Patent ID: 8229422
Filing Date: 2012-07-24
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for operating a Home Agent, the method comprising: at the Home Agent, receiving an indication from a first network element that a given mobile node using mobile Internet Protocol should receive subsequent broadcast packets as sourced by the Home Agent; at the Home Agent, automatically determining whether to support such subsequent broadcast packets using a first broadcast packet handling approach in which a discrete version of each subsequent broadcast packet is provided by the Home Agent or a second broadcast packet handling approach in which a shared version of each subsequent broadcast packet is provided by the Home Agent to a plurality of mobile nodes; and at the Home Agent, determining whether to update a list to indicate whether the first network element supports the second broadcast packet handling approach or supports the first broadcast packet handling approach, wherein the list is stored at the Home Agent and identifies some network elements as supporting the second broadcast packet handling approach and identifies other network elements as supporting the first broadcast packet handling approach and as not supporting the second broadcast packet handling approach.