Inter-access network handover
First Claim
1. In a wireless network environment comprising first and second packet-switched access networks, each access network using a tunneling-type micro-mobility protocol and a Quality of Service (QoS) routing protocol to route packet data to and from mobile nodes attached thereto, and each access network comprising an access router to which a mobile node may attach, a mobility agent with which said mobile node may register and a gateway, a method of facilitating network layer handover of said mobile node from said first access network to said second access network, said mobile node registered in said first access network with a serving mobility agent, which method comprises the steps of:
- (a) said mobile node receiving a router advertisement from said second access network, which router advertisement comprises a network-layer address of a target mobility agent in said second access network with which said mobile node may register; and
(b) said mobile node forwarding said network-layer address to said serving mobility agent, whereby said serving mobility agent may communicate with said target mobility agent to facilitate network-layer handover of said mobile node to said second access network; and
(c) said mobile node transmitting an identifier with said router advertisement, which identifier is useable to identify said mobile node in both said first and second access networks;
wherein following handover of said mobile node at the physical and link layers, said mobile node initiates a handover at the network layer by sending to said target mobility agent a registration message comprising said identifier with said router advertisement which identifier is useable to identify said mobile node in both said first and second access networks of said mobile node; and
wherein upon receipt of said registration message said target mobility agent uses said identifier to look up pre-computed QoS route(s) stored for said mobile node.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a wireless network environment comprising first and second packet-switched access networks, each access network using a tunnelling-type micro-mobility protocol and a Quality of Service (QoS) routing protocol to route packet data to and from mobile nodes attached thereto, and each access network comprising an access router to which a mobile node may attach, a mobility agent with which said mobile node may register and a gateway, a method of facilitating network layer handover of said mobile node from said first access network to said second access network, said mobile node registered in said first access network with a serving mobility agent, which method comprises the steps of: said mobile node receiving a router advertisement from said second access network, which router advertisement comprises a network-layer address of a target mobility agent in said second access network with which said mobile node may register; and said mobile node forwarding said network-layer address to said serving mobility agent, whereby said serving mobility agent may communicate with said target mobility agent to facilitate network-layer handover of said mobile node to said second access network.
35 Citations
17 Claims
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1. In a wireless network environment comprising first and second packet-switched access networks, each access network using a tunneling-type micro-mobility protocol and a Quality of Service (QoS) routing protocol to route packet data to and from mobile nodes attached thereto, and each access network comprising an access router to which a mobile node may attach, a mobility agent with which said mobile node may register and a gateway, a method of facilitating network layer handover of said mobile node from said first access network to said second access network, said mobile node registered in said first access network with a serving mobility agent, which method comprises the steps of:
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(a) said mobile node receiving a router advertisement from said second access network, which router advertisement comprises a network-layer address of a target mobility agent in said second access network with which said mobile node may register; and (b) said mobile node forwarding said network-layer address to said serving mobility agent, whereby said serving mobility agent may communicate with said target mobility agent to facilitate network-layer handover of said mobile node to said second access network; and (c) said mobile node transmitting an identifier with said router advertisement, which identifier is useable to identify said mobile node in both said first and second access networks; wherein following handover of said mobile node at the physical and link layers, said mobile node initiates a handover at the network layer by sending to said target mobility agent a registration message comprising said identifier with said router advertisement which identifier is useable to identify said mobile node in both said first and second access networks of said mobile node; and wherein upon receipt of said registration message said target mobility agent uses said identifier to look up pre-computed QoS route(s) stored for said mobile node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A packet-switched wireless access network using a tunneling-type micro-mobility protocol and a Quality of Service (QoS) routing protocol to route packet data to and from mobile nodes attached thereto, and which comprises an access router to which a mobile node may attach, a mobility agent with which said mobile node may register and a gateway, said mobile node registered in said packet-switched wireless access network with a serving mobility agent, said packet-switched wireless access network for facilitating network layer handover of said mobile node to another access network, and in which said serving mobility agent is configured to receive a network-layer address from said mobile node, which network layer address is of a target mobility agent in said other access network with which said mobile node may register, whereby said serving mobility agent may communicate with said target mobility agent using said network layer address to facilitate network-layer handover of said mobile node to said other access network, and in which said mobile node is configured to initiate handover at the network layer, following handover of said mobile node at the physical and link layers, by sending to said target mobility agent a registration message comprising an identifier with a router advertisement which identifier is useable to identify said mobile node in both said first and second access networks of said mobile node, and in which said target mobility agent is configured to use said identifier upon receipt of said registration message to look up pre-computed QoS route(s) stored for said mobile node.
