Patent ID: 8095175

Claim:
A method in a network support node for use in switching communication operations between a wireless local area network (WLAN) of a LAN and a wireless wide area network (WWAN) for a mobile communication device which operates in the WLAN in a communication session with another communication device, the network support node containing a LAN interface and a WWAN radio frequency (RF) interface and being separate and apart from the WWAN, the method comprising the acts of: providing in the LAN the network support node which contains the LAN interface and the WWAN RF interface such that the network support node is contained entirely in the LAN, the LAN interface being configured to connect the network support node as a LAN node in the LAN, the WWAN RF interface being configured to wirelessly communicate over a wireless communication link with a base station of the WWAN such that the network support node operates as a client end station with the base station; in response to receiving an indication which indicates a transition of the mobile communication device from the WLAN to the WWAN: receiving, at the network support node, from the LAN via the LAN interface, voice data of the communication session between the mobile communication device and the other communication device; and communicating, with the mobile communication device, by the network support node via the WWAN RF interface over the wireless communication link with the base station, the voice data of the communication session, at least while communication operations for the mobile communication device are being switched from the WLAN to the WWAN.