Patent ID: 8774035

Claim:
A method of managing a network connection of a wireless device with a first network and a second network, comprising: receiving at a first network element application requirements of an application running on the wireless device; handing off the wireless device from the first network to the second network when a first handoff criteria is met based on the application requirements, first network conditions, and second network conditions, wherein the first network does not meet the application requirements; limiting a second network usage of the application based on the application requirements and the second network conditions while providing the wireless device with sufficient data to meet the application requirements by at least one of limiting an amount of data which the application sends to or receives from the second network, limiting a data rate to or from the second network, limiting an amount of time which the wireless communication device communicates with the second network, limiting a number of duty cycles in which the wireless device communicates with the second network, and buffering data at a network element; monitoring the first network conditions while the application is running on the wireless device in communication with the second network; buffering data to be sent to the wireless device to reduce an amount of data sent to the wireless device, and determining a buffer metric based on an amount of the data buffered and the application requirements; adjusting a second handoff criteria based on the determined buffer metric; and handing off the wireless device from the second network to the first network when the adjusted second handoff criteria is met based on the application requirements, the first network conditions and the second network conditions, wherein the second handoff criteria is met when the first network meets the application requirements.