Mobile IP network system and connection switching method

Abstract

In a mobile IP network system including a plurality of radio access networks for connecting with mobile stations via radio links and an IP network connected with a plurality of packet nodes for transferring IP packets, each of the radio access networks has at least one base station controller and at least one radio base station connected to the base station controller. Each of the base station controllers in the radio access network is connected to the plurality of packet nodes to each other via a network and selects one of the plurality of packet nodes in accordance with a state of each mobile station to establish a logical connection to be used in IP packet communication of the mobile station.

Description

[0001] The present application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09 / 624,072, filed Jul. 24, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a mobile IP network system and a connection switching method. More particularly, the invention relates to a technique of switching a logical connection for IP packet communications between a radio access network and a packet node connected to an IP (Internet Protocol) network in association with movement of a mobile station. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART [0003] In order to enable IP data to be transferred between a mobile station and a host connected to an IP network typified by the Internet, a network system in which a mobile communication network is connected to the IP network via a packet node having a foreign agent function in a mobile IP is being examined. [0004] The mobile IP denotes a technique for enabling the communication between a mobile stat...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] It is an object of the invention to provide a mobile IP network system and a connection switching method in which dropout of an IP packet which occurs during a registration procedure of a destination packet node is prevented.

[0016] In the network system according to the invention, when a mobile station is moved from a control area of another radio access network to the control area of one of the base station controllers, the base station controller can sets a logical connection for the mobile station with a previous packet node which has communicated with the mobile station in the control area of the another radio access network. That is, according to the invention, when a mobile station is moved from a radio access network to another radio access network, the IP packet communication can be continued without performing a registration procedure for switching a foreign agent node. Thus, the problem of the dropout of IP packets in association with the registration procedure can be solved.

Problems solved by technology

The conventional technique has a problem such that it takes time from the request of the registration procedure to the response.

Although the dropped IP packets may be compensated by retransmission of the IP packets from the host in response to a request from the mobile station, when the amount of the dropped IP packets is large, a problem such that the retransmission of the IP packets severely deteriorates the throughput occurs.

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