Patent ID: 7301922

Claim:
A method for communicating packet data, the method comprising: communicating a call from a mobile device using a first base station controller and a first packet data serving node, the communication of the call comprising: establishing a point-to-point session between the mobile device and the first packet data serving node; determining a handoff of the call is requested, wherein the handoff is from the first packet data serving node to a second packet data serving node in communication with a second base station controller; transferring the call from the first base station controller to the second base station controller, the call being active; establishing a tunnel between the first packet data serving node and the second packet data serving node; communicating the call through the tunnel; determining at the second base station controller when the call transitions from active to dormant; and establishing a next point-to-point session between the mobile device and the second packet data serving node in response to the call transitioning from active to dormant; establishing a communication path between the first packet data serving node and a home agent; and communicating the call between the first packet data serving node and the home agent using the communication path.