Integrated cellular system with wi-fi-fallback

A Wi-Fi network node of a Wireless Network providing cellular and Wi-Fi services, the Wi-Fi network node comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer program product storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the Wi-Fi network node to:
• enable access to all new data sessions for wireless terminals (WTs) located in a Wi-Fi zone covered by said Wi-Fi network node;
• add the MAC address of said WTs to a list of users authorized to access said Wi-Fi network node;
• send the MAC address of said WT to other Wi-Fi network nodes of said covered zone and zones adjacent thereof such that said WT can have continuous service as it moves between Wi-Fi nodes of one zone and from one zone to another zone;
• receive at a Wi-Fi network node currently serving said WT an indication that the WT data session is terminated;
• and
• send a message from said serving Wi-Fi network node, to other Wi-Fi network nodes in said covered zone and Wi-Fi network nodes of adjacent zones to remove the MAC address of said WT from said list of authorized users.

A computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on Wi-Fi network node, causes the Wi-Fi network node to:

• enable access to all new data sessions for wireless terminals located in a Wi-Fi zone covered by said Wi-Fi network node;
• add the MAC address of said WTs to a list of users authorized to access said Wi-Fi network node;
• send the MAC address of said WT to other Wi-Fi network nodes of said covered zone and zones adjacent thereof such that said WT can have continuous service as it moves between Wi-Fi nodes of one zone and from one zone to another;
• receive at a Wi-Fi network node currently serving said WT an indication that the WT data session is terminated;
• and
• send a message from said serving Wi-Fi network node, to other Wi-Fi network nodes in said covered zone and Wi-Fi network nodes of adjacent zones to remove the MAC address of said WT from said list of authorized users.

A method, performed in a wireless terminal (WT) being capable of communicating both with a cellular communication network and a Wi-Fi access point (AP), the method comprising:

• detecting the presence of a Wi-Fi AP which said WT is not currently authorized to access;
• detecting the failure of a cellular RF radio currently serving said WT;
• detecting that said Wi-Fi AP is now available for access;
• sending a request for a new data session to said Wi-Fi AP;
• completing a hand shake with said Wi-Fi AP to activate said new data session;
• detecting the presence of another Wi-Fi AP which is now available for access as said WT moves within a zone or from one zone served by said Wi-Fi AP to a zone served by said other Wi-Fi AP.

A wireless terminal being capable of communicating both with a cellular communication network and a Wi-Fi access point, the wireless terminal comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer program product storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the wireless terminal to:
• detect the presence of a Wi-Fi AP which said WT is not currently authorized to access;
• detect the failure of a cellular RF radio currently serving said WT;
• detect that said Wi-Fi AP is now available for access;
• send a request for a new data session to said Wi-Fi AP;
• complete a hand shake with said Wi-Fi AP to activate said new data session;
• detect the presence of another Wi-Fi AP which is now available for access as said WT moves within a zone or from one zone served by said Wi-Fi AP to a zone served by said other Wi-Fi AP.

A computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on a wireless terminal being capable of communicating both with a cellular communication network and a Wi-Fi access point, causes the wireless terminal to:

• detect the presence of a Wi-Fi AP which said WT is not currently authorized to access;
• detect the failure of a cellular RF radio currently serving said WT;
• detect that said Wi-Fi AP is now available for access;
• send a request for a new data session to said Wi-Fi AP;
• complete a hand shake with said Wi-Fi AP to activate said new data session;
• detect the presence of another Wi-Fi AP which is now available for access as said WT moves within a zone or from one zone served by said Wi-Fi AP to a zone served by said other Wi-Fi AP.

A method, performed in a Wireless Access Controller (AC) being capable of communicating both with a cellular communication network radio and a Wi-Fi access point (AP), both said radio and AP serving a wireless mobility zone, the method comprising:

• detecting a cellular service failure event;
• instructing said cellular network radio to disable cellular RF ports associated with said failure event for an affected zone;
• instructing a Wi-Fi AP serving said affected zone to enable Wi-Fi access to Wireless Terminals (WT) located in a zone covered by said Wi-Fi AP;
• receiving from said serving Wi-Fi AP, a list of MAC addresses associated with one or more WT requesting a new data session with said serving Wi-Fi AP or any other Wi-Fi AP in a zone managed by said AC or in a zone adjacent thereof.

A Wireless Access Controller (AC) capable of communicating both with a cellular communication network radio and a Wi-Fi access point (AP), both said radio and AP serving a wireless mobility service zone, the AC comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer program product storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the AC to:
• detect a cellular service failure event;
• instruct said cellular communication network radio to disable cellular RF ports associated with said failure event for an affected zone;
• instruct a Wi-Fi AP serving said affected zone to enable access to Wireless Terminals (WT) in said affected zone;
• receive from said serving Wi-Fi AP, a list of MAC addresses associated with one or more WT requesting a new data session with said serving Wi-Fi AP or any other Wi-Fi AP in a zone managed by said AC.

A computer program comprising a computer program code which, when run on a Wi-Fi Access Controller (AC) capable of communicating both with a cellular communication network radio and a Wi-Fi access point (AP), wherein both said radio and AP serve a wireless mobility service zone, causes the Wi-Fi AC to:

• detect a cellular service failure event;
• instruct said cellular communication network radio to disable cellular RF ports associated with said failure event for an affected zone;
• instruct a Wi-Fi AP serving said affected zone to enable access to all new data sessions from Wireless Terminals (WT) in said affected zone;
• receive from said serving Wi-Fi AP, a list of MAC addresses associated with one or more WT requesting a new data session with said serving Wi-Fi AP or any other Wi-Fi AP in a zone managed by said AC.