Managing session information in a wireless communications system

A network communication entity configured to manage session information within a wireless communication system, comprising:

• means for establishing a first session in a first serving area of an access network, the first session associated with first session information including a first identifier that uniquely identifies an access terminal within the first serving area;
• means for determining that the access terminal has exited the first serving area and entered a second serving area of the access network;
• means for establishing a second session upon entry into the second serving area of the access network, the second session associated with second session information including a second identifier that uniquely identifies the access terminal within the second serving area;
• means for storing, responsive to the establishment of the second session, the first session information in association with a given period of time, the given period of time indicating a duration during which the first session information continues to be valid within the first serving area, and
• wherein the establishing the second session step corresponds to re-activating stored session information from a previous session in the second serving area if the access terminal previously visited the second serving area within a threshold period of time.

A network communication entity configured to manage session information within a wireless communication system, comprising:

• logic configured to establish a first session in a first serving area of an access network, the first session associated with first session information including a first identifier that uniquely identifies an access terminal within the first serving area;
• logic configured to determine that the access terminal has exited the first serving area and entered a second serving area of the access network;
• logic configured to establish a second session upon entry into the second serving area of the access network, the second session associated with second session information including a second identifier that uniquely identifies the access terminal within the second serving area;
• logic configured to store, responsive to the establishment of the second session, the first session information in association with a given period of time, the given period of time indicating a duration during which the first session information continues to be valid within the first serving area, and
• wherein the establishing the second session step corresponds to re-activating stored session information from a previous session in the second serving area if the access terminal previously visited the second serving area within a threshold period of time.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a network communication entity configured to manage session information within a wireless communication system, cause the network communication entity to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

• program code to establish a first session in a first serving area of an access network, the first session associated with first session information including a first identifier that uniquely identifies an access terminal within the first serving area;
• program code to determine that the access terminal has exited the first serving area and entered a second serving area of the access network;
• program code to establish a second session upon entry into the second serving area of the access network, the second session associated with second session information including a second identifier that uniquely identifies the access terminal within the second serving area;
• program code to store, responsive to the establishment of the second session, the first session information in association with a given period of time, the given period of time indicating a duration during which the first session information continues to be valid within the first serving area, and
• wherein the establishing the second session step corresponds to re-activating stored session information from a previous session in the second serving area if the access terminal previously visited the second serving area within a threshold period of time.