Method to enable continuous mobility across wired and wireless network interfaces
Assignee3Com Corporation
InventorBarani Subbiah
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for switching between an individual computer's network interface technologies without interrupting any pending data transmissions on the existing network connection. The method include detecting when an existing network connection is no longer connected and if there are any available network connections on different network interface technologies. In addition, the method determines the address of the new connection and reassociates all existing data flow with the new network connection. Data is then routed to the new network connection whether it is on the same subnet or a different subnet.
Claims16
A method of automatically switching a host device from an Ethernet network interface device to a wireless network interface device, while maintaining a network connection, wherein the Ethernet network interface device has a first unique device address, and the wireless network interface device, a second unique device address,
- the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) detecting removal of the host device from an Ethernet network interface associated with said Ethernet network interface device;
- and
- (b) establishing a wireless network interface associated with said wireless network interface device;
- wherein
- (i) the establishment of said wireless network interface involves determining whether the wireless network interface is on the same subnet as the Ethernet network interface;
- (ii) upon determining that the wireless network interface is on the same subnet, broadcasting a signal to update lookup tables in other devices in the subnet to associate the wireless network interface with the second unique device address of the wireless network interface device;
- and
- (iii) upon determining that the wireless network interface is on a different subnet, effecting the tunneling of data packets pertaining to the network connection from the subnet of the Ethernet network interface to the subnet of the wireless network interface.
A method of automatically switching a host device from an wireless network interface device to another network interface device, while maintaining a network connection, and wherein the wireless network interface device has a first unique device address, and the other network interface device has a second unique device address,
- the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) detecting removal of the host device from an wireless network interface associated with said wireless network interface device;
- and
- (b) establishing another network interface associated with said other network interface device;
- wherein
- (i) the establishment of said other network interface involves determining whether the other network interface is on the same subnet as the wireless network interface,
- (ii) upon determining that the other network interface is on the same subnet, broadcasting a signal to update lookup tables in other devices in the subnet to associate the other network interface with the second unique device address of the other network interface device, and
- (iii) upon determining that the other network interface is on a different subnet, effecting the tunneling of data packets pertaining to the network connection from the subnet of the wireless network interface to the subnet of the other network interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.