Title: An integrated mobility framework for ad hoc distributed personal networks

Authors: R. Bolla, M. Repetto

Addresses: Department of Communications, Computer and System Sciences, DIST – University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genoa, Italy. ' Department of Communications, Computer and System Sciences, DIST – University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genoa, Italy

Abstract: Advances in wireless communications have driven an interest towards ubiquitous computing environments for nomadic users. This has led to a more user-centric vision of the network and to the concept of personal network: the user exploits his personal devices (both local and remote) and those in the surrounding environment to build dynamic ad hoc communication systems for the best experience in enjoying multimedia. In this paper, we propose a mobility framework for personal networks based on the idea of a |personal mobile address| to bind a network address to the user rather than to a network interface, allowing the address to follow the user as he moves. We show how this mobility framework could be used for real-time interactive communications, in particular for voice-over-IP sessions managed by SIP. Moreover, we sketch a software architecture for this framework and evaluate its feasibility by means of a prototype.

Keywords: session migration; personal mobility; ubiquitous computing; personal networks; personal mobile address; mobile IP; MIP; distributed networks; ad hoc networks.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCNDS.2010.032417

International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems, 2010 Vol.4 No.3, pp.306 - 330

Published online: 02 Apr 2010 *

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