Method of providing a mobility service
View Patent ↗A method comprising running an application on user equipment; providing a mobility service; using a packet switched connection when said mobility service is unavailable; and using said mobility service when said mobility service becomes available.
1. A method, comprising:
executing an application at user equipment, the executing comprising accessing an Internet Protocol (IP) network via a first access using a first IP address maintained by a home point-of-attachment, with communications to the user equipment via the first IP address routed from the home point-of-attachment to a foreign point-of-attachment in communication with the user equipment;
responsive to loss of the home point-of-attachment, notifying the application of said loss;
then continuing the executing of the application, the continued execution comprising:
accessing the IP network via the first access using a second IP address; and
responsive to loss of availability of the first access, accessing the IP network via a second access;
responsive to restoration of the home point-of-attachment, notifying the application of said restoration; and
then continuing the executing of the application, the continued execution comprising accessing the IP network using an IP address maintained by the home point-of-attachment, with communications to the user equipment being routed from the home point-of-attachment to a foreign point-of-attachment in communication with the user equipment.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first access is wireless local area network (WLAN) and the second access is general packet radio service (GPRS).
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first access is GPRS and the second access is WLAN.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
during the accessing of the IP network using a second IP address, periodically trying to reconnect to the home point-of-attachment.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of executing the application at the user equipment further comprises:
using a Mobile IP mobility service to access the IP network via the first access using the first IP address maintained by the home point-of-attachment;
wherein the home point-of-attachment is a home agent under the Mobile IP mobility service and the foreign point-of-attachment is a foreign agent under the Mobile IP mobility service.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the home point-of-attachment and the foreign point-of-attachment is a VPN gateway under the Moblke standard.
7. A user equipment apparatus configured to:
execute an application at user equipment to access an Internet Protocol (IP) network via a first access using a first IP address maintained by a home point-of-attachment, with communications to the user equipment via the first IP address routed from the home point-of-attachment to a foreign point-of-attachment in communication with the user equipment;
responsive to loss of the home point-of-attachment, notify the application of said loss;
then cause the application to access the IP network via the first access using a second IP address;
following the notifying of the application of said loss and responsive to loss of the availability of the first access, accessing the IP network via a second access;
responsive to restoration of the home point-of-attachment, notify the application of said restoration; and
then cause the application to access the IP network using an IP address maintained by the home point-of-attachment, with communications to the user equipment being routed from the home point-of-attachment to a foreign point-of-attachment in communication with the user equipment.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first access is wireless local area network (WLAN) and the second access is general packet radio service (GPRS).
9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first access is GPRS and the second access is WLAN.
10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to:
during the accessing of the IP network using a second IP address, periodically try to reconnect to the home point-of-attachment.
11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the executing of the application also uses a Mobile IP mobility service to access the IP network via the first access using the first IP address maintained by the home point-of-attachment.