Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/28—Data switching networks characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks]
  • H04L12/40—Bus networks
  • H04L12/407—Bus networks with decentralised control
  • H04L12/417—Bus networks with decentralised control with deterministic access, e.g. token passing
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L9/00—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
  • H04L9/40—Network security protocols
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L61/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
  • H04L61/09—Mapping addresses
  • H04L61/10—Mapping addresses of different types
  • H04L61/106—Mapping addresses of different types across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L61/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
  • H04L61/50—Address allocation
  • H04L61/5084—Providing for device mobility

Definitions

• the invention relates to a device for transmitting data streams in data communication networks, for example in mobile radio networks or stationary computer networks.
• the aim is that the change of a mobile network subscriber from one data network to another network remains completely transparent for users in a stationary network or else other mobile network subscribers, i.e. that this change takes place exclusively between a stationary gateway and the mobile subscriber.
• the device has an application level via which the respective network subscriber communicates and which is independent of the respective physical network, a network level to which a network protocol independent of physical networks belongs, a network integration unit which has at least two integrates different physical networks and the network level makes these networks appear as a physical network, as well as a network interface which is arranged between the network integration unit and the network level.
• Network participants can be, for example, stationary or portable data processing devices or measuring devices.
• the network interface according to the invention is designed as a common interface to all physical radio networks. This arrangement is characterized on the one hand by a structure that is technically simple to implement. This also enables the uniform use of communication protocols.
• the arrangement according to the invention is characterized in that a network subscriber can still be reached at the network level at the same address after changing the physical network.
• the various mobile data communication networks can be integrated together as a whole by means of the transmission device according to the invention and are accessible to application programs from a uniform interface.
• the network integration unit is arranged on the network level. This architecture enables a particularly cost-effective construction of the transmission device.
• the device according to the invention can also be designed such that the network integration unit provides network attributes which enable the network integration unit to address a network subscriber via different physical networks. Because of this addressing, the manage different physical networks very easily and effectively.
• the device according to the invention can also be designed so that a network attribute is changed automatically by means of a network attribute manager which operates according to an attribute management protocol and accordingly converts the network attribute (s) when changing from one network to another.
• a network attribute manager which operates according to an attribute management protocol and accordingly converts the network attribute (s) when changing from one network to another.
• the device according to the invention can also be designed such that the network integration unit is implemented as a computer program. This makes a particularly cost-effective implementation of this device possible, since no mechanical engineering retrofitting measures are required, but only an installation of one or more computer program modules.
• the device according to the invention can also be designed such that a mobile network subscriber communicates with network subscribers in any radio networks and fixed networks via at least two different radio networks.
• the radio networks serve as an intermediary between mobile network subscribers and fixed network subscribers.
• the device according to the invention can also be designed such that the communication between radio networks and fixed networks is carried out via a gateway.
• Several radio networks and fixed networks can be connected to a single gateway at the same time.
• several network interfaces can be used in a gateway at the same time be set up, each of these interfaces representing a logical network. This allows different user groups to be differentiated from one another.
• the device according to the invention can also be designed so that the protocol of the network level is the so-called Internet protocol.
• the Internet protocol saves the network user from having to deal with the physical properties of the networks over which a data stream is transported and the route that the data stream takes to the destination.
• the advantage of using this protocol is that it is a very common standard protocol in the world of open computer communication.
• the user should only have a logical view of the network topology. This can be described by an addressing scheme in which each network interface of a network subscriber, e.g. of a computer, a so-called internet protocol address is assigned. These addresses are usually composed of a so-called “network ID”, which identifies the respective network, and a so-called “host D”, which identifies the host in this network.
• the logical structure is mapped to the physical structure during system configuration.
• the system administrator assigns an Internet protocol address for each network interface that a computer has.
• FIG. 3 shows the communication of an application on a mobile device with an application in a stationary network according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 4 shows the structure and operation of the network integration unit according to the invention.
• the addressing is based on four-byte Internet addresses 4, which are composed of a network address and a so-called host address.
• the size of the network and host portion in address 4 can be defined using so-called network masks.
• Such addresses are usually represented as a decimal quadruple, eg 19.123.6.1, where each element is the decimal representation of a byte.
• Each network interface (shown as a dashed line) receives a unique IP address 4.
• a computer has several such network interfaces, for example one for communication via a Token Ring 5, one for communication via an Ethernet 6, Etc.
• the token ring interface 7 has e.g. the address 19.123.6.1 and the Ethernet interface have the address 19.123.7.6, whereby the first three bytes each represent the network address and the host address consists only of the last byte.
