Patent ID: 8774804

Claim:
A context-retention controller to operate within a wireless access network, the context-retention controller comprising: a hardware processing circuit configured to: assign a context identifier to a mobile device at network entry for context retention; maintain context for the mobile device after disconnection from the wireless access network; and identify the mobile device by the assigned context identifier for retrieval of the context at network reentry of the mobile device, wherein the context-retention controller is configured to maintain the context for the mobile device when the mobile device is disconnected unintentionally from the wireless access network or when the mobile device disconnects intentionally from the wireless access network, and wherein disconnection from the wireless access network triggers the context-retention controller to retain context, wherein the context-retention controller is further configured to: receive a disconnection and context-retention request from a base station to trigger entry into a context-retention mode, the base station to generate the disconnection and context-retention request upon an indication of a disconnection of the mobile device from the wireless access network; and respond to the base station to acknowledge entry into the context-retention mode for the mobile device.