Patent ID: 7586847

Claim:
A flow control method for use in a wireless communication network wherein a Packet Core Network (PCN) supports data connections with one or more mobile stations, and wherein the packet core network transfers data as needed to a Radio Access Network (RAN) for delivery to individual ones of the mobile stations, the method comprising: receiving a flow control on message at the PCN from the RAN indicating that flow control should be turned on for a mobile station; turning flow control on for data connections associated with the mobile station and thereby suspending packet data transfers from the PCN to the RAN on those data connections; and receiving a flow control off message at the PCN from the RAN indicating that flow control should be turned off for the mobile station, wherein receiving a flow control off message at the PCN from the RAN indicating that flow control should be turned off for the mobile station comprises receiving an A11-Registration Request message at a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) of the PCN for the mobile station that does not include a flow control indication; and turning the flow control off for the data connections associated with the mobile station and thereby resuming packet data transfers as needed from the PCN to the RAN on those data connections.