Method and apparatus for a mobile device to address a private home agent having a public address and a private address

A method for a mobile device to register with a private home agent comprising the steps of:

• assigning the private home agent a home agent private address and a public address wherein the home agent private address for use by the mobile device when the mobile device is in a private network and the public address for use by the mobile device mobile device is in a public network;
• receiving a registration request wherein the registration request initiates registration of the mobile device when the mobile device is located within the public network with the private home agent, the mobile device belonging to a private network and having a private address,
• wherein the registration request is addressed in the public network to the public address of the private borne agent, wherein the registration request indicates that the mobile device is in the public network;
• and
• processing the registration request.

A mobile device comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising a set of instructions executable by the processor,
• the set of instructions generating a registration request addressed to a public address of a private home agent, wherein the registration request initiates registration of the mobile device with the private home agent, the mobile device located within a public network, the mobile device belonging to a private network and having a mobile device private address, the private home agent located in the private network and having a home agent private address for use by the mobile device when the mobile device is in the private network and the public address for use by the mobile device when the mobile device is in the public network;
• and
• the set of instructions sending of the registration request to the public address of the private home agent, wherein the registration request indicates that the mobile device is in the public network.

A system comprising:

• a care-of node comprising a mobile device, the care-of node located in a public network, the mobile device belonging to a private network and having a mobile device private network address;
• a network boundary device at a boundary of the private network;
• and
• a home agent located in the private network and having a home agent private address for use by the mobile device when the mobile device is in the private network and a public address for use by the mobile device when the mobile device is in the public network;
• wherein the care-of node generates and sends a registration request addressed to the public address of the home agent, the registration request initiates registration of the mobile device with the home agent, wherein the registration request indicates that the mobile device is in the public network;
• the network boundary device receives the registration request, translate the public address of the home agent to the home agent private address, and route the registration request to the home agent;
• and
• the home agent processes the registration request to determine that the mobile device is located in the public network and generate a registration reply to be routed back to the mobile device.