Claims
- 1. A communications method for use in a communications system including a first access node, a second access node and a mobile node, the method comprising:
operating the mobile node to transmit a signal to the first access node to transfer state information; communicating state information between the first access node and the second access node in response to said signal transmitted to the first access node.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating state information between the first access node and the second access node includes:
operating the first access node to transmit said state information to said second access node.
- 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of operating at least one of the first and second access nodes to transmit a routing update signal to a routing device after said state information is transmitted to said second access node.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of communicating state information between the first access node and the second access node includes:
operating the first access node to communicate said state information to a first network node coupled to said first access node and said second access node; operating the first network node to store said state information; and operating the first network node to communicate said state information to said second access node.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said first access node is in a first network region and said second access node is in a second network region, said first network node being a a state management node used to store state information for end nodes accessing said system through an access node in said first region.
- 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first network node is also used to store state information for end nodes accessing said system through an access node in said second region.
- 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of operating the network node to transmit said state information to said access node includes:
operating the network node to transmit said state information to said second access node in response to a signal received by said network node from said second access node.
- 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
operating said second access node to generate said signal received by said network node in response to a signal received from said end node.
- 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:
operating the second access node to check to determine if it has received state information corresponding to said end node prior to generating said signal received by said network node.
- 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
operating said first access node to monitor to detect a loss of communication with said end node; and operating said first access node to store state information in a network node coupled to said first and second access nodes in response to detecting a loss of communication with said end node.
- 11. A method of implementing a communications system including an end node, a first access node, a second access node and a first network node coupled to said first and second access nodes, said end node being coupled to at least one access node through which said end node can communicate with elements of said communication system, the method comprising:
storing state information in said network node which can be used by either of said first and second access nodes to support communications with said end node; updating the state information stored in said network node with state information supplied by the first access node in response to a trigger event, said trigger event being an event in the group of events consisting of receipt by said first access node of a signal from said end node; a request for a state information update from said network node; and a detection of a loss of communication with said end node; and operating the second access node to use at least some of said stored state information to support a communications session involving said end node following a handoff of said end node from said first access node to said second access node.
- 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:
operating said second access node to receive a signal from said end node indicating that state information corresponding to said end node should be retrieved.
- 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:
operating said second access node to transmit a message requesting state information corresponding to said end node.
- 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
operating said second access node to:
receive the requested state information; and transmit a routing update signal indicating that said second access node should be used to route packets to said end node.
- 15. The method of claim 13,
wherein operating said second access node to transmit a message requesting state information corresponding to said end node includes transmitting a message from said second access node to said first network node.
- 16. The method of claim 13,
wherein said first access node and said first network node are in a first network region, said second access node being in a second network region; wherein said system further includes a second network node said second network node being in said second network region and coupling said first network node to said second access node; and wherein operating said second access node to transmit a message requesting state information corresponding to said end node includes transmitting a message from said second access node to said second network node.
- 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
communicating state information corresponding to said end node, from said first network node to said to said second network node; and providing said second access node with at least some of said communicated state information corresponding to said end node.
- 18. The method of claim 17, wherein communicating state information corresponding to said end node from said first network node to said second network node includes:
transmitting state information used to update the state information stored in said first network node to said second network node.
- 19. The method of claim 17,
wherein said communications system further includes a third network node, said third network node coupling said first network node to said second network node and being accessable from both said first and second network regions; and wherein communicating state information corresponding to said end node, from said first network node to said to said second network node includes transmitting the communicated state information through said third network node.
- 20. The method of claim 19, wherein each of said first, second and third network nodes are authorization servers.
- 21. The method of claim 19, wherein each of said first, second and third network nodes are accounting servers.
- 22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
storing state information obtained from said first access node, corresponding to said end node, in each of said second and third network nodes.
- 23. The method of claim 11, wherein said stored state information includes long term state information and short term state information, said short term state information being valid for a shorter period of time than said long term state information said step of updating the state information including:
modifying the short term state information corresponding to said end node without altering the long term state information.
- 24. The method of claim 23, wherein said first access node includes short, medium and long term state information corresponding to said end node, the method further comprising:
operating the first access node to transmit said short term state information corresponding to said end node, to said first network node, in response to said trigger event.
