Apple Inc.

Nortel Networks Corporation

Anthony D Bennett

Wesley Ronald Erhart

Stewart Hodde Maxwell

Srinivas Eswara

Eric C Corum

Michael Anthony Brown

Frank Scott

An access gateway node couples a control node to an external data network, where the control node and access gateway node are for use in a wireless communications network. The access gateway node comprises a data function to route packets containing traffic data between the control node and the external data network. An interface to the control node enables exchange of control messages between the data function and a control function in the control node.

Providing a data function in an access gateway node

Handover is performed from a first radio network controller to a second radio network controller, where the first and second radio network controllers are associated with corresponding first and second control nodes. An access gateway node receives at least one command that is transmitted by one of the first and second control nodes associated with the respective first and second radio network controllers, where the access gateway node contains data functions of the first and second control nodes. In response to the at least one command, the access gateway node bicasts traffic data from the data functions for receipt by the first and second radio network controllers.

Bicasting traffic data during a handover

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Plano, TX, United States of America

Anthony D Bennett