Patent ID: 8385216
Filing Date: 2013-02-26
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method operable in a wireless communication system having a plurality of radio access networks (“RANs”) serving air interface traffic channels defined by disparate air interface protocols, including a first RAN serving air interface traffic channels according to a first air interface protocol (“first protocol traffic channels”) and a second RAN serving air interface traffic channels according to a second air interface protocol (“second protocol traffic channels”), wherein the first air interface protocol comprises IS-2000 and the second air interface protocol comprises IS-856, the method comprising: while a mobile station has a first protocol traffic channel served by the first RAN, the first RAN detecting a handoff trigger for handoff of the mobile station to the second RAN and responsively (i) requesting the second RAN to assign a second protocol traffic channel for the mobile station, (ii) receiving from the second RAN one or more parameters defining the second protocol traffic channel assigned by the second RAN for the mobile station, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (“UATI”) and a Media Access Control (“MAC”) ID, and (iii) transmitting to the mobile station via the first protocol traffic channel the one or more parameters without the mobile station having requested assignment of the second protocol traffic channel and without the mobile station having searched for coverage under the second air interface protocol to trigger the handoff, whereby the one or more parameters are usable by the mobile station to readily switch over from communication on the first protocol traffic channel to communication on the second protocol traffic channel.