Patent ID: 8036177

Claim:
A method of registering with at least one network module for a media independent handover (MIH) at a mobile station (MS) within a wireless mobile communication network, the method comprising: determining whether the MS has identified an identifier of a media independent handover function (MIHF) of a destination network module; transmitting a MIH capability discovery request message comprising a MIHF source identifier field and a MIHF destination identifier field from a MIHF of the MS to at least one network module, wherein the MIH capability discovery request message is transmitted to a plurality of network modules within a predetermined domain and the transmission of the MIH capability discovery request message is for discovering which of the plurality of network modules within the predetermined domain supports the MIHF and for discovering at least one service supported by the MIHF supporting network module when the MS has not identified the identifier, and wherein the MIH capability discovery request message is transmitted to a specific network module with a MIHF identifier which is known to the MS and the transmission of the MIH capability discovery request message is for discovering at least one service supported by the specific network module when the MS has identified the identifier; receiving, at the MIHF of the MS, at least one MIH capability discovery response message in response to the MIH capability discovery request message only from the MIHF supporting network module among the plurality of network modules receiving the MIH capability discovery request message, or from the specific network module, wherein the at least one MIH capability discovery response message comprises a MIHF source identifier field having an identifier of the MIHF of the MIHF supporting network module or the identifier of the MIHF of the specific network module, and at least one service list field indicating a service list for among a command service, an event service and an information service supported by the MIHF supporting network module or the specific network module; and registering with the MIHF supporting network module or the specific network module for the service list supported by the MIHF supporting network module or the specific network module.