Abstract: Methods and apparatus for using a novel Care of Address option in a packet header which allows a mobile node to includes its HoA as the source address and its CoA in a new header field referred to herein as a CAO field are described. When the CAO is present, ingress filtering is performed by an access node on the address included in the CAO instead of the address in the source address, e.g., the HoA, or, is performed on the address in the CAO option field in cases where the source address does not pass ingress filtering, e.g., because the HoA corresponds to a different subnet than the access subnet due to the MN visiting a foreign subnet. Various flags may be included in the CAO field relating to security and/or processing operation to be performed by a receiving node.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enhancing Mobile IP signaling and to support use of disparate addressing plans and dynamic Home Agent allocation in Mobile IP Regional Tunneling are described. The enhanced methods of signaling use an intermediate node, e.g., a Gateway Foreign Agent, straddling different addressing domains, when the signaling controls a process between the intermediate node and an upstream node. The specific intermediate node, its interfaces and upstream addresses can be dynamically selected. The Enhanced MIP signaling includes dynamic allocation of: a regional node at a Foreign Agent, the upstream address of a regional node by the regional node, a Home Agent for a regional node prior to dynamic allocation of the regional node. A method is supported to indicate to a Mobile Node that a dynamically allocated regional node has become invalid triggering enhanced MIP signaling dynamically allocating a new regional node and upstream interface address.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for storing, manipulating, retrieving, and forwarding state, e.g., context and other information, used to support communications sessions with one or more end nodes, e.g., mobile devices, are described. Various features are directed to a mobile node controlling the transfer of state from a first access node to a second access node during a handoff operation thereby eliminating any need for state transfer messages to be transmitted between the second access node and the first access node during handoff. Other features of the invention are directed to the use of a core network node to store state information. State information stored in the core node can be accessed and used by access nodes in cases where a mobile node does not send a state transfer message during a handoff, e.g., because communication with the first access node is lost or because such messages are not supported.

Abstract: Group communications methods and apparatus are described. In particular, methods for granting a mobile device access to a communications resource, e.g., the right to transmit data, associated with a group are described. User requests for the communications resource are suppressed by the corresponding mobile device, for periods during which the communications resource has been granted to another mobile device. A mobile device may store a suppressed user request so that a resource request signal may be transmitted after the communications resource has been released by the mobile device that was previously granted the resource. In this manner requests that cannot be granted are not transmitted, increasing communications efficiency as compared to systems where requests are not suppressed at the mobile devices. A priority scheme is used in some embodiments to determine whether or not a request should be suppressed while another device has been granted the communications resource.

Abstract: Permitting a mobile host to roam in a foreign network, with multiple access node handoffs, while permitting foreign network multicasting by (i) having the mobile node (MN) use a persistent address, for purposes of multicasting, and (ii) relaxing or modifying reverse path forwarding checks, and (iii) modifying the forwarding of multicast packets sent from a non-local source address. The persistent address, used in mobile networks as the source address in the IGMP Membership reports and the multicast packets, may be the permanent and hence stable host home address (HoA). This enables the HoA to be supported as a source address by foreign agents (FAs) and multicast routing protocols in foreign networks.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus facilitating mobile node paging in a system where a mobile node is able to hand off application processing to an application proxy are described. Paging determinations are made based on application processing results corresponding to processing the content of multiple packet payloads. In some cases paging determinations are made based on processing the payload of a single packet in conjunction with information received from a mobile node, e.g., intermediate application processing results, mobile node state information, etc. To facilitate application processing handoffs in a manner that is transparent to a peer node involved in an ongoing communications session with the mobile node, security information may be passed between the mobile node and the application proxy node in a manner that is transparent to the peer node allowing an end to end security association to be maintained throughout the communications session with the peer node.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for storing, manipulating, retrieving, and forwarding state, e.g., context and other information, used to support communications sessions with one or more end nodes, e.g., mobile devices, are described. Various features are directed to a mobile node controlling the transfer of state from a first access node to a second access node during a handoff operation thereby eliminating any need for state transfer messages to be transmitted between the second access node and the first access node during handoff. Other features of the invention are directed to the use of a core network node to store state information. State information stored in the core node can be accessed and used by access nodes in cases where a mobile node does not send a state transfer message during a handoff, e.g., because communication with the first access node is lost or because such messages are not supported.

Abstract: The present invention relates to communications systems and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for efficient address delegation and/or assignment and/or signaling in a virtual communications network, e.g., a network supporting virtual private networks (VPNs) and one or more addressing domains. The methods are well suited for systems such as mobile communications systems, where the number of mobile nodes in each of a plurality of visited domains can change on a relatively rapid time scale, so rendering static address delegation from the home to each visited domain highly inefficient. Address delegation may be undertaken in advance of address assignment requests from a visiting mobile node, or address delegation may be triggered by the address assignment request. Information update messages keep the home domain aware of the assignment status of its delegated addresses and can specifically trigger further delegations so that a number of unassigned delegated addresses is maintained.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enhancing Mobile IP (MIP) signaling and to support the use of a novel proxy Co-located Care-of Address (PCCoA) are described. The enhanced MIP signaling adds the ability for the Mobile Node (MN) to acquire a MN specific Foreign Agent (FA) CoA that provides the MN with a topologically correct local address yet whose tunnel encapsulation/decapsulation is provided by the FA. This address is called a proxy CCoA (PCCoA) and the associated processing in the MN and FA is called Proxy CCoA tunneling. This capability is applicable to any access technology but is especially useful for wireless systems where the access bandwidth is expensive and when point-to-point link-layer connectivity exists between the MN and the FA. A method is supported for reverse tunneling and smooth hand-off extensions based on the PCCoA that enables inter-FA forwarding even for CCoAs.

