Method of performing session handover between terminals, network system, and program

• US 8,588,177 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fujino, Shozo
• Primary Examiner(s): EBRAHIM, ANEZ C
• Application Number:
  US12/278,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20100165946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,492 Days
• Field of Search: 370/220, 370/241, 370/328, 370/331, 370/338, 370/329, 370/351, 370/392, 370/401, 455/445, 455/432, 455/433, 455/437, 455/404.1, 455/432.1, 455/560
• US Class Current: 370/331
• 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 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

It is difficult to perform handover between mobile terminals. In addition, when a session handover is performed between terminals whose mobilities are managed by individual Mobile IP HAs, it is difficult for an IETF standard to normally treat an Uplink packet. A network system includes: a function 9 that manages bind information between terminals which are arranged in a network and are subjected to the control of a user; a function 5 that translates an address; a function 7 that performs encapsulation between HAs; and a function that is provided in a terminal and transmits the bind information and a handover trigger to the bind information management function 9.

Claims

1. A method of performing a session handover between terminals managed by different mobilities, the method comprising:

managing, by a processing device, bind information between terminals that are arranged in a network and are to be controlled;

translating, by the processing device, an address;

performing, by the processing device, encapsulation between HAs (home agents) that are located in different networks; and

transmitting, by a terminal, the bind information to the processing device, thereby triggering a handover,

wherein the bind information includes addresses of the HAs and addresses of the terminals, and

wherein the terminal includes a unit that acquires connection information to a mobile network of an adjacent terminal and transmits the connection information, thereby triggering the session handover between the terminal and the adjacent terminal, during communication from the terminal and the adjacent terminal, while maintaining the address of the terminal.

2. A method of performing a session handover between terminals managed by different mobilities, the method comprising:

managing, by a processing device, bind information between terminals that are arranged in a network and are to be controlled;

translating, by the processing device an address;

performing, by the processing device, encapsulation between HAs (home agents) that are located in different networks; and

transmitting, by a terminal, the bind information to the processing device, thereby triggering a handover,

wherein the bind information includes addresses of the HAs and addresses of the terminals, and

wherein the managing includes storing bind information between both addresses when an End-to-End session is established between the terminal and a correspondent node or during the Downlink transmission of user data, adding information of an adjacent terminal, which is received from the terminal, to the bind information, storing the added information as handover management information, and transferring the handover management information to the HAs in the mobile networks of the two terminals.

3. The method of performing a session handover between terminals according to claim 2,

wherein the translating includes rewriting a destination IP address in a Downlink direction and a source IP address in an Uplink direction with reference to the handover management information.

4. The method of performing a session handover between terminals according to claim 2,

wherein the performing encapsulation includes performing encapsulation to transfer the packet to the HA in the mobile network of the terminal when an Uplink packet is received from the terminal and there is a corresponding entry in the handover management information.

5. A network system comprising:

a function that manages bind information between terminals which are arranged in a network and are subjected to a control of a user;

a function that translates an address;

a function that performs encapsulation between HAs (home agents) that are located in different networks; and

a function that is provided in a terminal and transmits the bind information to the bind information management function and that triggers a handover,

wherein the bind information includes addresses of the HAs and home addresses of the terminals, and

wherein the terminal includes a unit that acquires connection information to a mobile network of an adjacent terminal and transmits the connection information to the bind information management function, thereby triggering the session handover between the terminal and the adjacent terminal, during communication from the terminal and the adjacent terminal, while maintaining the address of the terminal.

6. A network system comprising:

a function that manages bind information between terminals which are arranged in a network and are subjected to a control of a user;

a function that translates an address;

a function that performs encapsulation between HAs (home agents) that are located in different networks; and

a function that is provided in a terminal and transmits the bind information to the bind information management function and that triggers a handover,

wherein the bind information includes addresses of the HAs and home addresses of the terminals, and

wherein the bind information management function includes a unit that, when an End-to-End session is established between the terminal and a correspondent node or during the Downlink transmission of user data, stores bind information between both addresses, adds information of an adjacent terminal, which is received from the terminal, to the bind information, stores the added information as handover management information, and transfers the handover management information to the HAs in the mobile networks of the two terminals.

7. The network system according to claim 6,

wherein the address translation function includes a unit that rewrites a destination IP address in a Downlink direction and a source IP address in an Uplink direction with reference to the handover management information.

8. The network system according to claim 6,

wherein the function that performs encapsulation between HAs includes a unit that performs encapsulation to transfer the packet to the HA in the mobile network of the terminal when an Uplink packet is received from the terminal and there is a corresponding entry in the handover management information.