Method and apparatus for a source-initiated handoff from a source cellular wireless network to a target non-cellular wireless network

A method for facilitating handoff of a mobile station (MS) from a cellular wireless network to a non-cellular wireless network comprising:

• receiving, by an access gateway, a handin request from the MS via a non-cellular access point;
• sending, by the access gateway in response to the handin request, a handin request acknowledgment to the MS via the non-cellular access point;
• receiving, by the access gateway, a handoff indication from a mobile switching center (MSC) associated with the MS;
• receiving, by the access gateway, a handoff complete indication from the MS via the non-cellular access point;
• and
• sending, by the access gateway in response to the handoff complete indication, an indication that the MS is on channel to the MSC associated with the MS.

A mobile station (MS) able to handoff from a cellular wireless network to a non-cellular wireless network, the MS comprising:

• a transmitter;
• a receiver;
• and
• a processor, communicatively coupled to the transmitter and receiver,
• that sends, via the transmitter, a handin request to an access gateway via a non-cellular access point,
• that receives, via the receiver, a handin request acknowledgment from the access gateway via the non-cellular access point,
• that sends, via the transmitter after receiving the handin request acknowledgment, a signal strength message to a serving cellular base site, wherein the signal strength message comprises values intended to trigger a handoff determination,
• that receives, via the receiver, a handoff release indication from a serving cellular base site, and
• that sends, via the transmitter and after receiving the handoff release indication, a handoff complete indication to the access gateway via the non-cellular access point.

A method for handing off from a cellular wireless network to a non-cellular wireless network comprising:

• sending, by a mobile station (MS), a handin request to an access gateway via a non-cellular access point;
• receiving, by the MS, a handin request acknowledgment from the access gateway via the non-cellular access point;
• sending, by the MS after receiving the handin request acknowledgment, a signal strength message to a serving cellular base site, wherein the signal strength message comprises values intended to trigger a handoff determination;
• receiving, by the MS, a handoff release indication from the serving cellular base site;
• and
• sending, by the MS after receiving the handoff release indication, a handoff complete indication to the access gateway via the non-cellular access point.