Patent ID: 8520589

Claim:
A method for communicating data generated by a mobile device, the mobile device being provisioned for service on a wireless wide area network operated by a licensed network operator and being further operable on at least one shorter-range, unlicensed wireless network, the method comprising: storing, by the mobile device, a plurality of applications, each of the plurality of applications generating data when executed and at least one of the plurality of applications being configured to utilize services supplied by the licensed network operator through the wireless wide area network; wirelessly connecting, by the mobile device, to a shorter-range, unlicensed wireless network; executing, by the mobile device while the mobile device is wirelessly connected to the shorter-range, unlicensed wireless network, at least one of the plurality of applications to produce an executed application; classifying, by the mobile device while the mobile device is wirelessly connected to the shorter-range, unlicensed wireless network, data generated by the executed application into one of at least two categories based upon whether the generated data utilizes services supplied by the licensed network operator through the wireless wide area network, the at least two categories including a first category relating to data that utilizes services supplied by the licensed network operator through the wireless wide area network and a second category relating to data that does not utilize services supplied by the licensed network operator through the wireless wide area network; establishing, by the mobile device, communication with a target device over the wireless wide area network by way of the shorter-range, unlicensed wireless network when the data generated by the executed application is classified into the first category; and establishing, by the mobile device, communication with the target device over the shorter-range, unlicensed wireless network, but not the wireless wide area network, when the data generated by the executed application is classified into the second category.