Method of discovering multi-mode mobile terminals

A home radio communication network in a heterogeneous network environment, which home radio communication network employs method of discovering multi-mode mobile terminals, each multi-mode mobile terminal having at least one interface for sending packet data to and/or receiving packet data from said home radio communication network and a foreign radio communication network, said home radio communication network having a different access technology from said foreign radio communication network, each multi-mode mobile terminal performing the steps of:

• (a) listening to said foreign radio communication network;
• (b) receiving and storing a foreign network indicator for indicating presence of said foreign radio communication network;
• and
• (c) transmitting said foreign network indicator to said home radio communication network;
• said home radio communication network comprising a network node having a memory storing computer executable instructions that when executed cause said home radio communication network to store a database comprising a mapping between a multi-mode mobile terminal identity, a home network indicator and a foreign network indicator, to facilitate interworking of said home and foreign radio communication networks.

A computer program for use in a method of discovering multi-mode mobile terminals in a heterogeneous network environment, each multi-mode mobile terminal having at least one interface for sending packet data to and/or receiving packet data from a home radio communication network and a foreign radio communication network, said home radio communication network having a different access technology from said foreign radio communication network, each multi-mode mobile terminal performing the steps of:

• (a) listening to said foreign radio communication network;
• (b) receiving and storing a foreign network indicator for indicating presence of said foreign radio communication network;
• and
• (c) transmitting said foreign network indicator to said home radio communication network;
• said computer program comprising computer executable instructions for causing said home radio communication network to store a database comprising a mapping between a multi-mode mobile terminal identity, a home network indicator and a foreign network indicator, to facilitate interworking of said home and foreign radio communication networks.

A computer program for use in a method of discovering multi-mode mobile terminals in a heterogeneous network environment, each multi-mode mobile terminal having at least one interface for sending packet data to and/or receiving packet data from a home radio communication network and a foreign radio communication network, said home radio communication network having a different access technology from said foreign radio communication network, each multi-mode mobile terminal performing the steps of:

• (a) listening to said foreign radio communication network;
• (b) receiving and storing a foreign network indicator for indicating presence of said foreign radio communication network;
• (c) transmitting said foreign network indicator to said home radio communication network;
• (d) a first network node in said home radio communication network transmitting a group handover request message to a second network node on said foreign radio communication network, which group handover request comprises for each multi-mode mobile terminal in said at least one group:
• a first address of an interface for accessing said home radio communication network and a second address of an interface for accessing said foreign radio communication network,
• said computer program comprising computer executable instructions for causing a foreign radio communication network to store a mapping between an identity of each multi-mode mobile terminal and said two interfaces to facilitate routing of data packets arriving on said foreign radio communication network addressed to said first address.

A multi-mode mobile terminal for use in a method of discovering multi-mode mobile terminals in a heterogeneous network environment, said multi-mode mobile terminal having at least one interface for sending packet data to and/or receiving packet data from a home radio communication network and a foreign radio communication network, said home radio communication network having a different access technology from said foreign radio communication network,

• said multi-mode mobile terminal comprising a memory storing computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:
• (a) listening to said foreign radio communication network;
• (b) receiving and storing a foreign network indicator for indicating presence of said foreign radio communication network;
• and
• (c) transmitting said foreign network indicator to said home radio communication network.