System and method for providing connectivity between a visited network and a home network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9344958-B1
Application number	US-201514833828-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 24, 2015
Priority date	Jan 26, 2007
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A system including a first home agent and a proxy mobility agent. The first home agent receives a first binding update message from an attachment point configured to communicate with a wireless terminal, and generates a trigger signal in response to receiving the first binding update message. In response to receiving the trigger signal from the first home agent, the proxy mobility agent transmits a second binding update message to a second home agent; receives, in response to transmitting the second binding update message, a first binding acknowledgement message from the second home agent including an internet protocol (IP) address assigned to the wireless terminal by the second home agent; and forwards the IP address from the first binding acknowledgement message to the first home agent. The first home agent transmits a second binding acknowledgement message to the attachment point including the IP address assigned to the wireless terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first home agent configured to
receive a first binding update message from an attachment point configured to communicate with a wireless terminal, and
generate a trigger signal in response to receiving the first binding update message from the attachment point; and

a proxy mobility agent configured to, in response to receiving the trigger signal from the first home agent,
transmit a second binding update message to a second home agent;
receive, in response to transmitting the second binding update message, a first binding acknowledgement message from the second home agent, wherein the first binding acknowledgement message includes an internet protocol (IP) address assigned to the wireless terminal by the second home agent; and
forward the IP address from the first binding acknowledgement message to the first home agent,

wherein the first home agent is configured to transmit a second binding acknowledgement message to the attachment point, and
wherein the second binding acknowledgement message includes the IP address assigned to the wireless terminal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the proxy mobility agent and the second home agent are configured to set up a first tunnel between the proxy mobility agent and the second home agent in response to the first binding acknowledgement message; and
the first home agent and the attachment point are configured to set up a second tunnel between the first home agent and the attachment point in response to the second binding acknowledgement message.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein in response to the wireless terminal switching from the attachment point, the first tunnel remains unchanged between the proxy mobility agent and the second home agent.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the attachment point is configured to transmit the first binding update message in response to successful authentication of the wireless terminal to the attachment point.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first home agent is configured to generate the trigger signal in response to determining that the second home agent is an ultimate home agent for the wireless terminal.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first home agent is configured to notify the proxy mobility agent of the ultimate home agent of the wireless terminal.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first home agent is configured to obtain an address of the ultimate home agent for the wireless terminal from an access, authentication, and accounting (AAA) server.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first home agent is configured to provide identification information of the wireless terminal to the AAA server.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the identification information comprises at least one of a network address identifier or an international mobile subscriber identity.

10. A method comprising:
receiving, at a first home agent, a first binding update message from an attachment point in response to the attachment point communicating with a wireless terminal;
generating, at the first home agent, a trigger signal in response to receiving the first binding update message from the attachment point;
transmitting, from a proxy mobility agent, in response to receiving the trigger signal from the first home agent, a second binding update message to a second home agent;
receiving, at the proxy mobility agent, in response to transmitting the second binding update message, a first binding acknowledgement message from the second home agent, wherein the first binding acknowledgement message includes an internet protocol (IP) address assigned to the wireless terminal by the second home agent;
forwarding the IP address from the first binding acknowledgement message to the first home agent; and
transmitting, from the first home agent, a second binding acknowledgement message to the attachment point, wherein the second binding acknowledgement message includes the IP address assigned to the wireless terminal.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
setting up a first tunnel between the proxy mobility agent and the second home agent in response to the first binding acknowledgement message; and
setting up a second tunnel between the first home agent and the attachment point in response to the second binding acknowledgement message.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, in response to the wireless terminal switching from the attachment point, maintaining the first tunnel between the proxy mobility agent and the second home agent.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising transmitting the first binding update message from the attachment point in response to successful authentication of the wireless terminal to the attachment point.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising generating the trigger signal in response to the first home agent determining that the second home agent is an ultimate home agent for the wireless terminal.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising notifying, by the first home agent, the proxy mobility agent of the ultimate home agent of the wireless terminal.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising obtaining, by the first home agent, an address of the ultimate home agent for the wireless terminal from an access, authentication, and accounting (AAA) server.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising sending identification information of the wireless terminal from the first home agent to the AAA server.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the identification information comprises at least one of a network address identifier or an international mobile subscriber identity.

Assignees

• Marvell Int Ltd

Inventors

• Faccin Stefano

Classifications

• H04W8/082

  for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents · CPC title

• H04L61/203

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W48/17 Primary

  Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment] · CPC title

• H04L63/0884 Primary

  by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity · CPC title

• H04L61/503

  using an authentication, authorisation and accounting [AAA] protocol, e.g. remote authentication dial-in user service [RADIUS] or Diameter · CPC title