Mobile handoff through multi-network simulcasting

1. A method of operating a gateway device supporting handoff of at least one access device between a wide area network and one of: a personal area network and a wireless local area network using simulcasting of multimedia information, the method comprising:

receiving, from the wide area network via a broadband network, multimedia information sent wirelessly from the wide area network to the at least one access device;

sending multimedia information received at the gateway device via the broadband network to the at least one access device via the one of: the personal area network and the wireless local area network;

receiving simulcast call information from the at least one access device via the one of: the personal area network and the wireless local area network;

determining that the access device is currently within range of the one of: the personal area network and the wireless local area network, and in response initiating discontinuation of simulcasting between the wide area network and the at least one access device by transmitting a message to the at least one access device and the wide area network; and

determining that the access device has migrated out of range of the one of: the personal area network and the wireless local area network, and in response reinitiating simulcasting between the wide area network and the at least one access device by transmitting a message to the at least one mobile access device and the wide area network,

wherein the gateway device is arranged to be locally coupled to the one of the personal area network or the wireless local area network and communicatively coupled to the wireless wide area network via the broadband network.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one access device comprises at least one of: a mobile multimedia handset, a computer peripheral, a digital scanner, a digital camera, a printer, headphones, and a pointing device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the personal area network comprises at least an IEEE 802.15.3a ultra-wideband network.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the broadband network comprises at least one of: a digital subscriber loop network, a T1 network, a T3 network, a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), a WiMAX network, and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 network.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, via the one of: the personal area network and the wireless local area network, acceptance of the multimedia information by the at least one access device.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gateway device begins receiving the simulcast call information from the wide area network upon establishment of direct wireless call communication between the at least one access device and the wide area network, if the wide area network determines that the at least one access device has an associated gateway device.

7. A system supporting handoff of at least one access device between a wide area network and one of: a personal area network and a wireless local area network using simulcasting of multimedia information, the system comprising:

a gateway device communicatively coupled to the wide area network via a broadband network and locally coupled to the one of the of: the personal area network and the wireless local area network via at least one wireless interface, the gateway device being capable of selectively communicating multimedia information between the at least one wireless interface and the broadband network, and of communicating with the at least one access device via the one of: the personal area network and the wireless local area network via the at least one wireless interface;

the gateway device being configured to receive, from the wide area network via a broadband network, multimedia information simultaneously sent wirelessly directly from the wide area network to the associated at least one access device;

the gateway device being configured to send multimedia information received at the gateway device via the broadband network to the associated at least one access device via the at least one wireless interface;

the gateway device being configured to receive simulcast call information from the wide area network;

the gateway device being configured to determine that the access device is currently within range of the one of: the personal area network and the wireless local area network, and in response initiate discontinuation of simulcasting between the wide area network and the at least one access device by transmitting a message to the at least one mobile access device and the wide area network; and

the gateway device being configured to determine that the access device has migrated out of range of the one of: the personal area network and the wireless local area network, and in response reinitiate simulcasting between the wide area network and the at least one access device by transmitting a message to the at least one mobile access device and the wide area network.

8. The system according to claim 7 , further comprising: the gateway capable of receiving, via the at least one wireless interface, acceptance of the multimedia information by the at least one access device.

9. The system according to claim 7 , further comprising: the gateway capable of informing the wide area network, via the broadband network, of acceptance of multimedia information by the at least one access device via the at least one wireless interface.

10. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the gateway device begins receiving the simulcast call information from the wide area network upon establishment of direct wireless call communication between the at least one access device and the wide area network, if the wide area network determines that the at least one access device has an associated gateway device.

11. The system according to claim 7 , wherein determining that the at least one access device has an associated gateway device is based upon information received directly from the at least one access device by the wide area network at call establishment.

12. A gateway device supporting handoff using simulcasting of multimedia information, the gateway device comprising:

at least one wireless interface supporting communication via at least one of: a personal area network and a wireless local area network;

at least one network interface for communication via a broadband network;

at least one processor configured to receive, at the gateway device from a wide area network via the broadband network, multimedia information of a call for the at least one access device, the multimedia information of a call being simulcast communication by the wide area network;

the at least one processor being configured to transmit the received multimedia information to the at least one access device via the at least one wireless interface;

the at least one processor being configured to determine that the access device is currently within range of the at least one of: the personal area network and the wireless local area network, and in response initiate discontinuation of simulcasting between the wide area network and the at least one access device by transmitting a message to the at least one mobile access device and the wide area network; and

the at least one processor being configured to determine that the access device has migrated out of range of the at least one of: the personal area network and the wireless local area network, and in response reinitiate simulcasting between the wide area network and the at least one access device by transmitting a message to the at least one mobile access device and the wide area network,

wherein the gateway device is arranged to be locally coupled to the at least one of the personal area network or the wireless local area network and communicatively coupled to the wireless wide area network via the broadband network.

13. The gateway device according to claim 12 , further comprising: the at least one processor capable of detecting acceptance of the multimedia information.

14. The gateway device according to claim 12 , further comprising: the at least one processor capable of gateway device acceptance of the multimedia information to the wide area network via the broadband network.

15. The gateway device according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one access device comprises at least one of: a mobile multimedia handset, a computer peripheral, a digital scanner, a digital camera, a printer, headphones, and a pointing device.

16. The gateway device according to claim 12 , further comprising: the at least one processor capable of receiving, via the at least one wireless interface, multimedia information simultaneously transmitted by the at least one access device via the wide area network.

17. The gateway device according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor begins receiving the multimedia information from the wide area network upon establishment of direct wireless call communication between the at least one access device and the wide area network, if the wide area network determines that the at least one access device has an associated gateway device.

18. The gateway device according to claim 12 , wherein the gateway device begins receiving the multimedia information from the wide area network upon establishment of direct wireless call communication between the at least one access device and the wide area network, if the wide area network determines that the at least one access device has an associated gateway device.

19. The gateway device according to claim 18 , wherein determining that the at least one access device has an associated gateway device is based upon information received directly from the at least one access device by the wide area network at call establishment.

20. The gateway device according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive call traffic messaging and forward the call traffic messaging to the wide area network through the broadband network.