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Methods and apparatuses for allowing mobile nodes to have access to mobility functions after being attached to their home networks are disclosed. The invention allows a home agent to authenticate a registration request and validate a DHCP-acquired home address even if no mobile bindings currently ex

Methods and apparatuses for allowing mobile nodes to have access to mobility functions after being attached to their home networks are disclosed. The invention allows a home agent to authenticate a registration request and validate a DHCP-acquired home address even if no mobile bindings currently exist. Typically, a home agent will not create mobility bindings if a mobile node attaches itself to a home agent network segment. By using either cached information or DHCP resources, the home agent can approve a registration request.

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What is claimed is: 1. In a Home Agent, a method, comprising: receiving a first registration request from a mobile node, the first registration request indicating a request for assignment of a home address; obtaining a DHCP address from a DHCP server for use as the home address; and sending a first

What is claimed is: 1. In a Home Agent, a method, comprising: receiving a first registration request from a mobile node, the first registration request indicating a request for assignment of a home address; obtaining a DHCP address from a DHCP server for use as the home address; and sending a first registration reply to the mobile node, the first registration reply including the DHCP address that has been obtained from the DHCP server, DHCP server information associated with the DHCP server, and a lease lifetime associated with the DHCP address, wherein the DHCP address is used as a home address of the mobile node when the mobile node is at its home network and when roaming to a foreign network, thereby enabling the mobile node to manage the home address, wherein the first registration reply notifies the mobile node that it is responsible for renewing or extending the lease lifetime associated with the DHCP address; wherein the mobile node is responsible for renewing or extending the lease lifetime associated with the DHCP address by contacting the DHCP server using the DHCP server information. 2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: receiving a second registration request from the mobile, the second registration request indicating that a dynamically assigned home address has already been acquired; authenticating the mobile node; and creating a mobility binding for the mobile node. 3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein authenticating the mobile node includes referring to cached information about the mobile node. 4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the cached information was generated in response to the first registration request from the mobile node. 5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein a cached DHCP acknowledgement message included the cached information. 6. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the first registration request was received when the mobile node was on the home agent's network segment and the cached information was generated when the mobile node was on the home agent's network segment. 7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first registration request includes a lifetime value of zero. 8. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein authenticating the mobile node includes performing a DHCP INFORM on the home address. 9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile node was alerted to its DHCP address management responsibilities in a DHCP extension of the first registration reply. 10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile node previously requested that it be responsible for managing its own DHCP address via a DHCP extension of the first registration request. 11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile node was alerted to its DHCP address management responsibilities via a lifetime of zero in the first registration reply. 12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising performing a ping operation on the home address to ensure that a DHCP server did not give out the home address to another device. 13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining a DHCP address via a DHCP server comprises sending a DHCP request to the DHCP server, wherein the first registration request is received when the mobile node is on the home agent's network segment. 14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the DHCP request includes the mobile node's gateway interface address. 15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first registration request includes information relating to DHCP address management. 16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the DHCP server is separate from the Home Agent. 17. In a mobile node, a method comprising: sending a registration request to a home agent of the mobile node, the registration request indicating a request for assignment of a home address; receiving a registration reply indicating that no mobility bindings have been created for the mobile node and the mobile node is responsible for its own DHCP address management, wherein the registration reply includes a single DHCP address that has been obtained via a DHCP server for use as the home address for the mobile node, a lease lifetime associated with the home address, and DHCP server information associated with the DHCP server, wherein the single DHCP address is used as the home address of the mobile node when the mobile node is at its home network and when roaming to a foreign network; and contacting the DHCP server using the DHCP server information to extend or renew the lease lifetime associated with the single DHCP address that functions as the home address. 18. A home agent comprising: a processor; and memory, operably connected with the processor; wherein at least one of the processor or the memory are adapted for: receiving a first registration request from a mobile node, the first registration request indicating a request for assignment of a home address; obtaining a DHCP address from a DHCP server for use as the home address; and sending a first registration reply to the mobile node, the first registration reply including the DHCP address that has been obtained from the DHCP server, DHCP server information associated with the DHCP server, and a lease lifetime associated with the DHCP address, wherein the DHCP address is used as a home address of the mobile node when the mobile node is at its home network and when roaming to a foreign network, thereby enabling the mobile node to manage the home address, wherein the first registration reply notifies the mobile node that it is responsible for renewing or extending the lease lifetime associated with the DHCP address; wherein the mobile node is responsible for renewing or extending the lease lifetime associated with the DHCP address by contacting the DHCP server using the DHCP server information. 