Handover data integrity in a wireless data network

• US 8,472,406 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bontu, Chandra Sekhar, Kanesalingam, Prabaharan, Chandramouli, Devaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Qureshi, Afsar M
• Application Number:
  US13/241,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20120026973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 370331-436, 4554321-561
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/02 Buffering or recovering information during reselection ; Modification of the traffic flow during hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface

Abstract

A method and apparatus for handover data integrity of a mobile station in a wireless data network with a plurality of wireless network service areas. The method and apparatus includes initiating handover by a mobile station, identifying a target access service network (ASN) for handover from a serving ASN. When the target ASN is identified, receive a data integrity capability from the target ASN, and determine whether a direct data delivery mode is available as a data integrity mode. When a direct data delivery mode is available, direct data delivery is performed with the data associated with the service flow from the serving ASN to the target ASN.

Claims

1. A method of operating a handover controller of an access service network of a wireless data network, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a data integrity capability of at least one access service network identified as a target access service network for handover of a service flow to mobile terminal;

when the indicated data integrity capability accommodates direct data delivery of data associated with the service flow, initiating direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow from a serving access service network serving the mobile terminal to the target access service network; and

when the indicated data integrity capability does not accommodate direct data delivery of data associated with the service flow, multi-unicasting the data associated with the service flow to the serving access service network and the target access service network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising buffering the data associated with the service flow.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the initiating the direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow includes initiating direct delivery of the buffered data during handover of the mobile terminal from the serving access service network to the target access service network; and

the multi-unicasting the data associated with the service flow includes multi-casting the buffered data during handover of the mobile terminal from the serving access service network to the target access service network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the initiating the direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow includes initiating direct delivery of the buffered data before handover of the mobile terminal from the serving access service network to the target access service network; and

the multi-unicasting the data associated with the service flow includes multi-casting the buffered data before handover of the mobile terminal from the serving access service network to the target access service network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating the direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow includes initiating direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow via at least one interface between the handover controller the target access service network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each interface between the handover controller and the target access service network is an R4 interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating the direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow includes initiating direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow via at least one interface between the serving access service network and the target access service network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the initiating direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow includes initiating direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow via at least one R8 interface between the serving access service network and the least one target access service network.

9. A handover controller of an access service network of a wireless data network, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory operably coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

receive an indication of a data integrity capability of at least one access service network identified as a target access service network for handover of a service flow to mobile terminal;

initiate direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow from a serving access service network serving the mobile terminal to the target access service network when the indicated data integrity capability accommodates direct data delivery of data associated with the service flow; and

multi-unicast the data associated with the service flow to the serving access service network and the target access service network when the indicated data integrity capability does not accommodate direct data delivery of data associated with the service flow.

10. The handover controller of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are operable to buffer the data associated with the service flow.

11. The handover controller of claim 10, wherein:

the instructions executable to initiate the direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow include instructions executable to initiate the direct delivery of the buffered data during handover of the mobile terminal from the serving access service network to the target access service network; and

the instructions executable to multi-unicast the data associated with the service flow include instructions executable to multi-cast the buffered data during handover of the mobile terminal from the serving access service network to the target access service network.

12. The handover controller of claim 10, wherein:

the instructions executable to initiate the direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow comprise instructions executable to initiate direct delivery of the buffered data before handover of the mobile terminal from the serving access service network to the target access service network; and

the instructions executable to multi-unicast the data associated with the service flow comprise instructions executable to multi-cast the buffered data before handover of the mobile terminal from the serving access service network to the target access service network.

13. The handover controller of claim 9, wherein the instructions executable to initiate the direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow include instructions executable to initiate the direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow via at least one interface between the handover controller the target access service network.

14. The handover controller of claim 13, wherein each interface between the handover controller and the target access service network is an R4 interface.

