System and method for controlling handover

1. A method of controlling handover of a mobile station conducting a communications session in a mobile communications network, the network including a plurality of radio access domains, each having a radio access technology associated therewith, the method comprising:

receiving a trigger from the mobile station indicating a requirement for handover, wherein said requirement specifies a change in radio access technology requirements;

testing at least one possible handover meeting said requirement for handover against network policy; and

controlling handover in accordance with said requirement for handover and said network policy;

wherein said requirement for handover is an application requirement, and wherein said application requirement is unrelated to radio signaling quality.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein data defining said network policy is accessible to a network entity controlling handover.

3. A method according to claim 1 , comprising assigning a priority to said requirement for handover, assigning a priority to network policy, and controlling handover in accordance with a relationship between said priorities.

4. A method according to claim 1 , comprising assigning a priority to the communications session, assigning a priority to network policy, and controlling handover in accordance with a relationship between said priorities.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said requirement for handover is a user-specified requirement.

6. A method according to claim 1 , comprising not conducting handover if, whilst one or more handovers meeting said requirement for handover exist, no handover exists meeting network policy.

7. A method according to claim 1 , comprising conducting handover in accordance with quality of service requirements in addition to network policy and said requirement for handover.

8. A method according to claim 1 , comprising conducting handover in accordance with quasi-static user-specified preferences in addition to network policy and said requirement for handover.

9. A method according to claim 1 , comprising altering network policy with time in order to alter the radio access characteristics of communications sessions conducted by mobile stations operating in the mobile communications system, under the control of a network operator.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said handover required or controlled involves handing over the mobile station between said radio access domains.

11. An apparatus for a mobile communications network, the mobile communications network comprising a plurality of radio access domains, each having a radio access technology associated therewith, the apparatus configured to communicate with a plurality of radio access domains, the apparatus further configured to:

receive a trigger from the mobile station indicating a requirement for handover, wherein said requirement specifies a change in radio access technology requirements;

test at least one possible handover meeting said requirement for handover against said network policy; and

control handover in accordance with said requirement for handover and said network policy;

wherein said requirement for handover is an application requirement, and wherein said application requirement is unrelated to radio signaling quality.

12. A computer-readable medium comprising a program for performing a method of controlling handover of a mobile station conducting a communications session in a mobile communications network, the network including a plurality of radio address domains, each having a radio access technology associated therewith, the method comprising:

receiving a trigger from the mobile station indicating a requirement for handover, wherein said requirement specifies a change in radio access technology requirements;

testing at least one possible handover meeting said requirement for handover against network policy; and

controlling handover in accordance with said requirement for handover and said network policy;

wherein said requirement for handover is an application requirement, and wherein said application requirement is unrelated to radio signaling quality.

13. A method of conducting handover in a mobile communications network including a plurality of radio access domains, wherein each radio access domain has a radio access technology associated therewith, the method comprising, in response to receipt from a mobile station of a requirement for handover specifying a change in radio technology requirements, conducting handover in accordance with a handover algorithm, said algorithm taking network policy data and said change in radio access technology requirements as input during a handover decision process. wherein said requirement for handover is an application requirement, and wherein said application requirement is unrelated to radio signaling quality.