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13. A router comprising a memory storing computer executable instructions that when executed enable the router to receive a network-layer address from a mobile node, which network-layer address is of a target mobility agent in another access network, whereby said router may communicate with said target mobility agent in said other access network to facilitate network-layer handover of said mobile node to said other access network, in which first network said mobile node is configured to initiate handover at the network layer, following handover of said mobile node at the physical and link layers, by sending to said target mobility agent a registration message comprising an identifier with a router advertisement which identifier is useable to identify said mobile node in both said first and second access networks, and in which second network said target mobility agent is configured to use said identifier upon receipt of said registration message to look up pre-computed QoS route(s) stored for said mobile node.
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14. A packet-switched wireless access network using a tunneling-type micro-mobility protocol and a Quality of Service (QoS) routing protocol to route packet data to and from mobile nodes attached thereto, and which comprises an access router to which a mobile node may attach, a target mobility agent with which said mobile node may register and a gateway, which packet-switched wireless access network is configured to receive handover data from another access network about an ongoing session(s) of said mobile node in said other access network, and upon receipt to use said handover data to perform at least a part of its admission procedure prior to handover of said mobile node from said other access network;
- and in which said serving mobility agent is configured to receive a network-layer address from said mobile node, which network layer address is of a target mobility agent in said other access network with which said mobile node may register, whereby said serving mobility agent may communicate with said target mobility agent using said network layer address; and
in which said mobile node is configured to initiate handover at the network layer, following handover of said mobile node at the physical and link layers, by sending to said target mobility agent a registration message comprising an identifier with a router advertisement which identifier is useable to identify said mobile node in both said first and second access networks of said mobile node, and in which said target mobility agent is configured to use said identifier upon receipt of said registration message to look up pre-computed QoS route(s) stored for said mobile node.
- and in which said serving mobility agent is configured to receive a network-layer address from said mobile node, which network layer address is of a target mobility agent in said other access network with which said mobile node may register, whereby said serving mobility agent may communicate with said target mobility agent using said network layer address; and
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15. A router comprising a memory storing computer executable instructions that when executed enable the router to receive handover data from another access network about an ongoing session(s) of a mobile node in a another access network, and upon receipt to use said handover data to perform at least a part of an admission procedure prior to handover of said mobile node from said other access network, in which first network said mobile node is configured to initiate handover at the network layer, following handover of said mobile node at the physical and link layers, by sending to said target mobility agent a registration message comprising an identifier with a router advertisement which identifier is useable to identify said mobile node in both said first and second access networks, and in which second network said target mobility agent is configured to use said identifier upon receipt of said registration message to look up pre-computed QoS route(s) stored for said mobile node.
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16. A mobile node comprising a memory storing computer executable instructions that when executed cause said mobile node to perform the following steps:
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(a) determine whether each router advertisement it receives is from an access router in a first access network to which it is presently attached, or from a second access network different from said first; (b) if from a second access network, to forward said router advertisement to a serving mobility agent in said first access network, and to initiate a handover at the network layer, following handover of said mobile node at the physical and link layers, by sending to a target mobility agent in said second access network a registration message comprising an identifier with said router advertisement which identifier is useable to identify said mobile node in both said first and second access networks and is useable by said target mobility agent to look up pre-computed QoS route(s) stored for said mobile node.
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17. A method of manufacturing a mobile node, which method comprises the steps of storing in a memory of said mobile node computer executable instructions that when executed perform the steps of:
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(a) determining whether each router advertisement it receives is from an access router in a first access network to which it is presently attached, or from a second access network different from said first; if from a second access network, to forward said router advertisement to a serving mobility agent in said first access network, and to initiate a handover at the network layer, following handover of said mobile node at the physical and link layers, by sending to a target mobility agent in said second access network a registration message comprising an identifier with said router advertisement which identifier is useable to identify said mobile node in both said first and second access networks and is useable by said target mobility agent to look up pre-computed QoS route(s) stored for said mobile node.
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Specification