Use of transmission control protocol proxy within packet data service transmissions in a mobile network

• US 6,061,341 A
• Filed: 12/16/1997
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Andersson, Dick Sven, Herlitz, Anders, Karlsson, Torgny
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pizarro, Ricardo M.
• Application Number:
  US08/991,662
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/338, 370/401, 370/310, 370/503, 370/912, 370/913, 370/216, 370/217, 370/218
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 69/165 Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating a TCP packet connection between a remote host on a first network and a mobile station on a mobile network is disclosed. The process initially involves performing a three-way handshake routine between the remote host and a gateway packet mobile switching center of the mobile network to establish the validity of a TCP packet connection request. During the handshake routine transmissions from the remote host are buffered by the gateway packet mobile switching center. A second three-way handshake routine is then carried out between the gateway packet mobile switching center and the mobile station using the buffered transmissions to complete a TCP connection between the mobile station and the remote host.

Claims

1. A method for generating a packet connection between a remote host on a first network and a mobile station on a mobile network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a packet connection request from the remote host to the mobile station at a gateway packet mobile switching center;

performing a first three-way handshake routine between the remote host and the gateway packet mobile switching center of the mobile network in response to the packet connection request from the remote host to the mobile station, said step of performing further comprising the steps of;

transmitting an initiation packet from the remote host to the gateway packet mobile switching center to initiate a packet connection;

transmitting a response packet from the gateway packet mobile switching center to the remote host in response to the initiation packet; and

transmitting the acknowledge response from the remote host to the gateway packet mobile switching center in response to the response packet;

buffering transmissions of the first three-way handshake routine from the remote host at the gateway packet mobile switching center of the mobile network;

performing a second three-way handshake routine between the gateway packet mobile switching center and the mobile station, wherein transmissions from the gateway packet mobile during the second three-way handshake routine comprise the buffered transmissions from the first three-way handshake routine; and

establishing the packet connection between the remote host and the mobile station upon completion of the second three-way handshake routine.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

establishing a packet channel between the gateway packet mobile switching center and the mobile station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of establishing further includes the steps of:

determining a location of the mobile station by accessing a home location register of the mobile station; and

generating a paging request to the mobile station.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of generating further includes the steps of:

generating a paging request to a mobile switching center presently serving the mobile station from a packet mobile switching center serving the mobile station; and

paging the mobile station from the serving mobile switching center.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of buffering further includes the steps of:

buffering the initiation packet from the remote host; and

buffering the acknowledge response from the remote host.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of performing the second three-way handshake further comprises the steps of:

forwarding the buffered initiation packet from the gateway packet mobile switching center to a visiting packet mobile switching center;

transmitting the buffered initiation packet from the visiting packet mobile switching center to the mobile station upon establishment of a packet channel;

transmitting the response packet from the mobile station to the gateway packet mobile switching center in response to the initiation packet; and

transmitting the buffered acknowledge response from the gateway packet mobile switching center to the mobile station in response to the response packet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of buffering further comprises buffering all packets following the acknowledge response.

8. A method for generating a TCP packet connection between a remote host on an Internet network and a mobile station on a mobile network, comprising the steps of:

performing a first three-way handshake routine between the remote host and a gateway packet mobile switching center of the mobile network in response to a packet connection request from the remote host to the mobile station;

buffering a TCP SYN packet and TCP ACK packet of the first three-way handshake routine and any following TCP packets from the remote host to the gateway packet mobile switching center of the mobile network;

establishing a packet channel between the gateway packet mobile switching center and the mobile station;

transmitting the buffered TCP SYN packet of the first three-way handshake routine from a visiting packet mobile switching center to the mobile station upon establishment of the packet channel;

transmitting a TCP SYN+ACK packet from the mobile station to the gateway packet mobile switching center in response to the TCP SYN packet; and

transmitting the buffered TCP ACK packet of the first three-way handshake routine from the gateway mobile switching center to the mobile station in response to the TCP SYN+ACK packet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of establishing further includes the steps of:

determining a location of the mobile station by accessing a home location register of the mobile station; and

generating a paging request to the mobile station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of generating further includes the steps of:

generating a paging request to a mobile switching center presently serving the mobile station from a visiting packet mobile switching center serving the mobile station; and

paging the mobile station from the serving mobile switching center.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of performing the first three-way handshake routine further comprises the steps of:

transmitting the TCP SYN packet from the remote host to the gateway packet mobile switching center to initiate a packet connection;

transmitting the TCP SYN+ACK packet from the gateway packet mobile switching center to the remote host in response to the TCP SYN packet; and

transmitting the TCP ACK packet from the remote host to the gateway packet mobile switching center in response to the TCP SYN+ACK packet.

12. The method of claim 8 further including the step of:

forwarding the buffered TCP SYN packet of the first three-way handshake routine from the gateway packet mobile switching center to the visiting packet mobile switching center within a PMAP protocol message.

13. A gateway packet mobile switching center, comprising:

a first interconnection with a first network;

a second interconnection with a mobile network;

a memory for storing transmissions from the remote host on the first network; and

a TCP proxy functionality, responsive to a connection request from a remote host in the first network to a mobile station the mobile network for responding to a three-way handshake routine between the gateway packet mobile switching center and the remote host, for storing transmissions from the remote host during the first three-way handshake routine in the memory and for initiating a second three-way handshake routine using the transmissions stored in the memory to complete a packet channel from the remote host to the mobile station.

14. The gateway packet mobile switching center of claim 13, wherein the first network comprises an Internet.

15. The gateway packet mobile switching center of claim 13, wherein the first network comprises an Intranet.

16. The gateway packet mobile switching center of claim 13, wherein the transmissions comprise a TCP SYN packet and a TCP ACK packet.

17. The gateway packet mobile switching center of claim 16, wherein the transmissions further comprises a plurality of stored data packets.

18. A method for generating a TCP packet connection between a remote host on an Internet network and a mobile station on a mobile network, comprising the steps of:

performing a first three-way handshake routine between the remote host and a gateway packet mobile switching center of the mobile network in response to a packet connection request from the remote host to the mobile station;

buffering a TCP SYN packet and TCP ACK packet of received at the gateway packet mobile switching center during the first three-way handshake routine and any following TCP packets from the remote host to the gateway packet mobile switching center of the mobile network;

buffering all packets following the TCP SYN packet and the TCP ACK packet;

establishing a packet channel between the gateway packet mobile switching center and the mobile station;

transmitting the buffered TCP SYN packet from a visiting packet mobile switching center to the mobile station upon establishment of the packet channel;

transmitting a TCP SYN+ACK packet from the mobile station to the gateway packet mobile switching center in response to the TCP SYN packet; and

transmitting the buffered TCP ACK of the first three-way handshake routine packet from the gateway mobile switching center to the mobile station in response to the TCP SYN+ACK packet.