Handing off active connections

A method comprising:

• establishing a connection between an access terminal and a first radio network controller, through both a first radio node and a second radio node,
• maintaining the connection with the first radio network controller as the access terminal moves from a coverage area of the first radio node toward a coverage area of a second radio node,
• transferring the connection to a second radio network controller,
• maintaining the connection with the second radio network controller as the access terminal returns toward the coverage area of the first radio node, and
• transferring the connection to the first radio network controller once an active set of the access terminal contains no radio nodes primarily controllable by the second radio network controller.

An apparatus comprising:

• a first radio network controller to
• establish a connection with an access terminal through a first radio node, the first radio node being controllable primarily by the first radio network controller,
• maintain the connection as the access terminal moves from the coverage area of the first radio node toward a coverage area of a second radio node, the second radio node being controllable primarily by a second radio network controller and controllable subordinately by the first radio network controller,
• also establish the connection through the second radio node, and
• upon a fulfillment of a predetermined criterion, transfer the connection from the first radio network controller to the second radio network controller.

A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium, comprising instructions to cause a radio network controller to:

• establish a connection to an access terminal through a first radio node, the first radio node being controllable primarily by the first radio network controller,
• maintain the connection as the access terminal moves from the coverage area of the first radio node toward the coverage area of a second radio node, the second radio node being controllable primarily by a second radio network controller and controllable subordinately by the first radio network controller,
• also establish the connection through the second radio node, and
• upon a fulfillment of a predetermined criterion, transfer the connection from the first radio network controller to the second radio network controller.

A system comprising:

• a first radio network controller, a second radio network controller, a first radio node, and a second radio node,
• in which the first radio network controller is configured to establish a connection to an access terminal through the first radio node, the first radio node being controlled primarily by the first radio network controller,
• the first radio network controller is configured to maintain the connection as the access terminal moves from the coverage area of the first radio node toward the coverage area of the second radio node, the second radio node being controllable primarily by the second radio network controller and controllable subordinately by the first radio network controller,
• the first radio network controller is configured to also establish the connection through the second radio node, and
• the second radio network controller is configured to assume control of the initiated connection upon the fulfillment of a predetermined criterion.