Patent ID: 8755793
Filing Date: 2014-06-17
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method performed by a wireless communication device to facilitate a handoff between networks, comprising: establishing a first communication session with a first wireless communication network having a first communication protocol; determining a desire to handoff to a second wireless communication network having a second communication protocol, wherein the second wireless communication network and the first wireless communication network are incompatible for communication; obtaining an address of an interworking function corresponding to the second wireless communication network, wherein the interworking function is operable to establish a second communication session in the second wireless communication network; tunneling, via the first communication protocol, a data message through the first communication network to the interworking function based on the address of the interworking function, wherein the data message comprises a payload comprising session transfer information in the second communication protocol for the second wireless communication network, the session transfer information for the second communication network including handoff instructions and being completely transparent to the first communication network; and establishing a second communication session with the second wireless communication network in the second communication protocol, wherein the second communication session is based on the data message.