Method and Apparatus for Seamless Handover in a Wireless Communication Network

In a wireless communication network where base stations receive protocol data units from mobile stations for ordered, sequential transfer as service data units to an associated core network, a method of supporting seamless handover of a mobile station from a source base station to a target base station, said method comprising:

• during handover execution, receiving at the target base station service data units and sequence number information forwarded from the source base station, wherein the forwarded service data units comprise service data units being held at the source base station for sequential transfer to the associated core network and the forwarded sequence number information indicates sequence numbers corresponding to the forwarded service data units;
• and
• reordering the forwarded service data units as needed at the target base station for sequential transfer from the target base station to the associated core network.

In a wireless communication network where base stations receive protocol data units from mobile stations for ordered, sequential transfer as service data units to an associated core network, a target base station supporting seamless handover of a mobile station from a source base station to the target base station, said target base station comprising:

• an interface operative to receive service data units and sequence number information forwarded from the source base station, wherein the forwarded service data units comprise those service data units being held at the source base station for sequential transfer to the associated core network and the forwarded sequence number information indicates sequence numbers corresponding to the forwarded service data units;
• and
• a handover processor operative to reorder the forwarded service data units as needed at the target base station for sequential transfer from the target base station to the associated core network.

In a wireless communication network where base stations receive protocol data units from mobile stations for ordered, sequential transfer as service data units to an associated core network, a method of supporting seamless handover of a mobile station from a source base station to a target base station, said method comprising, during handover execution, forwarding from the source base station to the target base station service data units and sequence number information, wherein the forwarded service data units comprise those service data units being held at the source base station for sequential transfer to the associated core network and the forwarded sequence number information indicate sequence numbers corresponding to the forwarded service data units.

In a wireless communication network where base stations receive protocol data units from mobile stations for decompression and deciphering for ordered, sequential transfer as service data units to an associated core network, a source base station for supporting seamless handover of a mobile station from the source base station to a target base station, said source base station comprising a handover processor and an associated interface for forwarding from the source base station to the target base station service data units and sequence number information, wherein the forwarded service data units comprise those service data units being held at the source base station for sequential transfer to the associated core network and the forwarded sequence number information indicates sequence numbers corresponding to the forwarded service data units.

A mobile station for use in a wireless communication network wherein the mobile station transmits protocol data units to a base station and the base station transfers corresponding service data units to an associated core network, said mobile station configured for supporting seamless handover from a source base station to a target base station, and comprising a handover processor that is operative to regenerate new protocol data units for missing service data units and transmit the regenerated protocol data units responsive to signaling from the target base station that indicates which service data units are missing at the target base station or equivalently indicates which service data units have been successfully received at the target base station, where the regenerated protocol data units are regenerated from corresponding service data units buffered at the mobile station.