Handover processing method, and mobile node, connection managing apparatus and base station used in that method

A handover processing method for a mobile node applied to a case where, in a communication system in which a mobile node is configured to communicate with a correspondent node via a communication network formed of a plurality of access networks and which includes a connection managing apparatus managing connections of the mobile node, a plurality of entities for controlling handovers of the mobile node exist, including the mobile node itself, and some of the plurality of entities may perform handover processing of the mobile node, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating by the mobile node a message including certain information for prioritizing a connection of the mobile node to a desired access network among the plurality of access networks;
• transmitting the generated message from the mobile node to any of a base station located in the desired access network or a base station located in a currently-connected access network;
• and
• rejecting by the connection managing apparatus a path switching request issued for a handover of the mobile node by a base station in an access network other than the desired access network, the rejection being made in accordance with the certain information acquired through the base station which receives the transmitted message.

A connection managing apparatus used in a handover processing method for a mobile node applied to a case where, in a communication system in which the mobile node is configured to communicate with a correspondent node via a communication network formed of a plurality of access networks and which includes a connection managing apparatus managing connections of the mobile node, a plurality of entities for controlling handovers of the mobile node exist, including the mobile node itself, and some of the plurality of entities may perform handover processing of the mobile node, the connection managing apparatus comprising:

• reception unit for receiving a path switching request message from a base station located in an access network other than an access network that the mobile node desires among the plurality of access networks;
• determination unit for determining whether or not to reject a path switching request issued for a handover of the mobile node which is a request from the base station located in the access network other than the desired access network, the determination being made in accordance with certain information included in a message generated by the mobile node and prioritizing a connection of the mobile node to the desired access network among the plurality of access networks;
• and
• transmission unit for, in a case where the path switching request is determined to be rejected, transmitting a message indicating the rejection of the path switching request to the base station located in the access network other than the desired access network.