Patent ID: 8064417

Claim:
A mobile station comprising: a memory for storing applications and data; a processor for executing the stored applications; a user interface comprising an input section and an output section; reception/transmission circuitry for providing a communication interface to one or more access networks; authentication means operable to authenticate a user of the mobile station; a radio transceiver operable to establish and maintain a broadband connection with a mobile communication network in response to a successful authentication of the user of the mobile station; wireless local-area network (WLAN) means responsive to an activation or deactivation command according to a setting received via the input section of the user interface; wherein the memory comprises a gateway application which comprises: a first code portion, when executed by the processor, instructs the processor to activate the WLAN means as a WLAN base station capable of communication with at least on WLAN terminal over a WLAN network; a second code portion, when executed by the processor, instructs the processor to create a network identifier for the WLAN base station; a third code portion, when executed by the processor, instructs the processor to assign an interne protocol address for the at least one WLAN terminal; a fourth code portion, when executed by the processor, instructs the processor to resolve domain name service (DNS) queries in cooperation with an external DNS service system; a fifth code portion, when executed by the processor, instructs the processor to assign at least one port number for each protocol supported by the gateway application; and a sixth code portion, when executed by the processor, instructs the processor to tunnel internet traffic between the at least one WLAN terminal and an internet host over the broadband connection; means for periodically powering on the WLAN means: and means for powering off the WLAN means in response to a detected absence of WLAN terminal activity for a predetermined period of time.