As the internet continues to grow in popularity and pervasiveness so do the products and services that use it. One of the ways in which these emerging products and services are accessing the internet (as well as other networks) is through the use of wireless connections. Mobile endpoints provide users with access to a network without being tied down to a single location. In order to provide the ability for a mobile endpoint to access the network over a large area multiple points of connection may be required. As the endpoint moves around the large area its signal may grow weaker at one point of connection while growing stronger at another point of connection. At some point it may be desirable to transfer the mobile endpoint from the first point of connection to the second point of connection. This handoff can include both packet loss and latency. These undesirable effects caused by moving between base stations in a wireless network create a poor user experience. A typical solution is to buffer and forward the data being sent to the mobile endpoint both during and after the handoff.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds