Patent ID: 8155076
Filing Date: 2012-04-10
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for operation in an access network to maintain a communication session between an access terminal and the access network, comprising: a processing system configured to acquire a global session state from a session master for communications between the access terminal and a plurality of network functions in the access network, the processing system being further configured to maintain a local session state for communications between one of the plurality of network functions and the access terminal; wherein the global session state comprises a plurality of first connection attributes for communicating with the access terminal, each of the plurality of first connection attributes having a respective first value; wherein the local session state comprises a plurality of second connection attributes for communicating with the access terminal, each of the plurality of second connection attributes having a respective second value; wherein one of the plurality of second connection attributes or a corresponding second value is different from a respective one of the plurality of first connection attributes or a corresponding first value; and wherein the plurality of second connection attributes of the local session state comprise negotiated changes to at least one of the plurality of first connection attributes of the global session state based on a negotiation between the one of the plurality of network functions and the access terminal, wherein the negotiated changes do not affect the global session state at the session master.