Service awareness and seamless switchover between client based WiFi access and mobile data network access

A method for providing service awareness to ASF data traffic a mobile data network, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an auto switching function (ASF) server connected to a wireless gateway general packet radio service support node (WiFi GGSN) of a core network of the mobile data network, wherein the ASF server is also connected to a wireless access point that receives wireless communications with a user equipment (UE) and the wireless access point communicates ASF data traffic from the UE on a wireless tunnel;
• providing an ASF client in the UE that communicates with the ASF server through the WiFi GGSN using a special ASF access point name (APN) on an ASF tunnel;
• the WiFi GGSN detecting the special ASF APN and routing corresponding data traffic to the ASF server;
• the ASF server switching ASF data traffic from the wireless tunnel to the ASF tunnel;
• the WiFi GGSN applying a dedicated deep packet inspection to the ASF tunnel to identify all data traffic having the special ASF APN on the ASF tunnel;
• in response to applying the dedicated deep packet inspection to the ASF tunnel, the WiFi GGSN applying policy and charging control to all data traffic identified as having the special ASF APN;
• and
• the ASF sever storing ASF context information including an ASF virtual internet protocol (IP) address to enforce one or more policies.