Patent ID: 9161273
Filing Date: 2015-10-13
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A heterogeneous network comprising: a user equipment (UE) configured to communicate in accordance with a longer range air interface standard corresponding to a long term evolution (LTE) air interface standard and a shorter range air interface standard corresponding to an IEEE 802.11 air interface standard; one or more macro cells, wherein each macro cell is configured to wirelessly communicate with the UE in accordance with the longer range air interface standard; and one or more small cells, wherein each small cell is configured to wirelessly communicate with the UE in accordance with the longer range air interface standard and the shorter range air interface standard; wherein at least one of the small cells includes a home agent node and a foreign agent node for communications in accordance with each of the longer range and the shorter range air interface standards; wherein the at least one small cell is configured to implement intra small cell handovers between communications with the UE within the respective cell by utilizing a communication tunnel between the home agent node of the respective cell for the longer range air interface standard and the foreign agent node of the respective cell for the shorter range air interface standard; and wherein communications between the one or more small cells and a core network are independent of the utilization of the longer or shorter range air interface standard between the small cell and the UE.