# US 7,613,457 B2 · System and method for supporting quality of service in vertical handovers between heterogeneous networks

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- Number: US 7,613,457 B2
- Document ID: US7613457B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/418,858
- Filed: 2006-05-05
- Published: 2006-09-07
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2002-10-08
- Assignees: Ntt Docomo, Inc.
- Inventors: Xia Gao; Gang Wu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7613457B2

## CPC

- H04W 28/26: Resource reservation
- H04W 36/0066: {of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network}
- H04W 80/00: Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A method, system, and business model are disclosed for supporting handover between a mobile host and a corresponding node located in a heterogeneous network. Handover paths are established to accommodate a plurality of quality of service properties. Admission control is performed that considers the established handover paths and an established first reservation path. Gateways are contacted to determine a handover path to use. The determined handover path is used to support vertical handover. A second reservation path is established while maintaining the first reservation path and the handover path.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
establishing paths for potential use during a vertical handover between different administration domains;
monitoring and maintaining traffic in a plurality of paths; and
cooperating with an access router to perform admission control and to achieve quality of service (QOS) support during a vertical handover.

### Claim 2

An apparatus comprising:
means for establishing paths for potential use during a vertical handover between different administration domains;
means for monitoring and maintaining traffic in a plurality of paths; and
means for cooperating with an access router to perform admission control and to achieve quality of service (QOS) support during a vertical handover.

### Claim 3

A method for supporting handover between heterogeneous networks, comprising:
establishing paths for potential use during a vertical handover between different administration domains;
performing admission control that considers quality of service (QoS) properties of established handover paths and a reservation path;
determining a handover path to use, based at least in part on QoS considerations, during a vertical handover between base stations of different administration domains; and
using the determined handover path to support the vertical handover.

### Claim 4

A method comprising:
maintaining a handover network for use, at least in part, in performing vertical handovers; and
using a gateway selected from a plurality of gateways, based on quality of service (QOS) considerations, to route and forward communication traffic from a first network operator to a second network operator during a vertical handover via the handover network, wherein at least one of the first and second network operators is a wireless network operator.

### Claim 5

An architecture comprising:
a hyper operator network to establish paths for vertical handover communication traffic and to maintain and monitor traffic in the paths;
a gateway coupled to hyper operator network, wherein the hyper operator overlay network cooperates with the gateway to route and forward communication traffic from a first network operator to a second network operator during a vertical handover via the handover network, wherein at least one of the first and second network operators is a wireless network operator.