Patent ID: 8538430
Filing Date: 2013-09-17
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A system for enabling a mobile terminal to handoff communications between at least two different wireless access networks, the system comprising: a first wireless access network having a first air interface standard and a tunneling module; a second wireless access network having a second air interface standard that is different from the first air interface standard; the first wireless access network being configured to tunnel signaling data packets to the second wireless access network, the signaling data packets being tunneled to the second wireless access network using the first air interface standard; the first wireless access network receiving, from the mobile terminal, signaling data packets constructed in accordance with a second protocol associated with the second wireless access network that are encapsulated in a first protocol associated with the first wireless access network; and the tunneling module being in data communication with the second wireless access network to pre-register the mobile terminal with the second wireless access network without consuming air interface resources on the second wireless access network while the mobile terminal is engaged in a communication session in the first wireless access network, the pre-registration of the mobile terminal with the second wireless access network being triggered by detection of the mobile terminal within a first border cell of the first wireless access network, the first border cell of the first wireless access network being adjacent to a second border cell of the second wireless access network.