Method and system for performing re-association due to handover in a wlan mesh network

Abstract

A method and system for performing re-association in a WLAN mesh network are provided. A mobile node transmits authentication request information to an old node via a new node along with a mesh re-association request message for re-association of the mesh network. Upon receiving the mesh re-association request message, the old node performs re-association and authentication according to the mesh re-association request message, and transmits a mesh re-association reply message to the mobile node via the new node.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for performing re-association according to handover of a mobile node, by an old node in a wireless mesh network, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a new node, a mesh re-association request message, the mesh re-association request message comprising moving information of the mobile node; and   establishing, in response to the mesh re-association request message, a route between the old node, one or more intermediate mesh nodes between the old node and the new node, and the new node, based on the moving information received from the new node.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh re-association request message further comprises authentication request information, which the new node receives from the mobile node, for the authentication of the mobile node. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 authenticating the mobile node based on the authentication request information;   generating a mesh re-association reply message comprising authentication reply information according to a result of the authenticating; and   transmitting, to the new node, the mesh re-association reply message in reply to the mesh re-association request message.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting data packets whose destination is the mobile node to the mobile node through the route between the old node, the one or more intermediate mesh nodes and the new node.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 maintaining a corresponding entry of a re-association table for the mobile node for a predetermined time after receiving the mesh re-association request message; and   discarding the corresponding entry after the predetermined time.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , the establishing a route comprises:
 performing re-association to establish the route based on a re-association table of the mobile node managed by the old node, the re-association table comprising information on nodes that are able to communicate with the old node.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the old node is a node from which the mobile node has previously received data, and the new node is at least one node from which the mobile node desires to receive data. 
     
     
         8 . A method for performing re-association according to handover of a mobile node, by an new node in a wireless mesh network, the method comprising:
 receiving, from the mobile node, a first mesh re-association request message, the first mesh re-association request message comprising moving information of the mobile node;   transmitting, to an old node, a second mesh re-association request message, the second mesh re-association request message comprising the moving information of the mobile node;   receiving data packets whose destination is the mobile node through a route between the old node, one or more intermediate mesh nodes between the old node and the new node, and the new node, the route established based on the moving information; and   transmitting the data packets to the mobile node.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the old node, a first mesh re-association reply message in reply to the second mesh re-association request message; and   transmitting, to the mobile node, a second mesh re-association reply message corresponding to the first mesh re-association reply message.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first mesh re-association request message further comprises authentication request information for the authentication of the mobile node, and the second mesh re-association request message further comprises the authentication request information. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first mesh re-association reply message comprises authentication reply information according to a result of authenticating of the mobile node by the old node, and the second mesh re-association reply message comprises the authentication reply information. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first mesh re-association request message further comprises an old node list, the old node list comprising information on the old node. 
     
     
         13 . A method for performing re-association according to handover by a mobile node in a wireless mesh network, the method comprising:
 transmitting, to a new node adjacent to the mobile node, a mesh re-association request message for re-association of the wireless mesh network to establish a route among the mobile node, the new node, and an old node; and   receiving, from the new node, a mesh re-association reply message in response to the mesh re-association request message,   wherein the route is established between the old node, one or more intermediate mesh nodes between the old node and the new node, and the new node.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the mesh re-association request message comprises moving information of the mobile node and authentication request information for the authentication of the mobile node. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the mesh re-association reply message comprises authentication reply information according to a result of authenticating of the mobile node by the old node. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the mesh re-association request message comprises an old node list, the old node list comprising information on the old node, which is a node from which the mobile node has previously received data. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving data packets whose destination is the mobile node from the new node through the route between the old node, the one or more intermediate mesh nodes and the new node.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the mesh re-association request message is transmitted to the new node on a unicast basis.