- 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:
operating the first access node to also transmit said medium term state information to said first network node in response to said trigger event.
- 26. The method of claim 24, wherein the first access node does not transmit said long term state information to said first network node in response to said trigger event.
- 27. The method of claim 24, wherein the first access node does not transmit said medium term state information to said first network node in response to said trigger event.
- 28. The method of claim 11, wherein said first network node includes a database which is accessible by said first and second access nodes.
- 29. The method of claim 28, wherein said first and second access nodes access said database through first and second authorization severs, respectively.
- 30. The method of claim 29, wherein said database is incorporated into a third authorization server.
- 31. The method of claim 29, wherein said first access server and said first authorization server are located in a first network region, said first authorization server providing authorization information only to nodes included in said first network region;
said second authorization server and said second network node being in said second, second authorization server providing authorization information only to nodes included in said second network region; and said database providing state information to said first and second authorization servers.
- 32. The method of claim 28, wherein said first and second access nodes access said database through first and second accounting severs, respectively.
- 33. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:
operating said first access node to receive a transfer state message from said end node, said transfer state message triggering the first access node to transmit state update information to be stored in said first network node.
- 34. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:
operating said first access node to detect the cessation of communications with said end node received via a wireless link, said detection of the cessation of communication triggering the first access node to transmit state update information to be stored in said first network node.
- 35. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:
operating said first access node to receive a request for a state information update from said first network node, said received request triggering the first access node to transmit state update information to be stored in said first network node.
- 36. The method of claim 35, wherein said transmitted state update information includes state information corresponding to a plurality of end nodes coupled to said first access node.
- 37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:
operating said first network node to periodically transmit said request for a state information update to said first access node.
- 38. A communications system used to provide communications services to a plurality of end nodes, said communication system comprising:
a plurality of access nodes, each one of the access node storing state information used to provide communications services to end nodes coupled to said one of the access nodes; a first core node coupled to said plurality of access nodes, said core node including:
i. state information received from a first one of said access nodes; and ii. means for communicating said state information to a second one of said access nodes following a handoff from said first one of said access nodes to a second one of said access nodes.
- 39. The communications system of claim 38, wherein said first core node is an authorization server.
- 40. The communications system of claim 39, wherein said first core node is an accounting server.
- 41. The communication system of claim 38, wherein said first core node is in a first region of said communication system, the system further comprising:
a second core node located in a second communications region; and a third core nodes coupled to said first and second core nodes, said third core node being used to transfer state information from said first core node to said second core node when a mobile node passes from said first region to said second region.
- 42. The communication system of claim 41, wherein said first, second and third core nodes are part of an accounting and authorization system.
- 43. The communication system of claim 41, wherein said first, second and third network nodes each store at least some state information, obtained from the first access node, corresponding to said mobile node.
- 44. A method of supporting handoffs from a first access node to a second access node in a communications network including said first and second access nodes, a mobile node, and a first network node coupled to said first and second access nodes, the method comprising:
storing state information corresponding to said end node in both said first access node and said first network node; updating the state information corresponding to said mobile node stored in said first network node with state information obtained from said first access node; and supplying said updated state information stored in said first network node to said second access node as part of a handoff of said mobile node from said first access node to said second access node.
- 45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:
operating said first access node to receive a state update request message from said first network node and to respond thereto by transmitting state information corresponding to said mobile node to said first network node.
- 46. The method of claim 45, wherein responding to said received sate update request message includes transmitting state information corresponding to a plurality of mobile nodes coupled to said first access node to said first network node.
- 47. The method of claim 44, wherein said system further includes a second and third network nodes, said first, second, and third network nodes being arranged in a hierarchical relationship with said third network node coupling said first network node to said second network node, the method further comprising:
storing said updated state information corresponding to said mobile node in said third network node in addition to said first network node; and operating said second network node to retrieve said updated state information from said third network node in response to a state transfer request message corresponding to said mobile node.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application S. No. 60/444,299 filed Jan. 31, 2003 which has the same title as the present application and which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60444299 |
Jan 2003 |
US |