Locator Resolution in Communications Networks

Abstract

A set of globally-reachable attachment registers is provided for objects in an internetwork of interconnected communications networks. “Objects” can be networks, hosts or terminals, or passive objects which themselves do not have a network interface. Each attachment register corresponds to an object in the internetwork. The attachment registers are not located with their respective object. Information is stored in the attachment registers that establishes one or more logical links between the attachment registers. The information is used to perform one or more network communication functions, and in particular to determine a locator by identifying a logical path, along the logical links between attachment registers, from a destination attachment register corresponding to the destination object. Other non-limiting example functions include location registration and update, name to global locator resolution, routing, multi-homing, dynamic ISP selection, and handover.

1 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A method for use in an internetwork of interconnected communications networks, comprising:
 providing a set of attachment registers, each attachment register corresponding to an object from a plurality of objects in the internetwork;   storing information in the attachment registers establishing one or more logical links between attachment registers, each logical link between attachment registers corresponding to a communication link between a respective pair of objects from the plurality of objects; and   determining a locator for the destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein, for each object of the plurality of objects, communication links to neighbouring objects are registered with the corresponding attachment register of that object. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein a passive object from the plurality of objects is associated with a proxy object from the plurality of objects by the proxy object registering a communication link with an attachment register on behalf of the associated passive object, wherein the proxy object has a network interface, and wherein the passive object does not have a network interface. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the passive object includes a readable medium comprising at least one of an RFID tag, PIN code or bar code, and wherein the registering includes using the readable medium to register with an attachment register. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the plurality of objects include one or more of the following: networks, hosts, and terminals. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the plurality of objects include one or more of the following: human beings, data files, sensors, vehicles, merchandise, and physical locations. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein, when one object changes from a first point of attachment at a first neighbouring object to a second point of attachment at a second neighbouring object, the method further comprises:
 updating the attachment register corresponding to the one object to change a logical link from the attachment register corresponding to the first neighbouring object to the attachment register corresponding to the second neighbouring object.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the locator identifies two or more of the plurality of objects in a preferred network path between a source object and the destination object. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein a plurality of the two or more objects are mobile objects. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the locator identifies a preferred physical path to the destination object. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein some or all of the attachment registers include information identifying a physical location of their corresponding object or a relative physical location of their corresponding object compared to neighbouring objects. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the step of determining a locator includes:
 sending a locator constructor request to the destination attachment register;   at the destination attachment register, adding the name of the destination object to the location constructor request;   forwarding the locator constructor request to another attachment register corresponding to another object closer to a root network in the internetwork than the destination object; and   repeating the sending, adding, and forwarding until the locator constructor request is returned containing the names of all the objects corresponding to the attachment registers passed through by the locator constructor request.   
     
     
         50 . A method for use in interconnected communication networks containing a plurality of objects, at least some of the objects each having a corresponding attachment register, where there are logical links between certain ones of the attachment registers, the method comprising:
 querying one or more of the attachment registers to obtain or modify logical link information in the one or more attachment registers, the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to communication links between objects in the interconnected communication networks, a plurality of logical links between attachment registers forms a logical path between a source object and a destination object;   determining a locator for a destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator; and   using the determined locator to perform one or more network communications functions.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein at least one of the attachment registers corresponding to a passive object associated with a proxy object from the plurality of objects by the proxy object registering a communication link with an attachment register on behalf of the associated passive object, wherein the proxy object has a network interface, and wherein the passive object does not have a network interface. 
     
     
         52 . An apparatus for use in an internetwork of communications networks, comprising:
 a group of attachment registers, each attachment register corresponding to an object from a plurality of objects in the internetwork; and   electronic circuitry configured to:
 store information in the attachment registers establishing one or more logical links between attachment registers, each logical link between attachment registers corresponding to a communication link between a respective pair of objects from the plurality of objects; and 
 determine a locator for the destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator. 
   
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , wherein at least one of the attachment registers corresponding to a passive object associated with a proxy object from the plurality of objects by the proxy object registering a communication link with an attachment register on behalf of the associated passive object, wherein the proxy object has a network interface, and wherein the passive object does not have a network interface. 
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , wherein the locator identifies a physical location of, or a preferred physical path to, the destination object. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , arranged so that a predefined policy of preferred objects to be included in locator construction are taken into account in the determination of the logical path along logical links between attachment registers. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , wherein the locator identifies two or more of the plurality of objects in a preferred network path between a source object and the destination object. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 56 , wherein a plurality of the two or more objects are mobile objects. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus of  claim 52 , wherein, when one object changes from a first point of attachment at a first neighbour object to a second point of attachment at a second neighbour object, the electronic circuitry is configured to update the attachment register corresponding to the one object to change a logical link from the attachment register corresponding to the first neighbour object to the attachment register corresponding to the second neighbour object. 
     
     
         59 . An apparatus for use in an internetwork of communication networks containing a plurality of objects, at least some of the objects each having a corresponding attachment register, where there are logical links between certain ones of the attachment registers, the apparatus comprising electronic circuitry configured to:
 query one or more of the attachment registers to obtain or modify logical link information in the one or more attachment registers, the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to a communication link between objects in the interconnected communication networks, a plurality of logical links between attachment registers forms a logical path between a source object and a destination object;   determine a locator for the destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator; and   use the logical link information to perform one or more network communications functions.   
     
     
         60 . The apparatus in  claim 59 , wherein the apparatus includes one of the attachment registers. 
     
     
         61 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having computer program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a node in an internetwork of interconnected communications networks, causes the node to perform operations comprising:
 providing a set of attachment registers, each attachment register corresponding to an object from a plurality of objects in the internetwork;   storing information in the attachment registers establishing one or more logical links between attachment registers, each logical link between attachment registers corresponding to a communication link between a respective pair of objects from the plurality of objects; and   determining a locator for the destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator.   
     
     
         62 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having computer program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a node in an internetwork of interconnected communications networks containing a plurality of objects, at least some of the objects each having a corresponding attachment register where there are logical links between certain ones of the attachment registers, causes the node to perform operations comprising:
 querying one or more of the attachment registers to obtain or modify logical link information in the one or more attachment registers, the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to a communication link between objects in the interconnected communication networks, a plurality of logical links between attachment registers forms a logical path between a source object and a destination object;   determining a locator for the destination object by identifying a logical path to the destination object along a subset of the logical links between the attachment registers corresponding to the identified logical path, wherein a respective identifier associated with each of said attachment registers along the identified logical path is represented in the determined locator; and   using the logical link information to perform one or more network communications functions.