METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING A HANDOFF IN A MOBILE INTERNET PROTOCOL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

摘要

A communication system (100) provides for an expedited Mobile Internet Protocol handoff by allowing a mobile station (102) that is engaged in a communication session with a first access network (110) to obtain Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity information associated with a second access network (120) via the first access network. A tunnel is then established between the mobile station and the second access network via the first access network based on the IP connectivity information and the mobile station obtains IP configuration parameters from the second access network via the established tunnel. By obtaining the IP configuration parameters associated with the second access network via the first access network instead of waiting until an air interface connection has been established with the second access network, the mobile station may be more expeditiously handed off to the second access network in the event that such a handoff determination is made.