Communication system with mobile terminal accessible to mobile communication network and local network simultaneously

• US 7,876,736 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 2BCom LLC (Markman Advisors LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao; Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, NGUYEN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US11/775,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 370/331, 370/475, 370/313, 370/342, 370/338, 370/352, 370/328, 455/455, 455/445, 455/552.1, 455/403, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/659 Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/677 Multiple interfaces, e.g. multihomed nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• 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 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

An address assignment method for a mobile terminal device capable of accessing both a mobile communication network and a local network simultaneously, the method transmitting to a gateway device an inquiry message for inquiring information regarding a location on networks of a correspondent of packet communications to be carried out, from the mobile terminal device through the local network, receiving a response message in response to the inquiry message through the local network at the mobile terminal device, acquiring an address to be used by the mobile terminal device in the packet communications with the correspondent according to the response message, assigning the address to a first communication interface for the local network at the mobile terminal device, communicating with the correspondent using the address assigned to the first communication interface, and judging a manner of utilizing first packet communications carried out through the first communication interface and second packet communications carried out through a second communication interface provided for the mobile communication network in the mobile terminal device according to a prescribed policy, when both the first packet communications and the second packet communications are possible.

Claims

1. An address assignment method for a mobile terminal device capable of accessing both a mobile communication network and a local network simultaneously, the method comprising:

transmitting to a gateway device an inquiry message for inquiring information regarding a location on networks of a correspondent of packet communications to be carried out, from the mobile terminal device through the local network;

receiving a response message in response to the inquiry message through the local network at the mobile terminal device;

acquiring an address to be used by the mobile terminal device in the packet communications with the correspondent according to the response message;

assigning the address to a first communication interface for the local network at the mobile terminal device;

communicating with the correspondent using the address assigned to the first communication interface; and

judging a manner of utilizing first packet communications carried out through the first communication interface and second packet communications carried out through a second communication interface provided for the mobile communication network in the mobile terminal device according to a prescribed policy, when both the first packet communications and the second packet communications are possible.

2. The address assignment method of claim 1, wherein when the assigning step assigns one global address to the first communication interface while the mobile terminal device is already connected to the mobile communication network by using another global address through the second communication interface, the judging step judges which one of the first packet communications using the one global address via the local network through the first communication interface and the second packet communications using the another global address via the mobile communication network through the second communication interface should be used, by accounting for at least one of a state, a performance or a charging condition of the mobile communication network and a state, a performance or a charging information of an external communication network to which the local network is connected.

3. The address assignment method of claim 1, wherein the assigning step assigns a link local address as defined in IPv6 to the first communication interface when the location of the correspondent is on-link, assigns a site local address as defined in IPv6 to the first communication interface when the location of the correspondent is within a site accessible from the first communication interface, or assigns a global address to the first communication interface otherwise.

4. The address assignment method of claim 1, further comprising:

releasing an entire network setting on the mobile communication network side or changing a network setting of all applications on the mobile terminal device to a network setting on the local network side, when all services received through the second communication interface via the mobile communication network are finished after accessing the local network through the first communication interface.

5. The address assignment method of claim 1, further comprising:

functioning as a gateway to relay packet communications of another device connected to the local network by using the first communication interface and the second communication interface, when both the first packet communications through the first communication interface and the second packet communications through the second communication interfaces are possible.

6. The address assignment method of claim 1, further comprising:

employing Bluetooth to carry out the first packet communications via the local network through the first communication interface.

7. The address assignment method of claim 1, further comprising:

carrying out voice communications using a voice communication unit provided in the mobile terminal device.