Mobile ipv6 optimised reverse tunnelling for multi-homed terminals

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for packet-switched data transmission between a multi-homed mobile node and a correspondent node in a mobile communication system comprising a plurality of mobile networks. The method comprises the steps of selecting by the mobile node one of its home addresses to be used for communication with the correspondent node. The mobile node registers at least one of a plurality of addresses assigned to a considered network interface as care-of-address at a mobile node's home agent responsible for the selected home address. The correspondent node's home agent and mobile node's home agent receive and store candidate proxy home agent addresses. A correspondent node's home agent sends a request to the correspondent node. The correspondent node registers at least one of a plurality of addresses assigned to a considered network interface as care-of-address at the correspondent node's home agent. At least one of the proxy home agent addresses, one of the mobile node's care-of-addresses, and one of the correspondent node's care-of-addresses is selected on both the mobile node's home agent and the corresponding node's home agent, and the mobile node is triggered by the mobile node's home agent and the correspondent node by the corresponding node's home agent to switch a tunnel, so that two endpoints of the tunnel are one of the selected proxy home agent addresses and the selected mobile node's care-of addresses.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method for packet-switched data transmission between a multi-homed mobile node and a correspondent node in a mobile communication system comprising a plurality of mobile networks, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) selecting ( 1902 ) by the mobile node one of its home addresses to be used for communication with the correspondent node;   b) registering ( 1910 ) by the mobile node at least one of a plurality of addresses assigned to a considered network interface as care-of address at a mobile node's home agent responsible for the selected home address;   c) receiving and storing by a correspondent node's home agent and by the mobile node's home agent candidate proxy home agent addresses;   d) sending ( 1932 ) by the correspondent node's home agent a request to the correspondent node;   e) registering ( 1934 ) by the correspondent node at least one of a plurality of addresses assigned to a considered network interface as care-of address at the correspondent node's home agent;   f) selecting ( 1946 ) at least one of the stored proxy home agent addresses, one of the mobile node's care-of-addresses, and one of the correspondent node's care-of addresses on both the mobile node's home agent and the corresponding node's home agent; and   g) triggering ( 1958 ) the mobile node by the mobile node's home agent to switch a tunnel, so that two endpoints of the tunnel are one of the selected proxy home agent addresses and the selected mobile node's care-of addresses as selected in step f).   h) triggering ( 1958 ) the correspondent node by the correspondent node's home agent to switch a tunnel, so that two endpoints of the tunnel are one of the selected proxy home agent addresses and the correspondent node's care-of addresses as selected in step f).   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the request in step d) is an optimised reverse tunnelling initiation request. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein before step d) the following step is executed:
 i) sending addresses of candidate proxy home agents stored at the mobile node to a mobile node's home agent and to a correspondent node's home agent.   
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein before step d) the following step is executed:
 j) sending addresses of candidate proxy home agents stored at the correspondent node to a mobile node's home agent and to a correspondent node's home agent.   
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein step i) comprises the following steps:
 sending ( 1912 ) by the mobile node to its home agent an optimised reverse tunnelling initiation request;   receiving ( 1920 ) by the mobile node's home agent the optimised reverse tunnelling initiation request and storing of candidate proxy home agent addresses;   finding ( 1924 ,  1926 ,  1928 ) by the mobile node's home agent a home agent that manages bindings for a correspondent node's home address; and   sending ( 1930 ) an optimised reverse tunnelling request by the mobile node's home agent to the found correspondent node's home agent.   
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein step j) comprises the following steps:
 sending ( 1912 ) by the correspondent node to its home agent an optimised reverse tunnelling initiation reply;   receiving ( 1920 ) by the correspondent node's home agent the optimised reverse tunnelling initiation reply and storing of candidate proxy home agent addresses; and   sending ( 1930 ) an optimised reverse tunnelling reply by the correspondent node's home agent to the mobile node's home agent.   
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein step i) comprises the following steps:
 sending ( 1912 ) by the mobile node to its home agent addresses of candidate proxy home agents;   receiving ( 1920 ) and storing by the mobile node's home agent candidate proxy home agent addresses;   finding ( 1924 ,  1926 ,  1928 ) by the mobile node a home agent that manages bindings for a correspondent node's home address; and   sending ( 1930 ) an optimised reverse tunnelling request by the mobile node to the found correspondent node's home agent.   
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein step j) comprises the following steps:
 sending ( 1912 ) by the correspondent node to its home agent addresses of candidate proxy home agents;   receiving ( 1920 ) and storing by the correspondent node's home agent candidate proxy home agent addresses;   finding ( 1924 ,  1926 ,  1928 ) by the correspondent node a home agent that manages bindings for a mobile node's home address; and   sending ( 1930 ) an optimised reverse tunnelling reply by the correspondent node to the mobile node's home agent.   
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the step of sending an optimised tunnelling request or reply is followed by proposing candidate proxy home agent addresses to the respective home agent. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 25  wherein step f) is carried out to select a shortest path. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 25  wherein step f) is carried out to select a path with a shortest delay. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 25  further comprising the following step before step d):
 selecting ( 1908 ) by the mobile node one of the correspondent node's home addresses as destination address.   
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 25 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 26 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 28 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 30 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 32 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 33 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the mobile node's home agent. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 25 , further comprising the following step: rejecting untrusted proxy home agents by the correspondent node's home agent. 
     
     
         50 . A mobile node in a mobile communication system for packet-switched data transmission between a multi-homed mobile node and a correspondent node, the mobile node comprising:
 selection means adapted to select one of its home addresses to be used for communication with the correspondent node; and   storage means adapted to register at least one of a plurality of addresses assigned to a considered network interface as care-of-address at a mobile node's home agent responsible for the selected home address.   
     
     
         51 . A correspondent node's home agent in a mobile communication system for packet-switched data transmission between a multi-homed mobile node and a correspondent node, the correspondent node's home agent comprising:
 transmission means adapted to send a request to the correspondent node;   receiving means adapted to receive proxy candidate home agent addresses;
 storage means adapted to store proxy candidate home agent addresses; 
 selection means adapted to select at least one of the proxy home agent addresses, one of a mobile node's care-of addresses and one of a correspondent node's care-of addresses, and 
 triggering means adapted to trigger the correspondent node to switch a tunnel, so that two endpoints of the tunnel are one of the selected proxy home agent addresses and the correspondent node's care-of addresses. 
   
     
     
         52 . A correspondent node in a mobile communication system for packet-switched data transmission between a multi-homed mobile node and a correspondent node, the correspondent node comprising:
 storage means adapted to register at least one of a plurality of addresses assigned to a considered network interface as care-of-address at the correspondent node's home agent.   
     
     
         53 . A mobile node's home agent in a mobile communication system for packet-switched data transmission between a multi-homed mobile node and a correspondent node, the mobile node's home agent comprising:
 selection means adapted to select at least one of a proxy home agent addresses, one of a mobile node's care-of addresses and one of a correspondent node's care-of addresses; and   triggering means adapted to trigger the mobile node to switch a tunnel, so that two endpoints of the tunnel are one of the selected proxy home agent addresses and the correspondent node's care-of addresses.