Patent ID: 7650424
Filing Date: 2010-01-19
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of supporting a mobile host on an information network configured for multicast routing, comprising: defining a subnet (U identifying a second interface of the home router with a corresponding unicast network address (U assigning the first interface of the home router and the mobile hosts corresponding group addresses (Mx) according to a defined relation with respect to said unicast network addresses; mapping, at the second interface of the home router, unicast addresses of packets received at the second interface and destined to members of the subnet (U linking the mobile hosts with the network at corresponding points of attachment; and sending a request from a given mobile host to join a group corresponding to a group address assigned to the given mobile host each time the mobile host links with the network at a new point of attachment, thereby enabling routers in the network to track the mobile host as it moves its link with the network from one point of attachment to another, and to route unicast packets originating from a host outside the subnet and destined to a given mobile host, by way of a virtual link defined between the home router and the given mobile host.