Dynamic Interface and Address Grouping

This paper proposes a framework for a multiaccess mobile device and its corresponding network (or networks) to dynamically group their communication interfaces and higher layer addresses according to the surrounding access networks and their configurations in a consistent way. It also investigates the local functionalities that the mobile device and the mobile anchor point (e.g., a home agent) would need for detecting possible changes in the link and IP levels and for grouping the interfaces and addresses automatically once triggered There are clear benefits for the interface and address grouping, such as providing a single communication service interface towards the higher layer and the applications, supporting load balancing and seamless communication service, as well as enabling more flexible power saving schemes for the mobile device.