Wireless broadband Internet system and its method of terminal hand-off

Abstract

A terminal hand-off apparatus in a wireless broadband Internet system and a terminal hand-off method in the system includes a connection processor and a hand-off processor. The connection processor predicts a movement direction using a current position of the terminal in communication with a counterpart terminal using a predetermined Internet Protocol (IP) address, and requests an IP address to be assigned upon entering a coverage area of at least one of a plurality of Radio Access Stations (RASs) located near the predicted movement direction. The hand-off processor transmits at least one IP address assigned from the RAS whose coverage area has been entered to the counterpart terminal, and requests the counterpart terminal to transmit data to the IP address assigned by the RAS upon hand-off to one of the plurality of RASs assigning the at least one IP address.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the present invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of a hand-off process of a terminal in a wireless broadband Internet system;

FIG. 2 is a view of an example of a hand-off process of a terminal in a wireless broadband Internet system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view of an example of a process of detecting a position of a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) for hand-off according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view of another example of a process of detecting a position of an MSS for hand-off according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a ladder diagram of a terminal hand-off according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a terminal according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a ladder diagram of a terminal hand-off according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A terminal hand-off apparatus in a wireless broadband Internet system, the apparatus comprising: a connection processor adapted to predict a movement direction of the terminal that is in communication with the counterpart terminal using a current position of the terminal that is in communication with the counterpart terminal using a predetermined Internet Protocol (IP) address, and to request an IP address to be assigned upon entering a coverage area of at least one of a plurality of Radio Access Stations (RASs) located near the predicted movement direction; anda hand-off processor adapted to transmit at least one IP address assigned by the RAS whose coverage area is entered to the counterpart terminal, and to request the counterpart terminal to transmit data to the IP address assigned by the RAS upon hand-off to one of the plurality of RASs assigning the at least one IP address.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection processor is adapted to either detect the current position of the terminal from position information provided from at least three RASs located near the terminal, using a triangulation method, or to detect the current position of the terminal using signals received from at least three satellites.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection processor is adapted to predict the movement direction of the terminal using the current position of the terminal and previous positions of the terminal for a set time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection processor is assigned at least one IP address from the RAS whose coverage area has been entered, using multi-homing of a mobile Stream Control Transport Protocol (mSCTP), and maintains connection with the plurality of RASs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hand-off processor is adapted to request the counterpart terminal to delete the predetermined IP address as the terminal hands-off to one of the plurality of RASs assigning the at least one IP address.

6. A terminal hand-off method in a wireless broadband Internet system, the method comprising: predicting a movement direction using a current position of the terminal that is in communication with a counterpart terminal using any Internet Protocol (IP) address;upon entering a coverage area of at least one of a plurality of Radio Access Stations (RASs) located near the predicted movement direction, requesting an IP address to be assigned, and transmitting at least one IP address assigned from the RAS whose coverage area has been entered to the counterpart terminal; andwhen handing-off to one of the plurality of RASs assigning at least one IP address, requesting the counterpart terminal to transmit data to the IP address assigned by the RAS.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein predicting the movement direction using the current position of the terminal comprises either detecting the current position of the terminal from position information provided from at least three RASs located near the terminal using a triangulation method, or detecting the current position of the terminal using signals received from at least three satellites.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein predicting the movement direction using the current position of the terminal comprises predicting the movement direction of the terminal using the current position of the terminal and previous positions of the terminal for a set time.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting at least one IP address assigned by the RAS whose coverage area has been entered to the counterpart terminal comprises assigning at least one IP address from the RAS whose coverage area has been entered, using a multi-homing of a mobile Stream Control Transport Protocol (mSCTP), and maintaining connection with the RAS.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein requesting the counterpart terminal to transmit data to the IP address assigned by the RAS comprises requesting the counterpart terminal to delete the predetermined IP address upon hand-off of the terminal to one of the RASs assigning at least one IP address.