Address updating of wireless mobile terminal hosts affiliated with a wired network

• US 6,147,986 A
• Filed: 03/06/1998
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Orsic, Milo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US09/036,339
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 370/349, 370/312, 370/428, 370/313, 370/351, 370/256, 370/408, 370/234, 370/235, 370/255, 455/575, 716/18, 704/254, 704/215, 704/233
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• 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 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• 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]
• 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

Abstract

A method of defining an address for a mobile terminal host (T/H) linked to a wired communications network, e.g, the global Internet. The method includes assigning an address to the mobile (T/H), the address corresponding in part to a first network base station to which the mobile T/H becomes linked, for example, by roaming into a cell of the base station. The address assigned to the mobile T/H is changed when the T/H roams and becomes linked to a second network base station, the changed address corresponding in part to the address of the second base station. At least one stationary terminal host in the network is informed of a current address assigned to the mobile T/H by establishing a connection between the mobile T/H and the stationary host. Message data is exchanged between the mobile and the stationary hosts as long as a connection is maintained between them.

Claims

1. A method of defining an address for a mobile terminal/host that is linked to a wired communications network, comprising:

assigning an address to a mobile terminal/host (T/H) affiliated with a wired communications network, the address corresponding in part to an address of a first network base station with which the mobile T/H becomes linked;

changing the address assigned to the mobile T/H when the mobile T/H becomes linked with a second network base station, the changed address corresponding in part to an address of the second network base station; and

informing at least one stationary terminal host in the network of a current address assigned to the mobile T/H by establishing a connection between the mobile T/H and the stationary terminal host.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said informing step is performed by transmitting endpoint update data from the mobile T/H to a stationary terminal host, the endpoint update data containing said current address.

3. A method according to claim 2, including transmitting endpoint update acknowledgment data from the stationary terminal host to the mobile T/H after the stationary terminal host receives said current address from the mobile T/H.

4. The method of claim 3, including defining a control field in each of said endpoint update and said endpoint update acknowledgment data, and allocating in said control field a first bit indicative of a request from the mobile T/H for a setup of an address update connection.

5. The method of claim 4, including allocating in said control field a second bit indicative of an acknowledgment from a stationary terminal host of receipt of the first bit in the control field of an endpoint update data from the mobile T/H.

6. The method of claim 3, including defining a control field in each of said endpoint update and said endpoint update acknowledgment data, and allocating in said control field a third bit indicative of a request from a terminal host to close an established connection.

7. The method of claim 3, including defining a connection identification field in each of said endpoint update and said endpoint update acknowledgment data, and allocating in said field a local connection identification whose value is selected by a terminal host when transmitting said data.

8. The method of claim 7, including allocating in said connection identification field a remote connection identification whose value is selected to correspond to a local connection identification value in data received by a terminal host.

9. The method of claim 3, including defining an update identification number field in each of said endpoint update and said endpoint update acknowledgment data, and incrementing the identification number field for each subsequent endpoint update data a network terminal host transmits to a peer.

10. The method of claim 1, including affiliating the mobile T/H with the network base stations by using radio channels over which the mobile T/H transmits and receives network data.

11. The method of claim 1, including assigning addresses to terminal hosts of the communications network conforming to an Internet protocol.

12. The method of claim 1, including linking the mobile T/H with both of the first and the second network base stations for a determined time period thus allowing the mobile T/H to receive data addressed to the mobile T/H which data was transmitted earlier to the first network base station.