Patent ID: 7583632

Claim:
A method for facilitating a handoff between a cellular network and a wireless local area network, WLAN, the method comprising: a) providing a communication session to a mobile terminal from a packet data serving node via a first packet control function associated with a base station controller for facilitating cellular access for the mobile terminal; b) determining a need for a handoff to provide the communication session to the mobile terminal via a second packet control function for facilitating WLAN access for the mobile terminal; c) terminating the communication session to the mobile terminal via the first packet control function; d) providing the communication session to the mobile terminal via the second packet control function such that the handoff of the communication session occurs from the cellular network to the WLAN; e) establishing a WLAN association between an access router and the mobile terminal; f) establishing a first data tunnel between the access router and the second packet control function; and g) establishing a second data tunnel between the second packet control function and the packet data serving node wherein the WLAN association, the first data tunnel, and the second data tunnel are associated to provide the communication session via the second racket control function, wherein the communication session provided via the first packet control function is facilitated by a radio channel between the mobile terminal and the base station controller associated with a third data tunnel between the first packet control function and the packet data serving node and the step of terminating the communication session further comprises removing the third data tunnel prior to establishing the second data tunnel between the second packet control function and the packet data serving node.