Patent ID: 8837428

Claim:
A method for enabling a mobile station (MS) operative in a multi-layer wireless network, to be handed over to a target base station (BS) associated with one layer from among the multi-layer wireless network, being a layer different from the layer associated with a BS currently serving that MS, the method comprising: providing an MS being currently served by a serving BS associated with a first layer of the multi-layer wireless network with information required for the MS to perform a fast network re-entry, wherein that information relates to a plurality of potential BS targets associated with the first layer of the multi-layer wireless network, wherein said MS has not yet been provided with information that relates to a potential target BS associated with a second layer of said multi-layer wireless network; upon receiving an acknowledgement from the target BS indicating its capability to provide service to said MS, transmitting a message to the MS which comprises HO information that enables the MS to perform a fast network re-entry in order to communicate with the target BS; and initiating a handover procedure between the MS and the target BS, during which the MS performs a fast network re-entry, wherein the HO information required by the MS to perform a fast network re-entry in order to communicate with the target BS is comprised in a Secondary SuperFrame Header (S-SFH).