Apparatus and method for operating a communication device on two networks

1. A wireless local area network access point, comprising:

a network interface configured to communicate signals with a wireless wide area network infrastructure;

at least one transceiver configured to detect a wireless wide area network uplink signal from a wireless device and configured to communicate wireless local area network signals with the wireless device, wherein the at least one transceiver comprises: a wireless local area network transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless local area network signals to and from the wireless device; and a wireless wide area network transceiver configured to detect a wireless wide area network uplink signal from the wireless device; and

a controller coupled to the network interface and the at least one transceiver, the controller configured to inform the wireless wide area network infrastructure, via the network interface, of a wireless device proximal to the wireless local area network access point in response to the at least one transceiver detecting the wireless wide area network uplink signal from the wireless device.

2. The wireless local area network access point according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless wide area network comprises a radiotelephone network.

3. The wireless local area network access point according to claim 1 ,

wherein the wireless wide area network comprises one of a wireless communication device wide area network, a radiotelephone network, and a cellular system, and

wherein the wireless local area network comprises one of a 802.11 network, a star topology network, and a mesh topology network.

4. The wireless local area network access point according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to inform the wireless wide area network infrastructure, via the network interface, of a wireless device proximal to the wireless local area network access point based on the wireless wide area network uplink signal exceeding a predetermined threshold.

5. The wireless local area network access point according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to inform the wireless wide area network infrastructure, via the network interface, of a wireless device proximal to the wireless local area network access point in response to both

the at least one transceiver detecting the wireless wide area network uplink signal from the wireless device, and

the at least one transceiver detecting an adequate signal strength of a wireless local area network link between the proximal wireless device and the wireless local area network access point to engage in wireless local area network communications.

6. The wireless local area network access point according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless wide area network uplink signal comprises one of an ongoing communication transmission from the wireless device to a wireless wide area network base station, a negotiation message from the wireless device to the wireless wide area network base station, and a call setup message from the wireless device to the wireless wide area network base station.

7. The wireless local area network access point according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to engage in communications with the wireless device via a wireless local area network protocol via the at least one transceiver after informing the wireless wide area network infrastructure, via the network interface, of the wireless device proximal to the wireless local area network access point.

8. A method at a wireless local area network access point comprising:

detecting a wireless wide area network uplink signal from a proximal wireless device;

sending a message to a wireless wide area network infrastructure in response to detecting the wireless wide area network uplink signal, the message indicating the wireless device is proximal to the wireless local area network access point;

communicating with the proximal wireless device using wireless local area network communication signals; and

determining the proximality of the proximal wireless device, wherein sending a message further comprises sending the message to the wireless wide area network infrastructure in response to both detecting the wireless wide area network uplink signal and determining a sufficient proximality of the proximal wireless device.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising receiving a handoff of the wireless device from a wireless wide area network base station to the wireless local area network access point.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein performing the handoff comprises one of

receiving a wireless local area network beacon signal, and

receiving a wireless wide area network beacon signal.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein determining the proximality of the proximal wireless device comprises detecting a sufficient signal strength of a wireless local area network link between the proximal wireless device and the wireless local area network access point to engage in wireless local area network communications.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the wireless wide area network comprises a radiotelephone network.

13. The method according to claim 8 ,

wherein the wireless wide area network comprises one of a wireless communication device wide area network, a radiotelephone network, and a cellular system, and

wherein the wireless local area network comprises one of a 802.11 network, a star topology network, and a mesh topology network.

14. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising receiving an identification of the proximal wireless device.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the message sent to the wireless wide area network infrastructure in response to detecting the wireless wide area network uplink signal includes the identification of the proximal wireless device.

16. A wireless local area network access point, comprising:

a network interface configured to communicate signals with a cellular radiotelephone system infrastructure;

a cellular radiotelephone system receiver configured to detect a cellular radiotelephone system unlink signal from a wireless device;

a wireless local area network transceiver configured to communicate wireless local area network signals with the wireless device; and

a controller coupled to the network interface, the cellular radiotelephone system receiver, and the wireless local area network transceiver, the controller configured to inform the cellular radiotelephone system infrastructure, via the network interface, of a wireless device proximal to the wireless local area network access point in response to the cellular radiotelephone system receiver detecting the cellular radiotelephone system uplink signal from the wireless device.