Mobile terminal and method of controlling the same

Details Mobile terminal and method of controlling the same Mobile terminal and method of controlling the same

1998-08-05

2001-05-29

Nguyen, Chau (Department: 2663)

Multiplex communications

Communication over free space

Having a plurality of contiguous regions served by...

C370S448000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06240080

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal that can integrally move between an infrastructure network and an ad hoc network and to a method of controlling the same.
An infrastructure network in which networks such as internets are interconnected via a relay node such as a router as well as an ad hoc network which has no relay node and is a network temporarily configured of only terminals are well known as aspects of a network.
In order to establish communications by connecting a mobile terminal to a network, the mobile terminal must have (1) a terminal address used in a network to be connected, or a network address of the network itself and (2) an opposite communication party's address.
With respect to the item (1), the dynamic host configuration protocol, DHCP, (for example, refer to Douglas E. Comer, “Internetworking with TCP/IP Volume I principles, protocols and architecture”, Third edition, 1995, Prentice-Hall, Inc.) is well known with an internet being an example of an infrastructure network. Moreover, with respect to the item (2), the domain name system, DNS, (for example, refer to Douglas E. Comer, “Internetworking with TCP/IP Volume I principles, protocols and architecture”, Third edition, 1995, Prentice-Hall, Inc.) is well known. In the DHCP, a DHCP server is set up that holds a terminal address or infrastructure network address to be allocated to a terminal. Necessary values such as terminal or network addresses for connection are requested to the DHCP server when a terminal is connected to a network. The DHCP server provides parameters to the terminal without troubles due to duplicate terminal addresses, based on the request from the terminal.
FIG. 15
depicts such an operation. When the terminal
1
and the terminal
2
are connected to a network, they respectively broadcast DHCP Requests containing desired information.
FIG. 15
shows an example in which the terminals
1
and
2
request a terminal address. In response to the DHCP Request message, the DHCP server transmits a DHCP ACK message containing supply information to the request sources. In
FIG. 15
, the DHCP server transmits two DHCP ACK messages, one containing an address
1
and the other containing an address
2
, to avoid overlapping of a terminal address at the terminals
1
and
2
.
In the internet, the DNS (Domian Name System) is used to detect the correspondence between the terminal name of a terminal and the terminal address. The DNS introduces a DNS server that manages the correspondences between the terminal's names of terminals to be managed and the terminal addresses and predetermines the procedure of making inquiries from a terminal to the DNS server and the procedure of making inquiries between servers. In most cases, the address of the DNS server managing a terminal is set to the terminal itself.
FIG. 16
depicts the case where the terminal
1
detects the terminal address of the terminal
2
. The terminal
1
transmits a DNS Query message requesting the terminal address of the terminal
2
to the DNS server (the DNS server
1
in
FIG. 16
) registered. The DNS server
1
inquires the DNS server (the DNS server
2
in
FIG. 16
) managing the terminal address of the terminal
2
. Then the DNS server
1
notifies the terminal
1
of the address
2
(DNS Reply message) when obtaining the terminal address of the terminal
2
(address
2
).
The ad hoc network is configured of only terminals and does not have a server such as DHCP server or DNS server used in the infrastructure network. For this reason, even if the same procedure as that in the infrastructure network are used, communications cannot be accomplished by connecting the terminal to an ad hoc network. In order to accomplish communications according to the same procedure as that in the infrastructure network, a server function may be added to one of terminals connected to an ad hoc network. However, since this approach requires a special terminal with a server function, it is considerably poor in versatility. In order to improve the versatility, a procedure different from that in the infrastructure network may be defined in the ad hoc network so that the procedure can be selectively used according to an ad hoc network or infrastructure network to be connected. However, in the case of this procedure, the terminal must be reset when it moves between an ad hoc network and an infrastructure network according to the procedure for an infrastructure network and the procedure for an ad hoc network to be introduced thereto.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned tasks.
Moreover, the objective of the invention is to provide a mobile terminal that can integrally move between an infrastructure network and an ad hoc network.
Furthermore, another objective of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal control method that enables information regarding communications and connection to an ad hoc network to be effectively provided between mobile terminals in an ad hoc network.
The objective of the present invention is achieved by a mobile terminal that can be connected in a mobile mode between an infrastructure network and an ad hoc network, the infrastructure network being a permanent network interconnected via a relay node, the ad hoc network being a temporary network formed of only plural terminals, the infrastructure network having plural mobile terminals, relay nodes, and a server which provides information needed for connection of mobile terminals; and wherein an infrastructure network connection procedure and an ad hoc network connection procedure are configured in an integrated mode in an address management process, a connection network identification process and a destination address capture process which are needed when said mobile terminal is connected to a network to establish communications; wherein each process including steps of identifying whether a network to which the mobile terminal is connected is an ad hoc network or infrastructure network and then using a procedure corresponding to the connected network.
Moreover, a mobile terminal that can be connected in a mobile mode between an infrastructure network and an ad hoc network, the infrastructure network being a permanent network interconnected via a relay node, the ad hoc network being a temporary network formed of only plural terminals, the infrastructure network having plural mobile terminals, relay nodes, and a server which provides information needed for connection of mobile terminals, the mobile terminal comprises receive packet input means for inputting as a receive packet a packet transmitted onto a communication medium configuring a network to be connected; transmission packet output means for transmitting a transmission packet onto the communication medium; means for inputting an opposite communciation party's name of the mobile terminal itself; means for outputting a destination address corresponding to the opposite communication party's name; address management means for receiving the receive signal, for identifying whether or not the network to be connected is the infrastructure network or ad hoc network, and for transmitting the transmission packet which captures and manages an address used in the network; destination address capture means for receiving the receive signal, for identifying whether or not the network to be connected is an infrastructure network an ad hoc network, for outputting the transmission packet to capture the destination address corresponding to the opposite communication party's name, and for obtaining a destination address of the opposite communication party's name; and move management means for receiving the receive packet and outputting the transmission packet to manage whether or not the movable terminal itself has moved from the network to be connected to another network.
In the mobile terminal according to the present invention, the address management means comprises ad hoc/ infrastructure network identific

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