Generalized link layer address extension

1. A node connectable to a home network of a communication system, comprising:

a processor for receiving a plurality of associated link-layer addresses, each of said link-layer addresses designating a physical link-layer connection related to one of a plurality of nodes in a home network;

said node being adapted to communicate with a foreign network having a plurality of associated link-layer addresses, each of said link-layer addresses designating a physical link-layer connection between one of a plurality of mobile nodes and said foreign network, and being further adapted to communicate using an information packet that can comprise any one of a plurality of message types to update a data table entry on a plurality of nodes, said information packet including a generalized link-layer address extension that has a type data field, a length data field indicating the length of the link-layer address data field and a sub-type data field, the sub-type data field designating the link-layer address protocol used on the foreign network, and a link-layer address data field designating the link-layer address of the physical link-layer connection to at least one mobile node associated with said home network.

2. The node connectable to a home network of claim 1 , wherein an assigned link-layer address for one of the mobile nodes changes as that mobile node moves to another network.

3. The node connectable to a home network of claim 1 , wherein the information packet is transmitted by one of said networks to inform the mobile node of its assigned link-layer address on that network.

4. The node connectable to a home network of claim 1 , wherein the information packet is transmitted by one of the mobile nodes to inform one of said networks of its assigned link-layer address.

5. The node connectable to a home network of claim 1 , wherein the information packet informs a correspondence node of an assigned link-layer address.

6. The node connectable to a home network of claim 1 , wherein a link-layer address is used to route information packets to one of said mobile nodes.

7. The node connectable to a home network of claim 1 , wherein the link-layer sub-type further comprises a transmission protocol designation.

8. The node connectable to a home network of claim 1 , wherein the link-layer sub-type further comprises a system type designation.

9. A method of communicating a physical connectivity on a first communication network comprising the steps of:

connecting a mobile node identified using an address associated with a home network to said first communication network through said physical connectivity designated by a link-layer address extension to an address associated with the network of the physical connectivity; and

transmitting a first information packet on said first communication network, wherein said first information packet can comprise any one of a plurality of message types received at a plurality of nodes to update data table entries associated with said mobile node, and supporting a generalized extension containing said link-layer address, a sub-type data field identifier that specifies the link-layer addressing used on the first communication network, and a type data field designation identifying the extension as a link-layer address extension containing the link-layer address for the physical connectivity of said mobile node to said first communication network used for routing information packets to said physical connectivity.

10. The method of communicating a physical connectivity on a first communication network of claim 9 , wherein the link-layer address is used to route a second information packet to the mobile node.

11. The method of communicating a physical connectivity on a first communication network of claim 9 , wherein the mobile node receives the first information packet.

12. The method of communicating a physical connectivity on a first communication network of claim 9 , wherein the mobile node transmits the first information packet.

13. The method of communicating a physical connectivity on a first communication network of claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:

providing a second communication network linked to the first communication network; and

receiving the first information packet at said second communication network to inform the second network about the physical connectivity of said mobile node.

14. The method of communicating a physical connectivity on a first communication network of claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:

providing a correspondence node with a communication link to the mobile node; and

receiving the first information packet at said correspondence node.

15. The method of communicating a physical connectivity on a first communication network of claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:

providing a router on a communication network; and

receiving the first information packet at said router.

16. The method of communicating a physical connectivity on a first communication system of claim 9 , wherein the first information packet is processed to update a data table on a plurality of routers.

17. A node connectable to a communication network and capable of receiving an information packet transmission comprising:

the node being adapted to receive an information packet having a generalized link-layer address extension to a network address for routing information packets, said link-layer address extension includes a type data field, a length data field, a sub-type data field indicating association with a specific node of a plurality of nodes on said network, and a link-layer address data field, wherein

said link-layer address data field provides the link-layer routing address information used to route information packets to the physical connectivity of said mobile node to the communication network; and

said information packet can comprise any one of a plurality of message types exchanged between a plurality of nodes, and each said information packet supports an extension data format used to update stored information on the plurality of nodes with routing address information for a physical connectivity for at least one specified node.

18. The node connectable to a communication network and capable of receiving an information packet transmission of claim 17 , wherein the link-layer address is used by the communication network to route information packets to the mobile node.

19. The node connectable to a communication network and capable of receiving an information packet transmission of claim 18 , wherein the mobile node includes a correspondence node.

20. The node connectable to a communication network and capable of receiving an information packet transmission of claim 17 , wherein a data table is updated with said link-layer address on a plurality of routers.