Abstract: The present invention relates to the reduction of handoff delays for mobile telematics applications. In particular, the present invention provides a method employing GPS technology to define IP addresses in a mobile environment in order to reduce delays and transient data loss caused by handoff from one network to another.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the reduction of handoff delays for mobile telematics applications. In particular, the present invention provides a method employing GPS technology to define IP addresses in a mobile environment in order to reduce delays and transient data loss caused by handoff from one network to another.

Abstract: In some of the preferred embodiments, a method for network discovery of a mobile device to use at least one of a plurality of access networks within an IP network includes: obtaining specified network information in the vicinity of a given location based on a set of criteria when a mobile is connected to the IP network from any location.

Abstract: In a telecommunications network in which a mobile handset is capable of communicating in both an IP domain and a non-IP domain, the handoff of an existing communications session between the mobile handset and a fixed user is facilitated by a handoff controller implemented in a service control point. The handoff controller implements different handoff methods depending on the status of the fixed user and the transition of the mobile user. Additionally 802.21 Media Independent Handover Function in conjunction with SIP is used to facilitate handover between IP and Non-IP points in the system.

Abstract: The preferred embodiments herein relate to methods and systems for controlling a handoff decision related to switch back of a mobile node between a first network and a second network in a media independent pre-authentication framework and/or to methods and systems for mitigating effects of undesired switch back of a mobile node between a first network and a second network in a media independent pre-authentication framework.

Abstract: A terminal device includes multiple interfaces having links to various networks. When a trigger event occurs, the terminal device selects a target link to a network to transition from its current link. A candidate link selection function determines candidate links that are filtered to remove links not meeting connectivity criteria. A target link selection function is then executed to select a target link from the filtered candidate links. Thus, the target link selection function is not run for every possible link, but only those meeting the criteria.

Abstract: In a telecommunications network in which a mobile handset is capable of communicating in both an IP domain and a non-IP domain, the handoff of an existing communications session between the mobile handset and a fixed user is facilitated by a handoff controller implemented in a service control point. The handoff controller implements different handoff methods depending on the status of the fixed user and the transition of the mobile user. Additionally 802.21 Media Independent Handover Function in conjunction with SIP is used to facilitate handover between IP and Non-IP points in the system.

Abstract: As multicast services become prevalent, it is important to find viable solutions for multicasting to mobile nodes. This problem is complicated by the necessity to support multicast services over existing backbone and access networks that may have varying network and/or link layer multicasting capabilities. While most work on supporting multicast services focuses on the IP layer solution, the present invention presents an application-layer approach for providing multicast services to mobile users traversing networks with diverse multicast capabilities. The present invention places multicast proxies in the backbone and access networks to support several multicast-related functions at the application layer including the creation of virtual networks for dynamically tunneling through non-multicast-capable networks.

Abstract: A system and method for route optimization in PMIP having a first mobile node having a local mobility anchor and anchored at an access router and a second mobile node anchored at an access router is presented. The method includes establishing a binding cache at one access router comprising a mapping of mobile node addresses to access router addresses, populating the binding cache, and updating the mapping of the mobile node addresses in response to a handoff of a mobile node from one access router to another access router, so that a packet is transmitted from the first mobile node to the second mobile node using the mapping in the binding cache. The second access router address is obtained by either transmitting the packet from the first mobile node to the local mobility anchor, or querying neighboring access routers, or broadcasting access router addresses from the local mobility anchor.

Abstract: This document describes a proactive mechanism to provide fast-handover involving PMIPv6. In particular, it describes how one can achieve fast handoff for PMIPv6 using Media-independent Pre-Authentication (MPA) technique. It discusses the need for a fast-handoff for PMIPv6 environment. It then describes how MPA techniques could be used during different steps involving both intra-domain and inter-domain handoff for PMIPv6. MPA-based fast-handover takes advantage of the pre-authentication mechanism so that the mobile can perform the access authentication while in the previous local mobility (PMA) domain and thus would be able to complete many of the handoff related operations while still in the previous network.

Abstract: A system and method for mobility support of a mobile node having a home network in a heterogeneous roaming environment is presented. The method comprises the steps of authenticating the mobile node in a visited network and obtaining an address for the mobile node in the visited network, establishing a security connection between a functional component in the visited network and an agent in the home network, creating a home address for the mobile node, and using the home address to generate a SIP signaling address, a SIP media address, and a non-SIP media address, such that SIP non-media is transmitted using the security connection to the SIP signaling address, SIP media is transmitted using the security connection to the SIP media address, and non-SIP media is transmitted using the security connection to the non-SIP media address.

Abstract: This present application relates to, among other things, Key Caching, QoS and Multicast extensions and improvements to the Media-independent Pre-Authentication (MPA) framework, a new handover optimization mechanism that has a potential to address issues on existing mobility management protocols and mobility optimization mechanisms. MPA is a mobile assisted, secure handover optimization scheme that works over any link-layer and with any mobility management protocol.

