Patent ID: 7509437

Claim:
A method for use in a system comprising a cellular network coupled to an Internet and a wireless local area network coupled to an Internet, wherein a mobile unit communicates via a packet switched data network at a transport layer or above with a remote server system which determines whether or not a second connection between the mobile unit and the wireless local area network is superior to a first connection between the mobile unit and the cellular network, the method comprising: establishing the first connection to thereby provide the mobile unit access to a remote application server, at least partially over the Internet, via the first connection, wherein the establishing of the first connection is performed by at least one member of the group consisting of the mobile unit and the cellular network; establishing an application layer communication interaction between a first peer application program resident in the mobile unit and a second peer application layer program resident in a remote application server that is coupled to the Internet, at least partially via the first connection, using a packet switched data transmission protocol, wherein the establishing of the application layer communication interaction is performed by at least one member of the group consisting of the first peer application program and the second peer application program; after establishing the application layer communication interaction, the mobile unit receiving from the remote server system, an indication to automatically switch from the first connection to the second connection; and the mobile unit switching from the first connection to the second connection, in response to the indication, to thereby provide the mobile unit access to the remote application server, at least partially over the Internet, via the second connection; wherein the switching is performed in a manner which results in continuity of the application layer communication interaction, to thereby provide a seamless application layer handoff between the cellular network and the wireless local area network; wherein the remote application server and the remote server system are separate and independent.