METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTER-TECHNOLOGY HANDOFF OF A MULTI-MODE MOBILE STATION

摘要

A communication system (100) reduces set up time for an inter-technology handoff of a multi-mode mobile station (MS) (102) from a source network (110) and first radio frequency (RF) technology to a target network (120) and second RF technology by pre-establishing, prior to a handoff determination, a registration state and an authentication of the MS in association with the target network and second RF technology. In order to pre-establish the registration state and authentication, the MS exchanges messaging of the second RF technology with the second network via the source network and first RF technology. To facilitate the exchange, the MS includes shims (536, 540, 544) in a second protocol stack (530) associated with the second technology, which shims intercept second protocol stack signaling and redirect the intercepted signaling to a first protocol stack (510) of the MS, associated with the first technology, for tunneling to the source network.