Hierarchical mobility management for wireless networks
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
InventorsKarim El-Malki, Hesham Soliman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for providing a hierarchical mobility management function for routing packets to mobile nodes are provided. The hierarchical mobility management function may be placed anywhere within the network and provide efficient use of IPv6 addresses. A node implementing the hierarchical mobility management function receives packets intended for the mobile node and routes the packets to the mobile node's current address. Load sharing of packets intended for a mobile node may be implemented across several access routers. Additional, bi-casting of packets is provided to allow for seamless handoff of the mobile node as it switches from one access router to another access router.
Claims28
A method for routing packets to a mobile node comprising the steps of:
- providing an address update, including a regional care-of-address associated with the mobile node, to a node communicating with the mobile node;
- sending packets, from the node communicating with the mobile node, to a node associated with the regional care-of-address;
- receiving packets at the node associated with the regional care-of-address;
- determining, at the node associated with the regional care-of-address, a current address of the mobile node;
- routing the received packets to a node associated with the current address of the mobile node;
- forwarding packets, from the node associated with the current address, to the mobile node;
- wherein the packets are sent between the node communicating with the mobile node and the mobile node in accordance with mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (MIPv6) protocol;
- sending a message, from the mobile node to the node associated with the mobile node's regional care-of-address, requesting that packets be routed to the mobile node's current address and at least another current address of the mobile node;
- routing a first group of packets, from the node associated with the mobile node's regional care-of-address, to a node associated with the mobile node's current address;
- and
- routing a second group of packets, from the node associated with the mobile node's regional care-of-address, to a node associated with the at least another one of the mobile node's current addresses.
A network comprising:
- a mobile node;
- a node communicating with the mobile node, wherein the mobile node provides an address update, including a regional care-of-address associated with the mobile node, to the node communicating with the mobile node;
- a node associated with the regional care-of-address, wherein the node communicating with the mobile node sends packets to the node associated with the regional care-of-address;
- a node associated with a current address of the mobile node, wherein the node associated with the current address of the mobile node receives packets from the node associated with the regional care-of-address of the mobile node and sends the received packets to the mobile node;
- means for sending a message to the node associated with the mobile node's regional care-of-address requesting that packets be routed to the mobile node's current address and at least another current address of the mobile node;
- means for routing a first group of packets, from the node associated with the mobile node's regional care-of-address, to a node associated with the mobile node's current address;
- and
- means for routing a second group of packets, from the node associated with the mobile node's regional care-of-address, to a node associated with the at least another one of the mobile node's current addresses;
- wherein the network operates in accordance with mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (MIPv6) protocol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.