Data forwarding controller communication terminal apparatus, data communication system and method, and computer program

A data communication system comprising a communication terminal apparatus of a mobile type which performs data transmission/reception via a network and which changes access points based on data receiving conditions, and a data forwarding controller which performs data forwarding control via said network,

• wherein said communication terminal apparatus is configured to acquire a MAC address of a next access point to which said communication terminal apparatus is scheduled to be connected next, and broadcast a handover start message containing said MAC address of said acquired next access point;
• said data forwarding controller is configured to set an entry in a MAC learning table as an additional entry based on said MAC address of said next access point contained in said handover start message received from said communication terminal apparatus, wherein said entry sets a port to which said next access point is connected, as an output port corresponding to a MAC address of said communication terminal apparatus;
• and
• output data addressed to said MAC address of said communication terminal apparatus received via said network, in parallel to output ports listed in a plurality of entries as to said MAC address of said communication terminal apparatus set in said MAC learning table, wherein said output ports are a plurality of ports to which a current access point and said next access point of said communication terminal apparatus are connected.

A method of controlling data forwarding via a network, comprising the steps of:

• (a) setting, for a mobile node, in a MAC learning table in which a MAC address of data for forwarding is associated with an output port, a plurality of entries associating different output ports with a MAC address of said mobile node;
• and
• (b) outputting data addressed to said MAC address of said mobile node received via said network, to said plurality of output ports in parallel based on said plurality of entries set in said MAC learning table,
• wherein said step (a) comprises setting an entry in said MAC learning table as an additional entry based on a MAC address of a next access point contained in a handover start message received from said mobile node, wherein said additional entry sets a port to which said next access point is connected, as an output port corresponding to said MAC address of said mobile node;
• and said step (b) comprises outputting said data addressed to said MAC address of said mobile node received via said network, in parallel to said output ports listed in said plurality of entries as to said MAC address of said mobile node set in said MAC learning table, wherein said output ports are a plurality of ports to which a current access point and said next access point of said mobile node are connected.

A data communication method comprising a communication terminal apparatus of a mobile type which performs data transmission/reception via a network and which changes access points based on data receiving conditions, and a data forwarding controller which performs data forwarding control via said network,

• wherein said communication terminal apparatus acquires a MAC address of a next access point to which said communication terminal apparatus is scheduled to be connected next, and broadcasts a handover start message containing said MAC address of said acquired next access point;
• said data forwarding controller sets an entry in a MAC learning table as an additional entry based on said MAC address of said next access point contained in said handover start message received from said communication terminal apparatus, wherein said additional entry sets a port to which said next access point is connected, as an output port corresponding to a MAC address of said communication terminal apparatus;
• and
• outputs data addressed to said MAC address of said communication terminal apparatus received via said network, in parallel to output ports listed in a plurality of entries as to said MAC address of said communication terminal apparatus set in said MAC learning table, wherein said output ports are a plurality of ports to which a current access point and said next access point of said communication terminal apparatus are connected.

A computer readable medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for executing a data forwarding controlling process via a network on a computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

• setting, for a mobile node, in a MAC learning table in which a MAC address of data for forwarding is associated with an output port, a plurality of entries associating different output ports with a MAC address of said mobile node;
• and
• outputting data addressed to said MAC address of said mobile node received via said network, to said plurality of output ports in parallel based on said plurality of entries set in said MAC learning table,
• wherein said step setting includes setting an entry in said MAC learning table as an additional entry based on a MAC address of a next access point contained in a handover start message received from said mobile node, wherein said additional entry sets a port to which said next access point is connected, as an output port corresponding to said MAC address of said mobile node;
• and said outputting data includes outputting said data addressed to said MAC address of said mobile node received via said network, in parallel to said output ports listed in said plurality of entries as to said MAC address of said mobile node set in said MAC learning table, wherein said output ports are a plurality of ports to which a current access point and said next access point of said mobile node are connected.