Patent ID: 7782848

Claim:
A system in a wide area wireless network operated by a service provider and comprising at least one node of a first type that routes traffic to and from the wide area wireless network into a public Internet, and one or more nodes of a second type each of which manage mobility of a wireless client device in the wide area wireless network, and wherein a given node of the second type authenticates a wireless client device by accessing a database associated with the wide area network, wherein the system further comprises: a gateway to which an access device of a wireless local area network is connectable, the gateway being associated with the wide area wireless network and being either (a) connectable to a node of the first type to enable the wireless local area network access device to appear to the node of the first type as a node of the second type, or (b) connectable to a node of the second type to enable the wireless local area network access device to appear to the node of the second type as a base station/packet control unit of the wide area wireless network; and a client software program having computer executable instructions in said wireless client device to enable the wireless client device while operating within the wireless local area network, to use the gateway to access the database and thereby provide seamless session integration as the wireless client device moves between respective coverage areas of the wide area wireless network and the wireless local area network, wherein the gateway provides the seamless session integration, by (a) emulating the node of the second type when the gateway is connected to the node of the first type, or (b) emulating the base station/packet control unit when the gateway is connected to the node of the second type; wherein the gateway generates billing data identifying a charge for use, by the wireless client device, of the wide area wireless network.