Patent ID: 9042895
Filing Date: 2015-05-26
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting a possible inter-radio access technology (IRAT) ping pong handover of a user equipment (UE) connection between a source radio access technology (RAT) communications network and a different target RAT communications network, where in an IRAT ping pong handover, the UE connection is handed over from a first cell in the source RAT network to a second cell in the target RAT network and then handed over back to a third cell in the source RAT network within a predetermined limited time during which coverage for the UE connection is available from the source RAT network, the method being implemented by a control node associated with the target RAT network and comprising the steps of: determining, by the control node, IRAT ping pong handover information; evaluating the UE connection related to an IRAT handover request message from the source RAT network with respect to the IRAT ping pong handover information; based on the evaluating, determining that the UE connection meets one or more ping pong conditions associated with the IRAT ping pong handover information; and providing an indication of an IRAT ping pong handover condition to a base station in the source RAT network.