Method and apparatus for facilitating a fast handoff in a wireless metropolitan area network

A method of facilitating a fast handoff for a first wireless communication device in a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), the method comprising:

• at the first wireless communication device:
• establishing an association with a first entity;
• establishing a plurality of pending associations with a plurality of second entities by the first entity informing each of the plurality of second entities of a pending association request and each of the plurality of second entities informing the first entity of a pending association response so that the first entity informs the first wireless communication device of the pending association, prior to determining a need for handoff of the first wireless communication device to one of the plurality of second entities;
• selecting a pending association associated with one of the plurality of second entities when the need for handoff of the first wireless communication device to one of the plurality of second entities is determined;
• converting the selected pending association into a second hard association;
• converting the first hard association into one of the plurality of pending associations, after converting the selected pending association into the second hard association;
• wherein the first entity is one of a second wireless communication device and a first access point, and
• wherein each of the plurality of second entities is one of a third wireless communication device and a second access point.

A method of facilitating a fast handoff for a first mobile device in a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), the method comprising:

• at the first mobile device:
• establishing a hard association with a second mobile device by sending a hard association request to the second mobile device and receiving a hard association response in response to the hard association request;
• establishing a plurality of pending associations with a plurality of mobile devices by sending a pending association request to each of the plurality of mobile devices and receiving a pending association response from the each of the plurality of mobile devices, prior to determining a need for handoff of the first mobile device to one of the plurality of mobile devices;
• selecting a pending association associated with one of the plurality of mobile devices when the need for handoff of the first mobile device to one of the plurality of mobile devices is determined;
• converting the selected pending association into a second hard association;
• and
• converting the first hard association into one of the plurality of pending associations, after converting the selected pending association into the second hard association.