Patent ID: 8446875

Claim:
A method for optimizing handover in a PMIPv6 environment of a mobile node between access routers having proxy mobile agents (PMA) located within at least one localized mobility management domain having a corresponding localized mobility anchor (LMA/HA), comprising: employing media-independent pre-authentication (MPA) supporting fast-handoff of a mobile node between a first proxy mobile agent (PMA) of a first access router and a second proxy mobile agent (PMA) of a second access router; wherein when the mobile node starts to move away from a current point of attachment with the first PMA but before the mobile node moves to a point of attachment with the second PMA, performing a pre-authentication phase in which the mobile node completes authentication while still in a first network of the first PMA, thereby reducing handover time; wherein during said pre-authentication phase the first and second PMAs learn each other's IP addresses and a transient proactive handover tunnel is created between the first PMA and the second PMA, said proactive handover tunnel terminating upstream from said mobile node without extending to said mobile node; and further including deleting said proactive handover tunnel when said mobile node moves to the second PMA; wherein prior to said pre-authentication phase a first PMIP tunnel is created between said first PMA and an LMA/HA, and wherein during said pre-authentication phase said pro-active handover tunnel co-exists with said first PMIP tunnel and a second PMIP tunnel is created between said second PMA and an LMA/HA.