Method and apparatus for supporting inter-technology handoffs with Mobile IP

摘要

For Mobile IP supporting inter-technology handoffs, a logical interface is provided at an abstraction layer, which resides between a network layer and a link layer. The logical interface performs processing to provide an interface between the network layer and the link layer, but communicates with physical interfaces instead of directly with the link layer. One physical interface is provided for each communication network (e.g., each radio network of a different wireless technology). Each physical interface performs technology-dependent processing for the associated communication network and communicates with a respective link layer module. Each link layer module performs link layer processing for the associated communication network. The logical interface is associated with one physical interface at any given moment. The logical interface is also associated with an IP address that does not change and is used by IP in the network layer for communication with the multiple communication networks.