Abstract: The invention discloses a new protocol to minimize data loss, reduce overhead transmissions on the system, reduce time delays and signal interruption during a handover in a Mobile IP system. Prior art Mobile IP systems transfer policy and charging rules for a particular mobile user device from a server to a gateway after the handover occurs. The invention allows for the transfer of the policy and charging rules during the handover procedure so that the system does not need to wait on a subsequent transmission of the policy and charging rules in order to process the transmissions sent by or to the mobile user, which results in minimized data loss, reduced overhead, and reduced time delays and signal interruption.

Abstract: A bandwidth efficient and robust timing synchronization approach in an ad-hoc network is provided by a mobile ad-hoc network including at least one group of mobile nodes having at least one timing reference (TR) node. Mobile nodes include a controller and a wireless communications device cooperating therewith to generate and transmit timing synchronization beacons having a respective hop count indicating a number of hops to the at least one timing reference node, receive timing synchronization beacons from neighboring nodes, and synchronize node communication timing with neighboring nodes based upon the number of hops to the at least one timing reference node. The timing reference node may cooperate with the other mobile nodes based upon a timing source priority tree including levels defined by hop counts. The timing reference node is at a starting level of the timing source priority tree.