Patent ID: 8565129
Filing Date: 2013-10-22
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method performed by a proxy mobile Internet protocol (PMIP) gateway, wherein the PMIP gateway serves wireless communication devices (WCDs) via either a PMIP mode or a simple IP with address translation mode, wherein the PMIP mode involves the PMIP gateway forwarding packets between the WCD and a mobile IP home agent, the method comprising: serving, by the PMIP gateway, a given WCD in the simple IP with address translation mode wherein serving the given WCD in the simple IP with address translation mode comprises translating IP addresses of packets to and from the given WCD according to a translation rule, and wherein the PMIP gateway is operated by a first party and the home agent is operated by a second party; determining, by the PMIP gateway, that the given WCD is to be handed off to a network that requires the PMIP mode or a mobile IP mode, wherein determining that the given WCD is to be handed off to the network comprises determining that the given WCD is receiving, from a first wireless coverage area serving the given WCD, a wireless signal below a threshold level, and determining that a second wireless coverage area is a candidate target of the handoff, wherein the second wireless coverage area is controlled by the network; and in response to determining that the given WCD is to be handed off to the network, changing, by the PMIP gateway, to serve the given WCD with the PMIP mode, wherein changing to serve the given WCD with the PMIP mode comprises deactivating the translation rule.