106 results about "Media-independent handover" patented technology

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.

A method of performing handover with at least one homogeneous and heterogeneous network is disclosed. More specifically, the method includes mobile station (MS) which establishes a heterogeneous network handover module for converging information from the at least one network interface module associated with the at least one of a homogeneous and heterogeneous network into a unified presentation; transmits to the heterogeneous network handover module of a serving network a handover request message to initiate handover from a serving network to a target network, wherein the handover request message is configured by the heterogeneous network handover module of a mobile station (MS); receives a handover confirmation message in response to the handover request message from the heterogeneous network handover module of the serving network; transmits a handover commit request message to the heterogeneous network handover module of a serving network, wherein the handover commit request message includes at least one target network information and includes the request to retain resources of the MS; and receives a handover commit confirmation message from the heterogeneous network handover module of the serving network, wherein the handover commit confirmation message includes a response to the request to retain resources of the MS.

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal for performing a handover to at least one of a homogeneous and heterogeneous network. Accordingly, media independent handover (MIH) is supported, by which a delay attributed to the occurrence of processing during handover between heterogeneous media-independent networks is reduced. Preferably, the present invention comprises at least one network interface module supporting a predetermined air interface, a heterogeneous network handover module configured to provide convergence of information from the at least one network interface module associated with the at least one of a homogeneous and heterogeneous network into a unified presentation, and a management module configured to process the unified presentation communicated with the heterogeneous network handover module to communicate with the at least one network interface module to facilitate handover.

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.

A gateway system for implementing access to various media is provided in the invention, and the gateway system includes: a communication media access module, for establishing a communication link with the corresponding media access network; a Media Independent Handover Functions module, for seamless handover between accesses to various media; and a handover decision module, for selecting a target network for the seamless handover. The gateway system may also include an authentication module, for sharing the authentication information of the User Equipment. Two methods for implementing access to various media are further disclosed in the invention. By the provided gateway system and methods, the User Equipment can access various media via the gateway system, seamlessly hand over between accesses to various media and achieve the access to a service network using the shared authentication information.

The present invention provides a media independent information service (MIIS) for media independent handover (MIH) in a broadband wireless access system. A first lower entity of a mobile station receives a MIH information request primitive requesting a set of information elements provided by the MIIS from a first upper entity of the mobile station. An MIH information request message including an information query list to retrieve the set of information elements is transmitted from the first lower entity to a second lower entity of a base station. An MIH information response message including the set of information elements is received by the first lower entity from the second lower entity in response to the MIH information request message. An MIH information confirmation primitive including the set of information elements is then transmitted from the first lower entity to the first upper entity. The set of information elements includes at least a channel IE representing channel information of a point of attachment (PoA), a quality of service (QoS) IE associated with a QoS level provided by the PoA, or a data rate IE associated with a data transport speed at the PoA.

The present invention relates to supporting media independent handover of a mobile terminal to a heterogeneous network. Preferably, the present invention establishes a unified interface to an upper layer of the mobile terminal for managing messages to and from at least one of a homogeneous network and a heterogeneous network. Furthermore, the present invention requests a scan of a heterogeneous network different from a current network of the mobile terminal via the unified interface to determine the presence of an accessible link of the heterogeneous network for performing the handover.

A media-independent handover key management architecture is disclosed that uses Kerberos for secure key distribution among a server, an authenticator, and a mobile node. In the preferred embodiments, signaling for key distribution is based on re-keying and is decoupled from re-authentication that requires EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) and AAA (Authentication, Authorization and Accounting) signaling similar to initial network access authentication. In this framework, the mobile node is able to obtain master session keys required for dynamically establishing the security associations with a set of authenticators without communicating with them before handover. By separating re-key operation from re-authentication, the proposed architecture is more optimized for a proactive mode of operation. It can also be optimized for reactive mode of operation by reversing the key distribution roles between the mobile node and the target access node.

A method for handover between heterogeneous radio access networks is disclosed. When a multi-mode mobile station performs Inter-RAT handover, pre-authentication is performed before implementing a link layer handover procedure with a target access point. The pre- authentication method has as little an effect on currently served quality of service as possible and the handover is efficiently performed using the pre-authentication method. The pre-authentication is performed through medium independent handover (MIH) and various MIH primitives for pre-authentication are provided.

A system for proactively authenticating includes a server having media independent access functions including media independent authentication functions that authenticates other entities attached via an interface to an end of a link specific to a media. A plurality of heterogeneous networks each having media specific access functions including authentication functions corresponding to the other entities attached via the interface to the end of the link specific to the media and mobile devices connected to the plurality of heterogeneous networks, and the server having predefined media independent handover protocols and media independent handover identities based on the media independent functions related to handover, in which the server authenticates candidate access networks prior to the handover of the mobile devices from serving access networks to the candidate access networks each of which belonging to the plurality of heterogeneous access networks having the link specific to the media.

The present invention relates to performing handover of a mobile terminal to a network. Preferably, the present invention generates a first heterogeneous protocol message from a heterogeneous network handover module to a medium access control (MAC) of the mobile terminal, wherein the heterogeneous network handover module is configured to provide convergence of information from at least one network interface module associated with one of a homogeneous and heterogeneous network into a unified presentation. A management request associated with a handover process is then transmitted to a serving network, wherein the management request comprises the first heterogeneous protocol message. Accordingly, messages can be remotely exchanged via a radio section between heterogeneous network handover modules of a mobile terminal and a serving network. Therefore, messages are transferred faster and media independent handover is performed more quickly.

Methods and mechanisms enhance heterogeneous media independent handover (MIH) between different link layer technologies. Embodiments include using an MIH proxy entity, MIH capable network controller,and an MIH server. Enhancements are made to the query phase, preparation phase, execution phase and completion phase by including required information in MIH messages.