Patent ID: 8305962
Filing Date: 2012-11-06
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of optimizing usage of a heterogeneous wireless communication network, comprising: providing a home access network with a home network characteristic and a home network policy; providing a visiting access network with a visiting network characteristic and a visiting network policy, the visiting network characteristic being different from the home network characteristic; retrieving the home network policy at a packet data node gateway; accessing the home access network with a terminal over a first communication path using the home network policy; providing an out-of-band communication path substantially separate from the first communication path from the visiting access network to the packet data node gateway; informing the packet data node gateway of the visiting network policy over the out-of-band communication path; forwarding terminal data from the home access network to the visiting access network; retrieving the visiting network policy at the packet data node gateway; handing the terminal off to the visiting access network; and accessing the visiting network with the terminal over the first communication path using the visiting network policy, wherein the visiting network characteristic is updated periodically by the packet data node gateway over the out-of-band communication path so that the terminal can use the visiting network policy supported by the visiting access network.