19. The home agent as recited in claim 18, at least one of the processor or the memory being further adapted for: receiving a second registration request from the mobile, the second registration request indicating that a dynamically assigned home address has already been acquired; authenticating the mobile node; and creating a mobility binding for the mobile node. 20. The home agent of claim 19, wherein authenticating the mobile node includes referring to cached information about the mobile node. 21. The home agent of claim 20, wherein the cached information was generated in response to the first registration request from the mobile node. 22. The home agent of claim 21, wherein a cached DHCP acknowledgement message included the cached information. 23. The home agent of claim 20, wherein the first registration request was received when the mobile node was on the home agent's network segment and the cached information was generated when the mobile node was on the home agent's network segment. 24. The home agent of claim 19, wherein authenticating the mobile node includes performing a DHCP INFORM on the home address. 25. The home agent of claim 18, wherein the first registration request indicates that the mobile node requests that it be responsible for managing its own home address, wherein managing its own home address includes renewing or extending its lease for the home address by contacting the DHCP server directly using the DHCP server information. 26. The home agent of claim 18, wherein the first registration reply includes an extension indicating that the mobile node is responsible for managing the DHCP address. 27. The home agent of claim 18, wherein at least one of the processor or the memory are further adapted for: performing a ping operation on the home address to ensure that a DHCP server did not give out the home address to another device. 28. The home agent of claim 18, wherein obtaining a DHCP address via a DHCP server comprises sending a DHCP request to the DHCP server, wherein the first registration request is received when the mobile node is on the home agent's network segment. 29. The home agent of claim 28, wherein the DHCP request includes the mobile node's gateway interface address. 30. The home agent of claim 18, wherein the first registration request includes information relating to DHCP address management. 31. A mobile node comprising: a processor; and a memory, operably connected with the processor; wherein at least one of the processor or the memory are adapted for: sending a registration request to a home agent of the mobile node, the registration request indicating a request for assignment of a home address; receiving a registration reply indicating that no mobility bindings have been created for the mobile node and the mobile node is responsible for its own DHCP address management, wherein the registration reply includes a single DHCP address that has been obtained via a DHCP server for use as the home address for the mobile node, a lease lifetime associated with the home address, and DHCP server information associated with the DHCP server, wherein the single DHCP address is used as the home address of the mobile node when the mobile node is at its home network and when roaming to a foreign network; and contacting the DHCP server using the DHCP server information to extend or renew the lease lifetime associated with single DHCP address that is used as the home address. 32. A home agent comprising: means for receiving a first registration request from a mobile node, the first registration request indicating a request for assignment of a home address; means for obtaining a DHCP address from a DHCP server for use as the home address; and means for sending a first registration reply to the mobile node, the first registration reply including the DHCP address that has been obtained from the DHCP server, DHCP server information associated with the DHCP server, and a lease lifetime associated with the DHCP address, wherein the DHCP address is used as a home address of the mobile node when the mobile node is at its home network and when roaming to a foreign network, thereby enabling the mobile node to manage the home address, wherein the first registration reply notifies the mobile node that it is responsible for renewing or extending the lease lifetime associated with the DHCP address; wherein the mobile node is responsible for renewing or extending the lease lifetime associated with the DHCP address by contacting the DHCP server using the DHCP server information. 33. A mobile node comprising: means for sending a registration request to a home agent of the mobile node, the registration request indicating a request for assignment of a home address; means for receiving a registration reply indicating that no mobility bindings have been created for the mobile node and the mobile node is responsible for its own DHCP address management, wherein the registration reply includes a single DHCP address that has been obtained via a DHCP server for use as the home address for the mobile node, a lease lifetime associated with the home address, and DHCP server information associated with the DHCP server, wherein the single DHCP address is used as the home address of the mobile node when the mobile node is at its home network and when roaming to a foreign network; and means for contacting the DHCP server using the DHCP server information to extend or renew the lease lifetime associated with the home address. 34. In a home agent, a method of processing a registration request received from a mobile node, comprising: receiving a request for assignment of a DHCP address, the request being received from a mobile node; determining whether the mobile node is on its home network; obtaining a DHCP address from a DHCP server for use as a home address for the mobile node when the mobile node is at its home network and when roaming to a foreign network; providing the DHCP address, a lease lifetime associated with the DHCP address, and DHCP server information associated with the DHCP server to the mobile node; and informing the mobile node that it is responsible for its own DHCP address management, wherein the DHCP address management includes contacting the DHCP server directly using the DHCP server information in order to renew or extend the lease lifetime of the DHCP address.