Patent ID: 7623493

Claim:
A method for link layer assisted handoff, the method comprising the steps of: indicating by layer 2 (L2) of an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)-based communications interface that a handoff from a serving OSI-based communications interface to a target OSI-based communications interface is imminent, wherein L2 of the OSI-based communications interface indicates to an application operating at an OSI layer above OSI layer 3 that the handoff is imminent; requesting, by the application, that additional data for use during handoff be sent to a mobile node (MN) prior to handoff, wherein the request is directed to an access network (AN) and is in response to the OSI layer 2 (L2)-originated indication that the handoff to a target OSI-based communications interface is imminent; and receiving, prior to handoff from an access network (AN) and prior to an OSI layer 2 (L2)-originated indication that a link to the serving OSI-based communications interface is down for the handoff to the target OSI-based communications interface, additional data for use during the handoff.