Patent ID: 7742766
Filing Date: 2010-06-22
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A network discovery method in a heterogeneous network environment, comprising: receiving Internet protocol (IP) handover information and neighbor information indicating a plurality of neighbor point of attachments (PoAs) of a current PoA from a Media Independent Information Service (MIIS) entity, at a mobile node that includes a plurality of communication interface sections capable of communicating with different networks, when the mobile node is connected to the current PoA; checking at least one neighbor PoA around current location of the mobile node among the neighbor PoAs using the neighbor information, at the mobile node; and in order to communicate with a next PoA, among the at least one checked neighbor PoA, to which a handover from the current PoA is to be made, activating at least one of the communication interface sections required to communicate with the checked at least one neighbor PoA, at the mobile node, wherein remaining communication interface sections are not activated, determining, at the mobile node, whether an IP network address of the mobile node is to be changed or not for the handover to be made from the current PoA to the next PoA, according to the IP handover information, wherein the IP handover information indicates whether a handover between the PoAs is an IP handover or not, and wherein the IP handover is a handover in which an IP network address of the mobile node is changed when the handover between the PoAs is made.