved into the other remote coverage area, and

treating the local network as the other remote network such that the other remote network functions as another local network.

6. The method of claim 1 including the step of transmitting a configure Nak message carrying the non-local dynamic IP address from a local router of the local network to the communication device.

7. The method of claim 1 including the steps of determining if the communication device is able to receive a local dynamic IP address, and

determining if the local pool of local dynamic IP addresses of the local network is able to assign a local dynamic IP address in response to the determination that the communication device is able to receive a local dynamic IP address.

8. The method of claim 1 including the steps of establishing a communication link between the local network and the remote network,

transmitting the address request from the communication device to a local router of the local network,

transmitting the address request from the local router of the local network to a local visitor database device of the local network, and

transmitting the address request from the local visitor database device to a remote visitor database device of the remote network.

9. The method of claim 1 including the steps of establishing the communication link between the local network and the remote network, transmitting the address request from a local router of the local network to an independent visitor database, and

transmitting the address request from the independent visitor database to a remote protocol server of the remote network.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the independent visitor database is either:

(a) a RADIUS server, or

(b) an ANSI-41 server.

11. The method of claim 8 in which establishing the communication link between the local network and the remote network includes the steps of transmitting the address request from the local router of the local network to a local protocol server of the local network, and

transmitting the address request from the local protocol server of the local network to a remote protocol server of the remote network.

12. The method of claim 8 in which establishing the communication link between the local network and the remote network includes the steps of transmitting the address request from the local router of the local network to an independent protocol server, and

transmitting the address request from the independent protocol server to either a local pool of local dynamic IP addresses or a remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses.

13. The method of claim 8 in which the local visitor database device of the local network and the remote visitor database device of the remote network are both either:

(a) RADIUS servers, or

(b) ANSI-41 servers.

14. The method of claim 8 including the steps of transmitting the address request from the remote visitor database device of the remote network to a remote protocol server of the remote network, and

transmitting the address request from the remote protocol server of the remote network to the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses of the remote network.

15. The method of claim 14 including the steps of assigning the address request the non-local dynamic IP address usable for the duration of a communication session between the communication device and the IP network,

transmitting the non-local dynamic IP address from the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses of the remote network to the remote protocol server of the remote network,

transmitting the non-local dynamic IP address from the remote protocol server of the remote network and a remote router'"'"'s IP address to the remote visitor database device of the remote network,

transmitting the non-local dynamic IP address and the remote router'"'"'s IP address from the remote visitor database device of the remote network to the local visitor location device of the local network,

transmitting the non-local dynamic IP address and the remote router'"'"'s IP address from the local visitor location device of the local network to the local router of the local network,

transmitting the non-local dynamic IP address and the remote router'"'"'s IP address from the local router of the local network to the communication device, and

maintaining the non-local dynamic IP address upon the communication device moving to another remote coverage area associated with another remote network.

16. The method of claim 14 including the steps of determining that the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses of the remote network is not able to assign a non-local dynamic IP address, and

assigning a non-local dynamic IP address from another remote network that is able to assign the non-local dynamic IP address in response to the determination that the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses is not able to assign a non-local dynamic IP address.

17. The method of claim 1 including the steps of transmitting a tunnel set up request from the local router of the local network to a remote router of the remote network to establish the OSI layer 3 tunnel,

establishing a communication link between the remote router of the remote network and the IP network, and

transmitting the data communication between the communication device and the IP network via the tunnel from the local router of the local network and the remote router of the remote network.

18. The method of claim 1 including the steps of determining that a communication session between the communication device and the IP network has been terminated,

returning the non-local dynamic IP address to the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses, and

removing the OSI layer 3 tunnel between a local router of the local network and a remote router of the remote network.

19. A communication system for assigning Internet Protocol (IP) addressing having a communication device for accessing data from an IP network such that the communication device is associated with a local network having a local pool of local dynamic IP addresses, comprising:

means for sending an address request from the communication device to the local network;

means for selecting a remote network having a remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses to receive the address request;

means for sending the address request from the local network to the remote network;

means for determining if the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses of the remote network is able to assign a non-local dynamic IP address;

means for assigning the mobile communication device the non-local dynamic IP address from the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses of the remote network in response to the determination that the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses is able to assign the non-local dynamic IP address; and

means for establishing an OSI layer 3 tunnel between the local network and the remote network for transmission of IP packets.

20. The communication system of claim 19 in which the communication device is located in a local coverage area that is associated with the local network having the local pool of local dynamic IP addresses.

21. The communication system of claim 20 in which the remote network assigns the non-local dynamic IP address and in which the remote network is associated with a remote coverage area,

the remote network maintains the non-local dynamic IP address in response to the communication device moving into the remote coverage area associated with the remote network,

the OSI layer 3 tunnel between the local router of the local network and the remote router of the remote network is removed, and

the remote network is treated as the local network such that the remote network functions as another local network.

22. The communication system of claim 21 including means for establishing a new OSI layer 3 tunnel between another remote router of another remote network and the remote router in response upon the communication device moving from the remote coverage area to another coverage area associated with the other remote network, and

means for removing the OSI layer 3 tunnel between the local network and the remote network.

23. The communication system of claim 20 in which another remote network associated with another remote coverage area assigns the non-local dynamic IP address,

the other remote network maintains the non-local dynamic IP address in response to the communication device moving into the other remote coverage area associated with the other remote network, and

the other remote network is treated as the local network such that the other remote network functions as another local network.

24. The communication system of claim 19 in which a configure Nak message carrying the non-local dynamic IP address and a remote router'"'"'s IP address are sent from a local router of the local network to the communication device.

25. The communication system of claim 24 in which the local network includes a local visitor database device for receiving the address request from the local router.

26. The communication system of claim 25 in which the remote network includes a remote visitor database device for receiving the address request from the local visitor database device of the local network.

27. The communication system of claim 26 in which the local visitor database device of the local network and the remote visitor database device of the remote network are both either:

(a) RADIUS servers, or

(b) ANSI-41 servers.

28. The communication system of claim 24 including an independent visitor database device for receiving the address request from the local router of the local network and for transmitting the address request to a remote protocol server of the remote network.

29. The communication system of claim 28 in which the independent visitor database device is either:

(a) a RADIUS server, or

(b) an ANSI-41 server.

30. The communication system of claim 24 including an independent protocol server for receiving the address request from the local router of the local network and for receiving either a local dynamic IP address or a non-local dynamic IP address.

31. The communication system of claim 24 in which the remote network includes a remote protocol server for receiving the address request from at least one of:

(a) a local protocol server of the local network, (b) the remote visitor database device of the remote network, and (c) an independent visitor database device.

32. The communication system of claim 31 in which the remote protocol server and the local protocol server are both Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers.

33. The communication system of claim 24 including an independent protocol server for receiving the address request from the local router of the local network and for receiving either a local dynamic IP address or a non-local dynamic IP address.

34. The communication system of claim 30 in which the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses receives the address request from the remote protocol server of the remote network.

35. The communication system of claim 34 in which the non-local dynamic IP address is used for the duration of a communication session between the communication device and the IP network including means for sending the non-local dynamic IP address from the remote network to the communication device.

36. The communication system of claim 34 in which another non-local dynamic IP address from another remote network that has the other non-local dynamic IP address available is assigned to the communication device in response to the determination that the remote pool of non-local dynamic IP addresses is not able to assign non-local dynamic IP addresses.

37. The communication system of claim 19 including a local router of the local network for transmitting a tunnel set up request to a remote router of the remote network to establish the OSI layer 3 tunnel, and

a communication link between the remote router and the IP network.