Patent ID: 8385269

Claim:
A method performed by a wireless communications device for switching between a plurality of communication interfaces, the method comprising the steps of: activating a Long Term Evolution (LTE) interface; communicating with a remote device via a first wireless communication interface associated with a first wireless communications network, thereby establishing a communication session with the remote device via the first wireless communications network; detecting a proximity of the remote device; generating a signaling request message to include one or more security parameters authenticating the wireless communication device to the remote device responsive to detecting the proximity of the remote device, the message comprising a request to establish an ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication link with the wireless communication device; transmitting the signaling request message to the remote device via the LTE interface; establishing the ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication link with the remote device responsive to receiving a signaling accept message from the remote device via the first wireless interface; maintaining the LTE interface in active state regardless of the status of the ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication link, wherein the LTE interface is maintained in the active state through a binding cache entry that binds an address of the LTE interface at the remote device, an address of the LTE interface at the wireless communication device, and a shared secret key K a ; transferring the first wireless network-based communication session to the ad-hoc communication link and continuing the communication session on the ad-hoc link; detecting a failure of the ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication link; reestablishing a network-based communications link with the remote device via the LTE interface based on the binding cache entry that binds the address of the LTE interface at the wireless communication device, the address of the LTE interface at the remote device, and the shared secret key K a ; and switching the communication session from the failed ad-hoc communication link to the LTE interface-based communications link.