Patent ID: 8817745
Filing Date: 2014-08-26
Classification: H04B,H04W

Abstract:
1. An access node, comprising: at least one component configured to support forwarding of data packets to a user agent connected to a relay node, wherein the relay node is a termination point for a first tunneling path from a core network, wherein the relay node is connected to the access node and the access node is on the first tunneling path, and wherein the access node forwards the data packets to the user agent via the relay node using a mapping of sequence numbers (SNs) of data packets transported on a Un interface between the access node and the relay node to SNs of data packets transported on a Uu interface between the relay node and the user agent, wherein the access node is configured to support a handover of the user agent by initiating an early S1 path switch from the first S1 path to a second S1 path, wherein the access node initiates the early S1 path switch by sending a path switch request before the handover is completed.