Dynamic forward assignment of internet protocol addresses in wireless networks

摘要

A method and system for dynamic forward assignment of IP addresses in a wireless network wherein a serving base station requests IP addresses of it neighboring cells. The serving base station then provides the requested IP addresses to the mobile stations it serves based on whether the mobile station will be entering a particular neighboring cell. Immediately upon entering the neighboring cell the mobile station establishes over the air communications with the neighboring cell's base station using one of the requested addresses. In another embodiment of the present invention each mobile unit is responsible for attaining IP addresses from the base stations of neighboring cells. Accordingly, the base stations serve as relay points for the IP address requests from the mobile unit to an address server.