15. The handover controller of claim 9, wherein the instructions executable to initiate direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow comprise instructions executable to initiate direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow via at least one interface between the serving access service network and the target access service network.

16. The handover controller of claim 15, wherein the instructions executable to initiate the direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow comprise instructions executable to initiate the direct delivery of the data associated with the service flow via at least one R8 interface between the serving access service network and the target access service network.

17. A method of operating a handover controller of an access service network of a wireless data network, the method comprising:

receiving a scanning signal associated with a mobile station seeking a handover; and

transmitting to an anchor access service network serving the mobile station an indication of a data integrity capability supported by the handover controller in response to the received scanning signal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving data associated with a service flow to the mobile station.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the receiving the data associated with the service flow includes receiving the data associated with the service flow via an interface to the anchor access service network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving the data associated with the service flow comprises receiving the data associated with the service flow via an R4 interface to the anchor access service network.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the receiving the data associated with the service flow includes receiving the data associated with the service flow via an interface to a serving access service network currently serving the mobile station.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the receiving data associated with the service flow includes receiving data associated with the service flow via an R8 interface to the serving access service network.

23. A handover controller of an access service network of a wireless data network, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory operably coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

receive a scanning signal associated with a mobile station seeking a handover; and

transmit to an anchor access service network serving the mobile station an indication of a data integrity capability supported by the handover controller in response to the received scanning signal.

24. The handover controller of claim 23, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions executable to receive data associated with a service flow to the mobile station.

25. The handover controller of claim 24, wherein the instructions executable to receive the data associated with the service flow include instructions executable to receive data associated with the service flow via an interface to the anchor access service network.

26. The handover controller of claim 25, wherein the instructions executable to receive the data associated with the service flow comprise instructions executable to receive the data associated with the service flow via an R4 interface to the anchor access service network.

27. The handover controller of claim 24, wherein the instructions executable to receive the data associated with the service flow include instructions executable to receive the data associated with the service flow via an interface to a serving access service network currently serving the mobile station.

28. The handover controller of claim 27, wherein the instructions executable to receive the data associated with the service flow include instructions executable to receive the data associated with the service flow via an R8 interface to the serving access service network.

29. A method of operating a handover controller of an access service network of a wireless data network, the method comprising:

receiving a handover request from a mobile station served by the access service network;

receiving a signal initiating delivery of data associated with a service flow to the mobile station to target access service network from an anchor access service network serving the mobile station; and

initiating delivery of data associated with the service flow to the target access service network in response to the received signal.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein initiating the delivery of the data associated with the service flow includes sending the data associated with the service flow to the anchor access service network.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein initiating wherein initiating the delivery of the data associated with the service flow includes sending the data associated with the service flow to the anchor access service network over an R4 interface.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein initiating the delivery of the data associated with the service flow includes sending the data associated with the service flow to the target access service network.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein initiating wherein initiating delivery of data associated with the service flow comprises sending the data associated with the service flow to the target access service network over an R8 interface.

34. A handover controller of an access service network of a wireless data network, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory operably coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

receive a handover request from a mobile station served by the access service network;

receive a signal initiating delivery of data associated with a service flow to the mobile station to a target access service network from an anchor access service network serving the mobile station; and

initiate delivery of data associated with the service flow to the target access service network in response to the received signal.

35. The handover controller of claim 34, wherein the instructions executable to initiate delivery of data associated with the service flow comprise instructions executable to send the data associated with the service flow to the anchor access service network.

36. The handover controller of claim 35, wherein the instructions executable to initiate delivery of data associated with the service flow comprise instructions executable to send the data associated with the service flow to the anchor access service network over an R4 interface.

37. The handover controller of claim 34, wherein the instructions executable to initiate delivery of data associated with the service flow comprise instructions executable to send the data associated with the service flow to the target access service network.

38. The handover controller of claim 37, wherein the instructions executable to initiate delivery of data associated with the service flow comprise instructions executable to send the data associated with the service flow to the target access service network over an R8 interface.