The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 11, 2016
Filed:
Jul. 11, 2014
Luminate Wireless, Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Julien Laganier, San Francisco, CA (US);
Amit Butala, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
LUMINATE WIRELESS, INC., Cupertino, CA (US);
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for supporting handovers which are hidden from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) as well as handovers which are not hidden from the MME are described. A gateway, e.g., a home gateway (HGW), in a communications system acts as a concentration point for a plurality of small cell HeNBs. Two types of handovers, a visible handover and a hidden handover are supported. With a hidden handover, the handover is hidden from the SGW and the MME, thus reducing backhaul control signaling and loading on the SGW and MME. A gateway, e.g., a home gateway (HGW), receives a path switch request message for a user equipment (UE) device from a target access point, e.g., a home eNB (HeNB). In some embodiments the gateway, e.g., the HGW, decides whether a requested handover should be visible or should be hidden, and then performs a handover implementation in accordance with its decision.