Abstract: A mechanism by which handoff delay can be minimized while not compromising the IMS/MMD security and also protecting the media if required by certain applications is presented. One proactive method includes proactive authentication. Another proactive method includes proactive security association, such as transferring SA keys from old proxy to new proxy, or transferring keys through serving signal entities. Reactive methods include transferring SA keys from old proxy to new proxy, using either push or pull technology. Other reactive methods include transferring keys through serving signal entities using either push or pull technology.

Abstract: The present invention advantageously provides several systems and methods for solving the trombone routing issues within an IMS/MMD network. These approaches avoid trombone routing, speed up handoff, and increase the efficiency of signaling and overall performance of an IMS/MMD network. These solutions can broadly be divided into the following categories. Piggy-backing SIP registration over MIP (Split at FA); Selective Reverse Tunneling and Tunneling between FA and P-CSCF; the SIP-based mobility protocol; use of CoA during SIP registration and call up in MIPv6; Piggy-backing SIP registration when HA and S-CSCF Co-exist; Using Dynamic Home Agents in MIPv4 FA-CoA; and the Interceptor-Caching Approach.

Abstract: A mechanism by which handoff delay can be minimized while not compromising the IMS/MMD security and also protecting the media if required by certain applications is presented. Methods for mitigating delay during SA re-association and mitigating the IPSec tunnel overhead for signaling and media at the Mobile Node are given. In one embodiment, SA keys can be transferred from the old P-CSCF to new P-CSCF, enabling the establishment of SAs before Mobile Node physically moves to the new subnet in a network. Proactive handover is used. In another embodiment, SA keys are transferred from S-CSCF to new P-CSCF. In this case, the SA keys are transferred to the new P-CSCF by S-CSCF through a context transfer mechanism well in advance so that SAs may be established before Mobile Node physically moves to new subnet. In another embodiment, methods for mitigating IPSec tunnel overhead are presented.

Abstract: In infrastructure-based networks devices often move from one attachment point in the network or a sub-network thereof to another attachment point. Communications sessions may be established between Mobile Hosts attached to such nodes. Communications sessions between nodes established using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Mobile Internet Protocol with Location Registers (MIP-LR) or Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (MIPv6) may fail if there is simultaneous mobility of two Mobile Hosts in an ongoing communication session. Stationary binding update proxies and stationary location proxies are introduced into such communications networks in order to provide a solution to the problem of simultaneous mobility of Mobile Hosts. Specific implementation for SIP, MIP-LR and MIPv6 are provided. IN SIP networks, the SIP server for the mobile hosts acts as the stationary binding update proxy and the stationary location proxy.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a broadcast to a receiver via a communication network. In particular, the broadcast is received via at least one global multicast channel. At least one local multicast channel is associated with the global multicast address. Then, a communication link is established between the receiver and the local multicast channel, and the broadcast is routed from the global multicast channel to the local multicast channel to provide the broadcast to the receiver. The number of the receivers which are receiving the broadcast may be determined. The receiver may include an Internet Protocol (IP) interface which enables the receiver to receive the broadcast via an IP-type multicast communication. The receiver may also be wireless, and can receive the broadcast in a first subnet using a multicast communication. Prior to the receiver moving to a second subnet, a request is generated by the receiver to receive the broadcast in the second subnet.

Abstract: The preferred embodiments describe an optimized method of determining “link down” indication from mobile or other non-access-point station (such as, e.g., an 802.11 non-access-point station) operating in managed mode. In the preferred embodiments, the method uses MAC layer operations for verifying communicability with an access point. This preferred methods can be used for, e.g., providing a fast “link down” event indication and can help in quickly assisting L3 protocols to take necessary actions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the handing off without packet loss, from a mobile device traveling from a current point of attachment to a new point of attachment, by providing a copy and forward module in association with the current point of attachment. The copy and forward module copies and stores packets that are being transmitted to a mobile node while the mobile node is in transition from the current point of attachment to the new point of attachment. The copy and forward module maintains a list of addresses as the last known contact addresses of the mobile node, and the mobile node's initial copy request contains an initial contact address of the mobile node. Subsequent copy requests are used to add or delete addresses to the list, and carry a per-address flag to indicate whether the address is to be added or deleted from the list.

Abstract: In infrastructure-based networks devices often move from one attachment point in the network or a sub-network thereof to another attachment point. Communications sessions may be established between Mobile Hosts attached to such nodes. Communications sessions between nodes established using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Mobile Internet Protocol with Location Registers (MIP-LR) or Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (MIPv6) may fail if there is simultaneous mobility of two Mobile Hosts in an ongoing communications session. Stationary binding update proxies and stationary location proxies are introduced into such communications networks in order to provide a solution to the problem of simultaneous mobility of Mobile Hosts. Specific implementations for SIP, MIP-LR and MIPv6 are provided. In SIP networks, the SIP server for the mobile hosts acts as the stationary binding update proxy and the stationary location proxy.