Mobile terminal using priority processing for packets that require urgency in communications

Abstract

A mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets is provided with a TCP/IP driver configured to carry out processing of communication packets; and a control related driver configured to carry out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications, at higher priority than the communication packets, without using the TCP/IP driver. The control related packets may include Mobile IP packets and DHCP packets.

1 - 19 . (canceled)  
     
     
         20 . A control related driver for a mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets, the control related driver being connected between a TCP/IP driver for carrying out processing of communication packets according to a general application program and a network driver for connecting the mobile terminal to a network, and comprising: 
 a packet judgement unit configured to judge whether a received packet is a communication packet or a control related packet that requires urgency in communications; and    a control related packet processing unit configured to carry out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications according to a mobile communication management program, by transferring the control related packets to/from the network driver at higher priority than communication packets to be transferred between the TCP/IP driver and the network driver.    
     
     
         21 . A processing method of a control related driver for a mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets, the control related driver being connected between a TCP/IP driver for carrying out processing of communication packets according to a general application program and a network driver for connecting the mobile terminal to a network, and the processing method comprising: 
 judging whether a received packet is a communication packet or a control related packet that requires urgency in communications; and    carrying out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications according to a mobile communication management program, by transferring the control related packets to/from the network driver at higher priority than communication packets to be transferred between the TCP/IP driver and the network driver.    
     
     
         22 . A computer readable medium having computer readable program codes stored therein for causing a computer to function as a control related driver for a mobile terminal capable of carrying out communications while moving among a plurality of interconnected subnets, wherein the control related driver being connected between a TCP/IP driver for carrying out processing of communication packets according to a general application program and a network driver for connecting the mobile terminal to a network, and the computer readable program codes include: 
 a first computer program code for causing the computer to judge whether a received packet is a communication packet or a control related packet that requires urgency in communications; and    a second computer program code for causing the computer to carry out processing of control related packets that require urgency in communications according to a mobile communication management program, by transferring the control related packets to/from the network driver at higher priority than communication packets to be transferred between the TCP/IP driver and the network driver.