Method and apparatus for increasing the speed of handover in a wireless communications network

摘要

A method and apparatus for performing a handover of an Internet packet (IP) flow from a first access router to a second access router, in which the Internet packet (IP) flow comprises one or more downlink data packets. The method includes: receiving, at the first access router, a request from a user equipment (UE) to move the IP flow from the first access router to the second access router; and in response to the request, the first access router forwarding one or more downlink data packets from the first access router to the second access router.

主权项

1. A method for performing a handover of an Internet packet (IP) flow from a first access router to a second access router, the IP flow comprising one or more data packets, the method comprising:
receiving, at the first access router, a request from a user equipment (UE) to move the IP flow from the first access router to the second access router; in response to the request, the first access router: (i) registering a binding of a home address of the UE to a care-of address assigned to the UE for the one or more data packets of the IP flow, and (ii) transmitting a handover initiation (HI) message including (i) a first flag, wherein the first flag indicates that (i) the UE is returning to a home network associated with the home address and (ii) the second access router is to buffer the one or more data packets of the IP flow forwarded from the first access router via a first unidirectional tunnel from the first access router to the second access router; and in further response to the request, and based at least in part on i) the binding of the home address to the care-of address and ii) receipt of a handover acknowledgement (HAck) message from the second access router acknowledging the handover initiation (HI) message, the first access router encapsulating and forwarding the one or more data packets of the IP flow from the first access router to the second access router via the first unidirectional tunnel.