Patent ID: 7551585

Claim:
In a network wherein a Mobile Station (MS) has a multimedia session with a first MultiMedia Domain (MMD) comprising a first Packet Data Node (PDN), a first Policy Decision Function (PDF) and a first Application Function (AF), a method for maintaining said multimedia session for said MS following a release of a first network attachment between said MS and said first PDN consecutive to a handoff from said first PDN to a second PDN, comprising the steps of: sending from said first PDN to said first PDF a state report message indicating that said first network attachment to said MS has been released; sending from said first PDF to said first AF a network detach message indicating that the multimedia session is requested to be maintained; responsive to said network detach message, maintaining at said first AF said multimedia session and fetching at said first AF a context of said multimedia session; sending a network detach response from said first AF to said first PDF, said network detach response comprising an acknowledgement and further comprising said context; sending a state report response from said first PDF to said first PDN, said state report response comprising an acknowledgement and further comprising said context; and sending said context from said first PDN to said second PDN.