Patent ID: 7254119

Claim:
A wireless communication system, comprising: a wireless wide area network (WWAN) having base transceiver stations spatially distributed to communicate with mobile communication devices via WWAN radio links, base station controllers each coupled to a plurality of base transceiver stations, and a data communication system comprising (1) packet control function devices respectively connected to said base station controllers to transmit data packets to and from the mobile communication devices via said base transceiver stations, and (2) a packet data serving node connected to said packet control function devices and a packet data network to provide packet data services to the mobile communication devices; a wireless local area network (WLAN) having at least one access point (AP) that communicates with a mobile communication device located in an access area via WLAN radio links, and an access point gateway connected between said AP and said packet data serving node to allow for continuity of a packet data service to said mobile communication device by switching a packet data service connection for said mobile communication device between said WLAN and said WWAN; and a mechanism for authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) common to said WWAN and said WLAN.