Patent ID: 8804664

Claim:
A method for handing off a communication session associated with a user equipment between heterogeneous networks including a first network and a second network, the method comprising: detecting the user equipment entering into one of second network access zones of the second network; determining a service type of the communication session associated with the user equipment; and controlling the handoff of the communication session from the first network to the second network so as not to be executed when the determined service type is a real-time service and maintaining a binding for the communication session associated with the first network when the determined service type is a real-time service, wherein the first network is a mobile network and the second network is a wireless data network, and wherein the handoff of the communication session from the mobile network to the wireless data network is controlled to always be executed regardless of the service type when the user equipment enters a shadow area of the mobile network, and receives a signal having a signal strength lower than a predetermined level; wherein the shadow area of the mobile network is within a wireless access zone of the wireless data network, and wherein the data of the communication session is received from the mobile network by the user equipment, without executing a handoff from the wireless data network to the mobile network, when the user equipment leaves the shadow area.