Methods and apparatus for the utilization of multiple uplinks in reverse tunneling

A communications system, for use with a first mobile node, the system comprising:

• a mobility management node including:
• means for receiving mobility management signals relating to said first mobile node;
• means for storing, in response to the received mobility management signals, tunnel information defining first and second incoming tunnels and an outgoing tunnel, said tunnels being associated with said first mobile node, said incoming and outgoing being relative to said mobility agent node;
• said stored tunnel information including an IP address of said first mobile node which is associated with said first and second incoming tunnels and said first outgoing tunnel;
• said stored tunnel information, defining said first incoming tunnel and said first outgoing tunnel, including first and second tunnel end node addresses corresponding to first and second tunnel end nodes, respectively, the end nodes of said first incoming tunnel and said first outgoing tunnel being the same, the first tunnel end node address being an address corresponding to said mobility management node, the second tunnel end node address being a destination address of the first outgoing tunnel and a source address of said first incoming tunnel;
• and
• said stored tunnel information, defining said second incoming tunnel, including third and forth tunnel end node addresses corresponding to third and forth tunnel end nodes, respectively, the third tunnel end node address being the destination address of the second incoming tunnel and corresponding to said mobility management node, said forth tunnel end node address being different from said first, second and third tunnel end node addresses and being the source address of the second incoming tunnel.

A mobile communications method for use with a mobile node having a mobile node IP address, comprising:

• a mobility agent node receiving mobility management signals;
• in response to said received signals independently establishing first and second incoming tunnels and at most one outgoing tunnel, said first and second incoming tunnels and said at most one outgoing tunnel corresponding to said mobile node and being associated with said mobile node IP address, said incoming and outgoing being relative to said mobility agent node;
• said first and second incoming tunnels having a mobility agent node address as a destination tunnel end node address and said at most one outgoing tunnel having said mobility agent node address as a source tunnel end node address;
• and
• said first and second incoming tunnels having different source tunnel end node addresses.

A communications method, for use with a first mobile node and a mobility management node, the method comprising;

• operating the mobility management node to encapsulate and forward inner packets that arrive at the mobility management node with a destination address equal to the home address of the mobile node, into a first tunnel that at least supports outgoing tunneling;
• operating the mobility management node to additionally decapsulate and forward inner packets, that have a source address equal to the home address of the first mobile node, and that arrive at the mobility management node in a second incoming only tunnel;
• said incoming and outgoing being relative to said mobility management node;
• said first and second tunnels being described by stored tunnel state in the mobility management node;
• said stored tunnel information including the home address of said first mobile node which is associated with said second incoming only tunnel and said first tunnel;
• said stored tunnel information, defining said first tunnel including first and second tunnel end node addresses corresponding to first and second tunnel end nodes, respectively, the first tunnel end node address being an address corresponding to said mobility management node, the second tunnel end node address being at least the destination address of the first tunnel for outgoing packets;
• and
• said stored tunnel information defining said second incoming only tunnel, including third and forth tunnel end node addresses corresponding to third and forth tunnel end nodes, respectively, the third tunnel end node address being only the destination address of the second incoming tunnel and corresponding to said mobility management node, said forth tunnel end node address being different from said first, second and third tunnel end node addresses, and being the source address of the second incoming only tunnel.