Mobile context handoff in distributed IEEE 802.11 systems

The mobility management is one of the most critical issues in mobile wireless systems. The quest to support delay-stringent multimedia applications challenges most existing solutions to the mobility management problem. We propose a mobility management scheme, called mobile AP to support station mobility efficiently. In Mobile AP mobility support system, the context of each mobile station is defined by the association stairs between the mobile station and the wireless communication infrastructure. When the mobile station roams in mobile AP systems, the context of the association follows the mobile station from one physical access point to another, thus eliminating the need for the mobile station to re-associate with new access points. We implement mobile AP system in IEEE 802.11 systems, and the essential idea is applicable in other wireless systems.