Patent ID: 8744453

Claim:
A mobile wireless terminal, comprising: a first wireless unit configured to connect to a wireless relay coupled between the mobile wireless terminal and a phone network over a short-range wireless link between the mobile wireless terminal and the wireless relay; a second wireless unit configured to connect to a cellular network over a long-range wireless link; an audio codec configured to process a voice communication of the wireless terminal; and a processor unit coupled to the first wireless unit and the second wireless unit and configured to: make a voice communication using the second wireless unit with an external party via the cellular network over the long-range wireless link; register with the wireless relay to establish the short-range wireless link; and when the registration is successful, switch from the second wireless unit to the first wireless unit to carry the voice communication with a phone network via the wireless relay over the short-range wireless link between the mobile wireless terminal and the wireless relay, wherein the processor unit is configured to support one of a transparent mode, under which the processor unit uses standard modem commands to exchange control data corresponding to the voice communication with the wireless relay, and a translation mode, under which the processor unit uses abstract telephony protocol (ATP) commands to exchange control data corresponding to the voice communication with the wireless relay and the wireless relay translates the ATP commands into the standard modem commands, over the signaling connection between the mobile wireless terminal and the wireless relay.