Anchoring a communication session in a multiple mode system

A system for anchoring a communication session, comprising:

• a memory operable to store a mapping table identifying one or more potential access nodes, a potential access node operable to provide a mobile phone access to a second network of a second network type;
• and
• an anchoring decision engine operable to:
• identify a current access node for a communication session for a target mobile phone, the current access node operable to provide the target mobile phone access to a first network of a first network type;
• establish whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes;
• and
• initiate anchoring of the communication session in the second network only if the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes.

A system for anchoring a communication session, comprising:

• means for identifying a current access node for a communication session for a target mobile phone, the current access node operable to provide access to a first network of a first network type;
• means for identifying one or more potential access nodes, a potential access node operable to provide access to a second network of a second network type;
• means for establishing whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes;
• and
• means for anchoring the communication session in the second network only if the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes.

A method for anchoring a communication session, comprising:

• identifying a current access node for a communication session for a target mobile phone, the current access node further comprising a cell site, the current access node operable to provide the target mobile phone access to a first network of a first network type, the first network type referring to a cellular network, the one or more potential access nodes identified by:
• configuring one or more potential access node identifiers in a mapping table, each potential access node identifier identifying a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes;
• and
• discovering the one or more potential access nodes;
• storing one or more potential access node identifiers in a mapping table, each potential access node identifier identifying a discovered potential access node of the one or more discovered potential access nodes;
• and
• identifying the one or more potential access nodes from the mapping table;
• identifying one or more potential access nodes, a potential access node operable to provide a mobile phone access to a second network of a second network type, the potential access node further comprises a Wireless Fidelity access point, the second network type referring to a Wireless Fidelity network;
• and
• performing at least the following in at least one of the mobile phone and a network node:
• establishing whether the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes, the potential access node established by:
• determining if coverage of the potential access node at least partially overlaps coverage of the current access node;
• and
• determining if coverage of the potential access node at least partially overlaps coverage an access node of a set of access nodes associated with the current access node, the set of access nodes comprising access nodes proximate to the current access node, the set of access nodes providing contiguous coverage;
• and
• initiating anchoring of the communication session in the second network only if the communication session can be handed off to a potential access node of the one or more potential access nodes.