Abstract: A mobile communications system that uses IP packets to transmit data between end nodes, such as mobile devices, is described. In order to facilitate session establishment, maintenance, security, and handoff operations, access nodes through which end nodes communicate with one another include a session signaling server module and a mobility agent module. The session signaling server module may be implemented as a SIP server while the mobility agent module may be implemented using Mobil IP signaling. The mobility agent and SIP server within an access node are identified using a single shared identifier, IP address. The same security method and common secret may be used to provide security with regard to both mobile IP messages and SIP messages. Sessions admission decisions and resource allocation for admitted sessions can also take place internally to the access node of this invention without need for signaling to external elements.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enhancing Mobile IP signaling and to support use of disparate addressing plans and dynamic Home Agent allocation in Mobile IP Regional Tunneling are described. The enhanced methods of signaling use an intermediate node, e.g., a Gateway Foreign Agent, straddling different addressing domains, when the signaling controls a process between the intermediate node and an upstream node. The specific intermediate node, its interfaces and upstream addresses can be dynamically selected. The Enhanced MIP signaling includes dynamic allocation of: a regional node at a Foreign Agent, the upstream address of a regional node by the regional node, a Home Agent for a regional node prior to dynamic allocation of the regional node. A method is supported to indicate to a Mobile Node that a dynamically allocated regional node has become invalid triggering enhanced MIP signaling dynamically allocating a new regional node and upstream interface address.

Abstract: Session signaling register message transmission methods and apparatus well suited for use in a communication system which supports mobile nodes capable of moving between domains and access nodes in a domain are described. Broadcasting of session signaling register messages is supported to reduce the number of registration messages which need to be transmitted between a mobile node and an access node. A paging and location server is used to reduce the number of session signaling register messages transmitted between domains. A visiting node registers with a paging and location server. The session signaling address of the paging and location server being used by a visiting mobile node is registered with the visiting node's home session signaling server. As the visiting node moves between access nodes in the visited domain the paging and location server it uses remains the same eliminating the need to update the home session signaling servers.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving tunneling techniques and reducing packet loss in mobile communications systems are described. The methods and apparatus are well suited for use with Mobile IP and can facilitate handoff operations. A mobile node establishes multiple tunnels, representing downlinks, from the mobile node perspective. The different downlink tunnels are through different access nodes but terminate at the same home agent. The mobile node maintains, at most, a single uplink tunnel at any given time with the home agent. Tunnels representing uplinks and downlinks are managed independently. Thus, each of the uplink and downlink tunnels can have different lifetimes and can be created/removed independently allowing for flexibility in handoff operations.

Abstract: Permitting a mobile host to roam in a foreign network, with multiple access node handoffs, while permitting foreign network multicasting by (i) having the mobile node (MN) use a persistent address, for purposes of multicasting, and (ii) relaxing or modifying reverse path forwarding checks, and (iii) modifying the forwarding of multicast packets sent from a non-local source address. The persistent address, used in mobile networks as the source address in the IGMP Membership reports and the multicast packets, may be the permanent and hence stable host home address (HoA). This enables the HoA to be supported as a source address by foreign agents (FAs) and multicast routing protocols in foreign networks.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to systems and methods for roaming in a wireless communications environment. A method for roaming between networks is provided in one aspect. This includes receiving a request for network access at a visited network and receiving a profile from a home network in response to the request. Upon receiving the profile, selectively offering services to one or more access terminals based at least in part on the profile.

Abstract: Control messages constructed in accordance with a first communications protocol for use in a communications network each include a first address identifier having a format defined by the first protocol. The control message is processed to derive a second address identifier having a format defined by a second communications protocol. The control message is re-formatted for transmission, in accordance with the second protocol, to a network system associated with the second address identifier.

Abstract: Group communications methods and apparatus are described. Multiple modes of group communications signaling are supported. In a first mode, copies of packets are separately transmitted to each group member in a sector or cell. In a second mode a copy of a packet is directed to multiple group members at the same time. Transitions between the two modes may be determined as a function of the cost of operating in each of the modes in terms of system cost and/or the number of group members in a cell or sector being serviced by a transmitter.

Abstract: This invention describes how combined session and resource tracking in a mobile node (MN) and/or basestation in a dynamic network resource environment can be used to control reactions to resource shortages. The session that is to experience a resource shortage is detected either by the MN, or communicated to the MN where session signaling is used to modify the session according to MN and basestation policy/configuration. The basestation can alternatively modify the session itself with all the session peers, on behalf of the MN. The specific new reaction to resource shortages that is then enabled is to place the session on hold such that the resources are freed, but so that the session state is maintained in the peers. This is preferable to dropping the session, as is generally the case in dynamic environments, if the likely period of resource loss is short and the session modifications require less overhead than restarting the session when the resources return after dropping the session.

Abstract: Extending Mobile IP to support both local and remote access by using two MIP client stacks in the end node, a roaming Node in the local access network, a standard Home Agent in the remote network. Messages between the AR and the MN, and between the internal modules of the MN, are then used to control hand-off for each MIP client and to enable backwards compatibility with legacy remote access clients.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for aggregating IP packets over an access link between a wireless access router and a core node and for managing resource allocation to access link packet aggregates, e.g., as a function of the status of wireless communications links used to couple mobile nodes to the access router are described. Improved aggregate resource control messages and use of such messages are described. Some of the new messages allow aggregate resources for both upstream and downstream aggregates to be controlled in a single message. A single message may include information corresponding to multiple aggregates and/or multiple constituent flows included in an aggregate with aggregate direction information being included. Use of tunnels to communicate management messages, e.g., messages used to control resource allocation to aggregates is also described. Propagation of access link aggregate information is communicated to tunnel end nodes which generate packets that are communicated over the access link.