Inter-system handover using legacy interface

A method comprising:

• communicating with a first radio access network (RAN);
• receiving a message to handover from the first RAN to a second RAN, the handover being performed by messages exchanged between an inter access system anchor (Inter-AS Anchor) of an evolved packet core (EPC) network associated with the first RAN and a serving general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (SGSN) associated with the second RAN via a GPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) across a Gn interface wherein the Gn interface is a legacy interface between a SGSN and a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) within a GPRS network and wherein the Inter-AS Anchor uses the Gn interface to emulates another SGSN in order to communicate with the SGSN associated with the second RAN;
• and
• communicating with the second RAN after the handover.

An apparatus in an evolved packet core (EPC) network, the apparatus comprising:

• means for communicating with a first radio access network (RAN);
• means for receiving a message to handover from the first RAN to a second RAN, the handover being performed by messages exchanged between an inter access system anchor (Inter-AS Anchor) of the EPC network associated with the first RAN and a serving general packet radio service (CPRS) support node (SGSN) associated with the second RAN via a CPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) across a Gn interface wherein the Gn interface is a legacy interface between a SGSN and a gateway CPRS support node (GGSN) within a CPRS network and wherein the Inter-AS Anchor uses the Gn interface to emulates another SGSN in order to communicate with the SGSN associated with the second RAN;
• and
• means for communicating with the second RAN after the handover.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor configured
• to send a message requesting handover of a user equipment (UE) from a first radio access network (RAN) to a second RAN, the message being sent to an inter access system anchor (Inter-AS Anchor) of an evolved packet core (EPC) network associated with the first RAN communicating with a serving general packet radio service (CPRS) support node (SGSN) associated with the second RAN via a CPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) across a Gn interface wherein the Gn interface is a legacy interface between a SGSN and a gateway CPRS support node (GGSN) within a CPRS network and wherein the Inter-AS Anchor uses the Gn interface to emulates another SGSN in order to communicate with the SGSN associated with the second RAN,
• to exchange messages with the SGSN via the Inter-AS Anchor to handover the UE from the first RAN to the second RAN, and
• to send a message to the UE to perform handover from the first RAN to the second RAN;
• and
• a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

A method comprising:

• sending a message requesting handover of a user equipment (UE) from a first radio access network (RAN) to a second RAN, the message being sent to an inter access system anchor (Inter-AS Anchor) of an evolved packet core (EPC) network associated with the first RAN communicating with a serving general packet radio service (CPRS) support node (SGSN) associated with the second RAN via a CPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) across a Gn interface wherein the Gn interface is a legacy interface between a SGSN and a gateway CPRS support node (GGSN) within a CPRS network and wherein the Inter-AS Anchor uses the Gn interface to emulates another SGSN in order to communicate with the SGSN associated with the second RAN;
• exchanging messages with the SGSN via the Inter-AS Anchor to handover the UE from the first RAN to the second RAN;
• and
• sending a message to the UE to perform handover from the first RAN to the second RAN.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for sending a message requesting handover of a user equipment (UE) from a first radio access network (RAN) to a second RAN, the message being sent to an inter access system anchor (Inter-AS Anchor) of an evolved packet core (EPC) network associated with the first RAN communicating with a serving general packet radio service (CPRS) support node (SGSN) associated with the second RAN via a CPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) across a Gn interface wherein the Gn interface is a legacy interface between a SGSN and a gateway CPRS support node (GGSN) within a CPRS network and wherein the Inter-AS Anchor uses the Gn interface to emulates another SGSN in order to communicate with the SGSN associated with the second RAN;
• means for exchanging messages with the SGSN via the Inter-AS Anchor to handover the UE from the first RAN to the second RAN;
• and
• means for sending a message to the UE to perform handover from the first RAN to the second RAN.

An apparatus in an evolved packet core (EPC) network, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor configured
• to receive a message requesting handover of a user equipment (UE) from a first radio access network (RAN) to a second RAN, the message being received at an inter access system anchor (Inter-AS Anchor) of the EPC network associated with the first RAN communicating with a target serving general packet radio service (CPRS) support node (SGSN) associated with the second RAN via a CPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) across a Gn interface wherein the Gn interface is a legacy interface between a SGSN and a gateway CPRS support node (GGSN) within a CPRS network and wherein the Inter-AS Anchor uses the Gn interface to emulates another SGSN in order to communicate with the SGSN associated with the second RAN, and
• to exchange messages with the target SGSN via the Gn interface to handover the UE from the first RAN to the second RAN;
• and
• a memory coupled to the at least one processor.