Surrogate IP Address for Seamless Mobile Handover
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Complex communication networks with hierarchically layered mobility management agents face scaling difficulties and barriers to feature growth and expansion, leading to increased costs and rapid obsolescence.
Innovation Solution
A wireless access point acquires a surrogate Internet Protocol address on behalf of a mobile station and uses it as a surrogate address, along with its own Internet Protocol address as a care-of address, to interact with mobility management agents, facilitating communication and minimizing the need for altering existing data paths or tunnels during handovers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hierarchically layered mobility management agents are used to support communication needs, then service capability is successfully supported, but scaling difficulties and barriers to feature growth occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a surrogate IP address as an intermediary that enables mobility management agents to communicate and maintain data tunnels without requiring complex hierarchical structures. The surrogate address acts as a mediator that simplifies the interaction between network elements during handovers, reducing overall network complexity while preserving service capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the mobility management function by separating the surrogate IP address management from the traditional hierarchical mobility management agents. This segmentation allows the system to maintain service capability while reducing complexity by distributing functions across different network elements rather than requiring a rigid hierarchical structure.
2Reliability
If traditional mobility management approaches are used, then communication needs are supported, but data tunnels must be torn down and rebuilt during handovers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-establishing data tunnels using surrogate IP addresses before handovers occur. The surrogate address is acquired and configured in advance, allowing seamless tunnel maintenance during handovers without requiring tunnel teardown and reconstruction, thereby reducing handover time while maintaining communication reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuity of useful action by maintaining active data tunnels throughout the handover process using surrogate IP addresses. The tunnels remain continuously established and functional, allowing data transmission to proceed uninterrupted during mobility events, thus eliminating the time loss associated with tunnel reestablishment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing infrastructure is altered during handovers, then mobility is supported, but costs increase and obsolescence accelerates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by creating a surrogate IP address that replicates the functionality of traditional mobility management without requiring physical infrastructure changes. The surrogate address copies the essential routing and tunneling functions, enabling mobility support while preserving existing infrastructure and avoiding costly upgrades or modifications.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless access point (300A, 300B, 300C) provides (101) a surrogate Internet Protocol address to use on behalf of a mobile station (401). That wireless access point then uses (102) that surrogate Internet Protocol address along with its own Internet Protocol address to facilitate establishing one or more data tunnels as necessary to support the communication needs of the mobile station.