Patent ID: 7167466

Claim:
A method of dynamically assigning a home agent, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication of the availability of one or more home agents; receiving an access request message indicating a request for mobile IP services, the access request message having a first home agent address and a first home address; determining whether the first home agent address and the first home address indicate a request for dynamic home agent assignment; upon a determination that the first home agent address and the first home address indicate a request for dynamic home agent assignment, performing the substeps of: assigning the home agent from a pool of available home agents; and transmitting a second home agent address of the home agent; request for a particular home agent; upon a determination that the first home agent address and the first home address indicate a request for a particular home agent, transmitting the home agent address of the particular home agent; determining whether the first home agent address and the first home address indicate a request for a particular home agent address; upon a determination that the first home agent address and the first home address indicate a request for a particular home address, transmitting the home agent address of the home agent containing the particular home address; determining whether the first home agent address and the first home address indicate a request for a static home agent; and upon a determination that the first home agent address and the first home address indicate a request for a static home address, transmitting the home agent address of the static home address.