Patent ID: 6987985

Claim:
A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for communication in at least two types of wireless networks comprising: a protocol engine having at least two wireless communication interfaces, each wireless, communication interface configured for wireless linking with a different type of wireless network wherein one of the wireless communication interfaces is configured for UMTS wireless communications and another one of the wireless communication interfaces is configured for 802.11 WLAN communications; each communication interface configured to pass control signals and user communication data to a common application processing component; an application broker configured to monitor control signaling between the lower layer protocol engine and the upper layer application processing component and to read a user's identity; a communications broker having a data buffer and defining a switchable data path for user data between the upper layer application processing component and a selected one of the wireless interfaces; the application broker associated with the communications broker to control data buffering and data path switching by the communications broker such that data flowing to a first wireless interface of the protocol engine during a communication session is buffered while a wireless link is established with a different second wireless interface of the protocol engine for the communication session and the communication broker data path is switched to the second wireless interface and the buffered data is released therethrough after a wireless link is established for the communication session via the second wireless interface; the application broker including a link monitor and configured to trigger the initiation of a wireless link through a different wireless interface based upon monitored link data meeting predetermined criteria; and the application broker including an Application Session Manager configured to control signaling during the establishment of a wireless link through a different wireless interface and an inter-working unit configured to maintain and convert context information for transmission during the establishment of a wireless link through a different wireless interface.