• Network level 3 decides when addressing another computer on the basis of "matching network addresses" which network interface is to be selected. In the case of a computer with the IP address 19.123.6.128, the IP level selects the Token-Ring interface because the network addresses of the Token-Ring interface and the computer to be addressed match.
• the stationary side has a number of network interfaces 11, 12, one interface for each physical network 13, 14 involved.
• Each of these interfaces has its own IP address 15 and implements the mapping of the IP protocol to exactly one physical network 13, 14.
• a MOBITEX interface 11 with the IP address 19.18.71.1 and a MODACOM interface 12 with the IP address 19.18.72.1 are used.
• the first three components each represent a network address.
• the mobile interface (not shown) has the IP address 19.18.71.10.
• the communication between an application in the stationary network and the mobile terminal is routed via the MOBITEX network interface 11, since the network address of the MOBITEX interface matches the mobile IP address in the first three address quadruples.
• the integrating network interface 23 on the stationary side 22 had the IP address 19.18.70.10 and the mobile terminal 21 had the address 19.18.70.65, the first three bytes each
• IP level 27 Represent network address so that when addressing the mobile device 21, the IP level 27 transfers the data to be transmitted together with the IP address information 23 to the network interface (not shown).
• the mapping onto the selected physical network 24, 25 takes place.
• the MODACOM-specific address information or network attributes of the so-called “Logical Link Identifier” (LLI), the X25 address of the "Radio Network Gateway” (RNG), together with MODACOM specific authentication information is determined and communication with these connection parameters is carried out via the MODACOM network 25.
• the selection of the "active" physical network can be controlled in different ways for each mobile terminal 21. In the simplest case, this is done by the system administrator, who controls the change from one physical network to another by making entries in configuration files or the like. However, because of the explicit intervention by an administrator, another method is preferable.
• the mobile side 21 shares when the device is switched on or when the respective communication device is activated, e.g. a MODACOM radio modem 26, a MOBITEX radio modem or GSM hand-held telephone, automatically communicates with the network interface 23 on the stationary side 22 via which physical network 24, 25 and in what way it can be reached.
• the user of the mobile terminal 21 now leaves the coverage area of the MODACOM network 25 (e.g. in Germany) and goes into the area e.g. a MOBITEX network 24, e.g. in the Netherlands, this becomes completely transparent for the applications on the mobile 21 as well as on the stationary side 22. This is shown in the following discussion of the processes and protocols.
• the MODACOM network 25 e.g. in Germany
• MOBITEX network 24 e.g. in the Netherlands
• a first step the user activates his MODACOM radio device 26 and the associated network interface 28 on the mobile side 21.
• the network interface 23 on the stationary side 22 now runs a minimal control protocol with which the network interface 28 on the stationary side 22 via the Change of the physical network 24, 25 is informed. It is essential here that the IP addresses of the network interfaces 23 involved, in particular that on the mobile side 21, do not change in any way, so that the change of the physical network 24, 25 for the IP protocol level 27 and all levels above remain completely invisible.
• FIG. 4 shows the architecture and the mode of operation of the network integration unit 28.
• the mobile device has the IP address 19.18.70.65 and can currently be reached via the MODACOM network 25.
• This information is managed in the network integration unit 28 in the form of a "network attribute".
• further attributes are managed here, e.g. Address information for all physical networks for which the mobile device is "registered" at all.
• a "flow control" 32 routes the IP data stream over the physical MODACOM network to this mobile device, the MODACOM address attributes being used for MODACOM-specific addressing.
• authentication 33 by means of a password can be forced by the network integration unit 28 when the mobile device tries to connect for the first time.
• the respective network attributes are then modified by an attribute manager 31 in such a way that MOBITEX is "active.” physical network "is marked with the corresponding MOBITEX address information.
• the flow controller 32 then routes the IP data stream accordingly over the MOBITEX network.
• the flow controller 32 informs the attribute manager 31 of this by corresponding feedback from the physical networks, so that the “active network” is undefined and the flow controller 32 entirely the IP data stream to the mobile device prevents. In the same way, the flow controller 32 has the possibility of considering the "passivity" of the mobile device as "active” only after renewed authentication.
• So-called adaptation modules are used to adapt the flow control 32 to the different physical networks, which provide a uniform internal interface upwards, but use specific APIs of the physical networks downwards.
• the entire architecture of the network integration unit requires a high degree of flexibility and expandability of the device according to the invention.
• the invention also relates to the mode of operation of the device and the interaction of the underlying structural units.
• the corresponding procedures were discussed in detail in the preceding description.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
• Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
• Small-Scale Networks (AREA)
• Communication Control (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (1)

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• 1994
  • 1994-10-31 DE DE4438522A patent/DE4438522C2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1995
  • 1995-06-07 US US08/656,351 patent/US5961607A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1995-06-07 HU HU9601771A patent/HU217721B/hu not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1995-06-07 CA CA002176333A patent/CA2176333C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1995-06-07 JP JP8514269A patent/JP2970686B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1995-06-07 EP EP95922525A patent/EP0737396A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 1995-06-07 KR KR1019960703259A patent/KR100266723B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1995-06-07 CN CN95191096A patent/CN1103527C/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1995-06-07 WO PCT/EP1995/002186 patent/WO1996013924A1/de not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1995-06-07 PL PL95315123A patent/PL177380B1/pl not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1995-06-07 RU RU96116895/09A patent/RU2121761C1/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1995-06-07 CZ CZ19961927A patent/CZ290748B6/cs not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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