Converged IP Address Management Using a Common Pool for Network Handoffs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices experience service disruptions and increased operational complexity when transitioning between networks due to separate IP address allocation methods, leading to interrupted sessions and challenging security monitoring across different radio access technologies and network ownership.
Innovation Solution
A converged IP address management method that allocates a persistent IP address across networks using a common pool, managed by a centralized DHCP/DN-AAA server, ensuring seamless transitions and simplified IP oversight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate IP address allocation methods are used for different networks, then each network can manage its own IP addresses independently, but service disruptions occur when mobile devices transition between networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the IP address allocation functions of multiple networks into a single centralized DHCP/DN-AAA server. This server manages a common pool of IP addresses that serves both cellular and non-cellular networks, eliminating the need for separate allocation systems and ensuring consistent IP addressing during network transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized DHCP/DN-AAA server performs multiple functions: it allocates IP addresses for both cellular and non-cellular networks, maintains a unified IP address pool, and provides seamless IP address continuity across different network types. This universal approach replaces multiple specialized allocation systems.
2Productivity
If multiple separate IP address pools are maintained for different networks, then each network has dedicated IP resources, but operational overhead increases for managing multiple pools
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate IP address pools into a single common pool managed by the centralized DHCP/DN-AAA server. This unified pool eliminates the operational burden of managing multiple separate pools while ensuring sufficient IP address availability across all networks.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized DHCP/DN-AAA server automatically allocates IP addresses from the common pool to mobile devices based on their network location and requirements, without requiring manual intervention or complex management procedures. The system self-regulates IP address distribution across different networks.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If networks use different IP address allocation systems, then each network maintains its own allocation policies, but security monitoring becomes challenging across networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the IP address allocation and monitoring functions into a single centralized system. The DHCP/DN-AAA server provides a unified view of all IP address allocations across cellular and non-cellular networks, enabling comprehensive security monitoring and compliance tracking while maintaining the ability to apply different allocation policies as needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of converged IP address allocation between a plurality of networks using different radio access technologies (RATs) and a common IP address pool includes receiving a request for an IP address from a mobile device that has authenticated with any network of the plurality of networks, the dynamic IP address for use during an IP session, forwarding the request for a dynamic IP address to a DHCP/DN-AAA server, receiving an allocated dynamic IP address from the DHCP/DN-AAA server, updating subscriber data for the mobile device with the allocated dynamic IP address, and using the allocated dynamic IP address when the mobile device authenticates to a different network of the plurality of networks before releasing the IP session.