System for multicast broadcasting towards at least one roaming user terminal in a mobile IP network

1. A method of multicast communication to at least one user mobile terminal of a mobile IP network, via a mobile router equipped with functions for controlling and transmitting accesses by any user terminal to any multicast type communication, comprising:

connecting the mobile router to the IP network; and

transmitting a signalling message from the mobile router to the mobile router's home site, subsequent to the proceeding two steps, the performing:

at the home site,

discriminating the location of the mobile router in relation to the mobile router's home site, respectively to the mobile router's home organisation, based on the signalling message;

transmitting to the mobile router an item of location discrimination information; and

at the mobile router, for any request by a requesting user mobile terminal on the mobile IP network for access to a group multicast communication destined for the home site and relating to a multicast communication local to the home site, respectively to the home organisation, of the mobile terminal,

substituting for the access request, when the location discrimination information indicates a connection of the mobile router outside the mobile router's home site, respectively outside the mobile router's home organisation, a request for access to an extended multicast communication providing access to the local multicast communication;

transmitting, to the home site, the request for access to the extended multicast communication;

receiving and transforming the extended multicast communication into a local transformed multicast communication at the mobile router;

transmitting the local transformed multicast communication over the mobile IP network to at least the requesting user mobile terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the discrimination and transmission steps executed at the home site are replaced, at the mobile router, by a step involving executing a procedure for locating the connection of the mobile router in order to generate a location variable representing the position of the connection of the mobile router in relation to the mobile router's home site, its home organisation or the public Internet.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein, upon request for access by a requesting user mobile terminal on the mobile IP network to a multicast communication to a first address for multicast communication, before this access request is transmitted by the mobile router, this involves at least:

discriminating the type of multicast communication provided by the access to the first address; and,

upon the first address is being an address for global multicast communication,

directly transmitting the request for access to the first address, by the mobile router transmitting a conventional access request message; otherwise,

upon the first address being a broadcast address local to the home organisation of the requesting user terminal,

discriminating, based on a location variable, the position of the connection of the mobile router, and, according to the location of this connection,

upon the mobile router being connected to a network belonging to the mobile router's home organisation,

 directly transmitting the request for access to the first address, by transmitting a conventional access request message; otherwise;

upon the mobile router being connected to a network that does not belong to the mobile router's home organisation,

 transmitting, from the mobile router to the machine of the home site of the requesting user mobile terminal, managing accesses by moving mobile terminals, a message requesting remote access to a second address for global multicast communication accessible at the location address of the mobile router; and, after the mobile router has received the second address, subscribing to the global multicast communication stream emanating from the second address;

 transforming the global multicast communication stream received from the second address into a local transformed multicast communication stream, accessible locally on the mobile IP network at the first address; and

 transmitting the local transformed multicast communication stream from the mobile router to at least the requesting user mobile terminal.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein

upon the first address being a broadcast address local to the home site of the requesting user mobile terminal, this additionally involves:

discriminating, based on the location variable, the position of the connection of the mobile router, and, according to the location of this connection,

upon the mobile router being connected to a network belonging to the mobile router's home site,

directly transmitting the request for access to the first address, by transmitting a conventional access request message; otherwise;

upon the mobile router turns out to be connected to another network not belonging to the mobile router's home site,

transmitting, from the mobile router to the machine of the home site of the requesting user mobile terminal, managing accesses of moving mobile terminals, a message requesting remote access to a second address for global multicast communication accessible at the location address of the mobile router; and, after the mobile router has received the second address, subscribing to the global multicast communication stream emanating from the second address;

transforming the global multicast communication stream received from the second address into a local transformed multicast communication stream, accessible locally on the mobile IP network at the first address; and,

transmitting the local transformed multicast communication stream from the mobile router to at least the requesting user mobile terminal.

5. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the remote access request message transmitted by the mobile router is a request for access to an extended multicast communication formed either by a global multicast communication request message, or by a local multicast communication request message for a multicast communication local to the home organisation of the requesting user mobile terminal.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein for a mobile router capable of operating at least one of inside and outside the mobile router's home attachment network, there being allocated to the mobile router, by the home attachment site, an internal permanent address for any networked connection of this mobile router to a site belonging to this home attachment network and an internal temporary address for any networked connection of this terminal to another site belonging to this home organisation, and, by any foreign site not belonging to the home organisation, an external temporary address for any networked connection of the mobile router to the foreign site, the addresses forming, for the mobile router, a location reference, the step involving discriminating the location of the mobile router in relation to the mobile router's site, respectively to the mobile router's home location, involves at least:

comparing, for identification, the location reference with the address values of one at least of the sets formed by the set of internal permanent addresses allocated to the set of mobile routers attached to this home attachment network and capable of operating in this home attachment network, and by the set of internal temporary addresses allocated to this set of mobile routers for any connection to another site belonging to the home organisation; and

establishing at least the location discrimination information of the mobile router indicating either the connection of the mobile router to the mobile router's home attachment network, upon identification of the location reference in the set of internal permanent addresses, or the connection of the networked mobile router to another site belonging to the home organisation, upon identification of the location reference in the set of internal temporary addresses, or the connection of the networked mobile terminal to a foreign site not belonging to the home organisation, upon a lack of identification of the location reference in both the set of internal permanent addresses and the set of internal temporary addresses.

7. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the step involving transmitting a request for access to an extended multicast communication based on a multicast information communication local to the home organisation, respectively to the home site, of the mobile terminal, this local multicast communication being generated by an information broadcast source installed at a first address for local multicast information communication in this home site, involves:

transmitting from the mobile router to the home site an extended multicast information communication request message, containing at least the first address for local multicast information communication and an identification code for the mobile router; and, after the home site identifies the mobile router,

transmitting, from the home site to the mobile router, an access offer message containing at least a second address for global multicast information communication, the broadcast source of which is identified in the home site; and, after the mobile router receives the access offer message,

transmitting, from the mobile router to the home site, an access offer acceptance message for access to the information being broadcast to the second address for global multicast information communication; and, after the access offer acceptance message is received at the home site,

transferring the information to be broadcast from the first to the second broadcast address; and

transmitting, by global multicast communication, the information to be broadcast under the second address, thereby enabling the mobile router interconnected to a site not belonging to the home site, respectively to the home organisation, to receive on the site the information being broadcast under the first address in local multicast mode, broadcast under the second address in global multicast mode.

8. A method according to claim 2 , wherein, upon request for access by a requesting user mobile terminal on the mobile IP network to a multicast communication to a first address for multicast communication, before this access request is transmitted by the mobile router, this involves at least:

discriminating the type of multicast communication provided by the access to the first address; and,

upon the first address being an address for global multicast communication,

directly transmitting the request for access to the first address, by the mobile router transmitting a conventional access request message; otherwise,

upon the first address being a broadcast address local to the home organisation of the requesting user terminal,

discriminating, based on the location variable, the position of the connection of the mobile router, and, according to the location of this connection,

upon if the mobile router being connected to a network belonging to the mobile router's its home organisation,

 directly transmitting the request for access to the first address, by transmitting a conventional access request message; otherwise;

upon the mobile router being connected to a network that does not belong to the mobile router's home organisation,

 transmitting, from the mobile router to the machine of the home site of the requesting user mobile terminal, managing accesses by moving mobile terminals, a message requesting remote access to a second address for global multicast communication accessible at the location address of the mobile router; and, after the mobile router has received the second address, subscribing to the global multicast communication stream emanating from the second address;

 transforming the global multicast communication stream received from the second address into a local transformed multicast communication stream, accessible locally on the mobile IP network at the first address; and

 transmitting the local transformed multicast communication stream from the mobile router to at least the requesting user mobile terminal.

9. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the remote access request message transmitted by the mobile router is a request for access to an extended multicast communication formed either by a global multicast communication request message, or by a local multicast communication request message for a multicast communication local to the home organisation of the requesting user mobile terminal.

10. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the step involving transmitting a request for access to an extended multicast communication based on a multicast information communication local to the home organisation, respectively to the home site, of the mobile terminal, this local multicast communication being generated by an information broadcast source installed at a first address for local multicast information communication in this home site, involves:

transmitting from the mobile router to the home site an extended multicast information communication request message, containing at least the first address for local multicast information communication and an identification code for the mobile router; and, after the home site identifies the mobile router,

transmitting, from the home site to the mobile router, an access offer message containing at least a second address for global multicast information communication, the broadcast source of which is identified in the home site; and, after the mobile router receives the access offer message,

transmitting, from the mobile router to the home site, an access offer acceptance message for access to the information being broadcast to the second address for global multicast information communication; and, after the access offer acceptance message is received at the home site,

transferring the information to be broadcast from the first to the second broadcast address; and

transmitting, by global multicast communication, the information to be broadcast under the second address, thereby enabling the mobile router interconnected to a site not belonging to the home site, respectively to the home organisation, to receive on the site the information being broadcast under the first address in local multicast mode, broadcast under the second address in global multicast mode.

11. A mobile router equipped with functions for controlling and transmitting access requests by any user mobile terminal connected to a mobile IP network managed by the mobile router, this mobile network including at least one user mobile terminal interconnected to this mobile IP network, the mobile router comprising:

means for discriminating the type of multicast communication requested by any request for access to a multicast communication transmitted by the requesting user mobile terminal;

means for substituting, according to a location variable of the connection of the mobile router outside the mobile router's home site, respectively outside the mobile router's home organisation, for any request for access to a group multicast communication to the home site and relating to a multicast communication local to the home site, respectively to the home organisation, of the mobile terminal, a request for access to an extended multicast communication providing access to the local multicast communication; and

means for transforming any received extended multicast communication into a local transformed multicast communication.

12. A mobile router according to claim 11 , wherein the means for transforming the received extended multicast communication into a local transformed multicast communication comprise substitution means for the address for global multicast communication for which there is substituted an address for local transformed multicast communication.

13. A mobile router according to claim 11 , wherein the mobile router comprises means for transmitting and receiving IP messages, the receiving means permitting at least the reception of the location information in the access offer message, and the extended multicast communication, the transmission means permitting at least the transmission of the extended multicast information communication request message, the access offer acceptance message, and the local transformed multicast communication stream over the mobile IP network to at least the requesting user mobile terminal.

14. A mobile router according to claim 12 , wherein the mobile router comprises means for transmitting and receiving IP messages, the receiving means permitting at least the reception of the location information in the access offer message, and the extended multicast communication, the transmission means permitting at least the transmission of the extended multicast information communication request message, the access offer acceptance message, and the local transformed multicast communication stream over the mobile IP network to at least the requesting user mobile terminal.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium with a computer program stored thereon, executed by a computer in the form of a software agent, wherein said computer program includes at least one software module set up to:

receive location discrimination information;

substitute for an access request by a requesting user mobile terminal on an IP network, when the location discrimination information indicates a mobile router connection outside the mobile router's home site, respectively outside the mobile router's home organisation, a request for access to an extended multicast communication providing access to a local multicast communication;

transmitting, to the home site, the request for access to the extended multicast communication;

receiving and transforming the extended multicast communication into a local transformed multicast communication at the mobile router; and

transmitting the local transformed multicast communication over the mobile IP network to at least the requesting user mobile terminal.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the transformation software module includes at least one substitution module for the address for global multicast communication for which there is substituted an address for local transformed multicast communication.