Patent ID: 8817744

Claim:
A method, comprising receiving at a first network node an inter-radio access technology (RAT) signaling message from a source node, the inter-RAT signaling message including inter-RAT handover information including a start packet switched (START PS) value; determining whether the START PS value is reliable prior to handing over to a second network node at least based in part on the source node from which the START PS value is received; building an inter-RAT handover information reliability indicator to indicate whether the START PS value is reliable and including the inter-RAT handover info reliability indicator in a second inter-RAT signaling message; and forwarding the second inter-RAT signaling message to the second network node, wherein the inter-RAT information reliability indicator is configured as a one bit indicator, and wherein the building the inter-RAT information reliability indicator comprises setting the inter-RAT information reliability indicator to one of 0 or 1, depending on whether the START PS value is reliable.