Methods and Apparatus For Separating Home Agent Functionality

A communications system comprising:

• a mobile node having a Home Address;
• a routing control node for receiving routing control messages from a mobile node
• and for controlling the redirection of packets including the Home Address of said mobile node towards the mobile node's current location;
• a data packet forwarding node for receiving packets including said Home Address
• and for redirecting said packets towards the current location of said mobile node;
• an access node, said access node serving as the mobile nodes point of attachment to a network which includes said access node and said routing control node, said access node being coupled to said mobile node via a wireless link;
• said mobile node including means for transmitting a forwarding control message to the routing control node via said access node, said message being forwarded to said routing control node over a control path extending between said access node and said routing control node which does not traverse said data packet forwarding node;
• and
• said routing control node including:
• i) means for establishing a data packet forwarding path between the data
• packet forwarding node and one of said access node and mobile node, said
• routing control node being outside said data packet forwarding path;
• and
• ii) means for transmitting a response message to said mobile node indicating acceptance of the request for establishment of said data packet forwarding path.

A communications method for use with a communication system including a first

• node, an access node, a second node, and a third node, wherein one of said access node
• and the first node operates as a tunnel endpoint node, the method comprising:
• operating said second node to transmit a routing advertisement for an address associated with a first identifier;
• operating said access node to transmit a routing advertisement for an address associated with a second identifier;
• operating the tunnel endpoint node to transmit a first signal towards the third node, said signal requesting installation, in a table in said third node, of a tunnel state entry associating the first and second identifiers;
• operating the tunnel endpoint node to receive a second signal originating from the
• third node indicating that the third node has installed said tunnel state entry;
• and
• operating said tunnel endpoint node to receive a redirected data packet from the
• second node, said redirected packet including a data packet with a destination address including the address associated with the first identifier.

A communications method for use in a communications including a first node, an

• access node, a second node, and a third node, wherein one of said access node and the first node operates as a tunnel endpoint node, the method comprising:
• operating the second node to transmit a routing advertisement for an address associated with a first identifier, said second node including tunnel state entries that map
• between an addresses associated with the first identifier and address associated with a second identifier;
• operating said access node to transmit a routing advertisement for the address associated with the second identifier;
• operating the second node to transmit a first signal towards the third node indicating installation of a tunnel state entry associated with the first identifier, said first
• signal including the second identifier;
• operating the second node to receive a data packet including a destination address
• that includes said address associated with the first identifier;
• operating the second node to redirect said received data packet, said redirected packet being modified by said second node to add a destination address that includes said
• address associated with the second identifier.

A tunneling agent node for use in a communications system including a mobile node, an access node, said tunneling agent node, and a routing control node, wherein one of said access node and the mobile node operates as a tunnel endpoint node, the tunneling agent node comprising:

• means for generating and sending a routing advertisement for an address associated with a first identifier, said tunneling agent node including tunnel state entries that map between an addresses associated with the first identifier and address associated with a second identifier;
• means for generating and sending a first signal towards the routing control node indicating installation of a tunnel state entry associated with the first identifier, said first signal including the second identifier;
• means for receiving a data packet including a destination address that includes said address associated with the first identifier;
• and
• means for redirecting said received data packet, said redirected packet being modified by said tunneling agent node to add a destination address that includes said address associated with the second identifier.

A non-transitory computer program product comprising:

• machine readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a tunneling agent node in a communications system including a mobile node, an access node, said tunneling agent node, and a routing control node, wherein one of said access node and the mobile node operates as a tunnel endpoint node, the machine readable medium comprising:
• instructions for causing the tunneling agent node to generate and send a routing advertisement for an address associated with a first identifier, said tunneling agent node including tunnel state entries that map between an addresses associated with the first identifier and address associated with a second identifier;
• instructions for causing the tunneling agent node to generate and send a first signal towards the routing control node indicating installation of a tunnel state entry associated with the first identifier, said first signal including the second identifier;
• instructions for causing the tunneling agent node to receive a data packet including a destination address that includes said address associated with the first identifier;
• and
• instructions for causing the tunneling agent node to redirect said received data packet, said redirected packet being modified by said tunneling agent node to add a destination address that includes said address associated with the second identifier.

A tunneling agent node in a communications system including a mobile node, an access node, said tunneling agent node, and a routing control node, wherein one of said access node and the mobile node operates as a tunnel endpoint node, the tunneling agent node comprising a processor configured to:

• control the tunneling agent node to generate and send a routing advertisement for an address associated with a first identifier, said tunneling agent node including tunnel state entries that map between an addresses associated with the first identifier and address associated with a second identifier;
• control the tunneling agent node to generate and send a first signal towards the routing control node indicating installation of a tunnel state entry associated with the first identifier, said first signal including the second identifier;
• control the tunneling agent node to receive a data packet including a destination address that includes said address associated with the first identifier;
• and
• control the tunneling agent node to redirect said received data packet, said redirected packet being modified by said tunneling agent node to add a destination address that includes said address associated with the second identifier.

A tunneling agent node for use in a communications system including a mobile node, an access node, said tunneling agent node, and a routing control node, wherein

• one of said access node and the mobile node operates as a tunnel endpoint node, the tunneling agent node comprising:
• an interface for transmitting a routing advertisement for an address associated with a first identifier, said tunneling agent node including tunnel state entries that map between an addresses associated with the first identifier and address associated with a second identifier;
• a mobility tunneling agent signaling module for sending a first signal towards the routing control node indicating installation of a tunnel state entry associated with the first identifier, said first signal including the second identifier;
• said interface further being for receiving a data packet including a destination address that includes said address associated with the first identifier;
• and
• a forwarding module for redirecting said received data packet, said redirected packet being modified by said tunneling agent node to add a destination address that includes said address associated with the second identifier.