Method and apparatus for mobility management

1. A method for mobility management at a network management center, comprising:

receiving a measurement report from a terminal device via a source access node;

determining whether the terminal device needs to be handed over to a target access node based on the measurement report, wherein the source access node and the target access node are communicatively connected to the network management center via their wireless connections with at least one aggregation node that is connected to the network management center via a wired connection;

indicating a target access node to the terminal device being served by the source access node, in response to determining that the terminal device needs to be handed over to the target access node; and

transmitting network-related context information of the terminal device to the target access node that receives terminal-related context information of the terminal device from the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the network management center comprises a network controller and a local gateway, to both of which the at least one aggregation node is connected,

said indicating a target access node, said transmitting network-related context information, said receiving a measurement report and said determining whether the terminal device needs to be handed over to the target access node are carried out at the network controller; and

data traffic between the terminal device and the network management center is communicated through the local gateway via one of the at least aggregation node.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

verifying an identity of the terminal device and integrity of the terminal-related context information based on both verification information provided by the terminal device and security information provided by the network management center; and

informing a result of the verification to the target access node.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said network-related context information of the terminal device at least comprises information regarding quality of service.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said terminal-related context information of the terminal device at least comprises information related to capabilities of the terminal device and a data transfer status.

6. An apparatus for mobility management at a network management center, comprising:

a first receiver to receive a measurement report from a terminal device via a source access node;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium to store instructions;

a set of one or more processors coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, operative to execute the instructions which cause the apparatus to:

determine whether the terminal device needs to be handed over to a target access node based on the measurement report, wherein the source access node and the target access node are communicatively connected to the network management center via their wireless connections with at least one aggregation node that is connected to the network management center via a wired connection, and

indicate the target access node to a terminal device being served by the source access node, in response to being determined that the terminal device needs to be handed over to the target access node; and

a first transmitter to transmit network-related context information of the terminal device to the target access node that receives terminal-related context information of the terminal device from the terminal device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the network management center comprises a network controller and a local gateway, to both of which the at least one aggregation node is connected;

the set of one or more processors and the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are comprised in the network controller; and

wherein the local gateway comprises a second transmitter to transmit data traffic to the terminal device and a second receiver to receive the data traffic from the terminal device via one of the at least one aggregation node.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the apparatus is further to:

verify an identity of the terminal device and integrity of the terminal-related context information based on both verification information provided by the terminal device and security information provided by the network management center; and

inform a result of the verification to the target access node.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said network-related context information of the terminal device at least comprises information regarding quality of service.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said terminal-related context information of the terminal device at least comprises information related to capabilities of the terminal device and a data transfer status.

11. An apparatus for mobility management at a network management center, comprising a processor and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processor whereby said apparatus is operative to perform operations comprising:

receiving a measurement report from a terminal device via a source access node;

determining whether the terminal device needs to be handed over to a target access node based on the measurement report, wherein the source access node and the target access node are communicatively connected to the network management center via their wireless connections with at least one aggregation node that is connected to the network management center via a wired connection;

indicating the target access node to the terminal device being served by a source access node, in response to determining that the terminal device needs to be handed over to the target access node; and

transmitting network-related context information of the terminal device to the target access node that receives terminal-related context information of the terminal device from the terminal device.