Mobile handheld multi-media gateway and phone

1. A method comprising:

by a networked communication device in data communication with a first data network, establishing a wireless communication link with a mobile communication device, the mobile communication device configured for cellular telephone communication with a cellular telephone network operated by a cellular service provider;

receiving from the mobile communication device, over the wireless communication link, identification information uniquely identifying the mobile communication device, including at least one of a mobile telephone number of the mobile communication device and an electronic serial number of the mobile communication device;

providing over the wireless communication link, by the networked communication device to the mobile communication device, an internet protocol (IP) address uniquely identifying the mobile communication device on the first data network for communications on the first data network, the IP address being established using the identification information received from the mobile communication device;

the IP address useable by the mobile communication device when communicating data between the mobile communication device and at least one other device on the first data network using the IP address, including downloading data from the cellular service provider to the mobile communication device over the first data network using the IP address.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

by the networked communication device,

receiving over the wireless communication network, from the mobile communication device, data defining a command to control operation of the at least one other device on the first data network; and

communicating over the first data network the received data defining the command to the at least one other device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

by the networked communication device,

receiving over the wireless communication network, from the mobile communication device, data to share processing power of a processor of the mobile communication device with a processor of the at least one other device on the first data network.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

by the networked communication device,

receiving over the wireless communication network, from the mobile communication device, data to access stored information stored at the at least one other device over the first data network.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

by the networked communication device,

communicating data with a remote broadband network;

receiving from the remote broadband network data intended for the mobile communication device;

communicating data between the mobile communication device and the remote broadband network using the IP address.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the networked communication device comprises a gateway in data communication with the remote broadband network, the method further comprising:

by the gateway,

establishing a wireless local area network as the first data network, and

communicating data between the remote broadband network and the mobile communication device over the wireless local area network using the IP address on the wireless local area network assigned to the mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, by the networked communication device, determining the IP address for the mobile communication device based, at least in part on the mobile telephone number of the mobile communication device or the electronic serial number of the mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein downloading data from the cellular service provider comprises downloading software updates for the mobile telephone from the cellular service provider to the mobile telephone over the first data network using the IP address.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein downloading data from the cellular service provider comprises downloading multimedia information to the mobile telephone from the cellular service provider to the mobile telephone over the first data network using the IP address.

10. A method comprising:

by a networked communication device in data communication with a first data network, establishing a wireless communication link with a mobile communication device, the mobile communication device comprising a mobile telephone configured for cellular telephone communication with a cellular telephone network operated by a cellular service provider;

receiving from the mobile communication device, over the wireless communication link, identification information uniquely identifying the mobile communication device, including at least one of a mobile telephone number of the mobile communication device and an electronic serial number of the mobile communication device;

providing over the wireless communication link, by the networked communication device to the mobile communication device, an internet protocol (IP) address uniquely identifying the mobile communication device on the first data network for communications on the first data network, the IP address being established using the identification information received from the mobile communication device, wherein the IP address is useable by the mobile communication device when communicating data between the mobile communication device and at least one other device on the first data network using the IP address; and

wherein communicating data between the mobile communication device and at least one other device on the first data network using the IP address comprises:

initiating communication between the mobile communication device over the first data network using the IP address and a remote broadband network to continue a call in progress on the cellular telephone network when the call in progress has been inadvertently dropped between the cellular telephone network and the mobile telephone.

11. A system comprising:

a wireless interface configured to establish a wireless local area network with one or more mobile communication devices in an area;

a gateway configured for data communication with the wireless interface, the gateway further configured to determine an internet protocol (IP) address uniquely identifying a selected mobile communication device on the wireless local area network for data communication on the wireless local area network, the gateway establishing the IP address using the identification information received from the selected mobile communication device; and

a modem configured for data communication with the gateway and a remote broadband network, including receiving from the remote broadband network data intended for the selected mobile communication device using the IP address for the selected mobile communication device on the wireless local area network, the modem being configured to receive software update data for the selected mobile communication device and to communicate the software update data to the gateway for communication to the selected mobile communication device using the IP address.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the gateway is configured to receive a mobile telephone number of the mobile communication device or an electronic serial number of the selected mobile communication device, or both, and wherein the gateway is further configured to determine the IP address for the selected mobile communication device using one of the mobile telephone number and the electronic serial number.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more mobile communication devices comprises a plurality of communication devices and wherein the wireless interface is configured to communicate data between the selected mobile communication device and a second mobile communication device of the plurality of mobile communication devices on the wireless local area network in the area using the IP address for the selected mobile communication device on the wireless local area network.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the wireless interface is configured to receive over the wireless local area network, from the selected mobile communication device, user interface data defining a command to control operation of second mobile communication device on the wireless local area network, and to communicate over the wireless local area network the received user interface data defining to command to the second wireless communication device to enable control of operation of the second wireless communication device by the selected mobile communication device.

15. In a computer communication network, a method for providing communication with a mobile telephone, the method comprising:

by a network device in data communication with the computer communication network, establishing a communication link between the network device and the mobile telephone;

by the network device, communicating with the mobile telephone to receive from the mobile telephone over the communication link identification information uniquely identifying the mobile telephone, the identification information including at least one of a mobile telephone number of the mobile telephone and an electronic serial number of the mobile telephone;

by the network device, providing over the communication link to the mobile telephone an internet protocol (IP) address which uniquely identifies the mobile telephone on a local computer network for data communication on the local computer network, the IP address being established using the identification information received from the mobile telephone, the IP address provided by the network device being useable by the mobile telephone for communicating information between a first networked device and the mobile telephone through the local computer network utilizing the IP address of the mobile telephone;

by the network device, receiving from a remote broadband network software update data intended for the mobile telephone; and

by the network device, communicating software update data from the remote broadband network the mobile telephone using the IP address.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein establishing a communication link with the mobile telephone comprises, by the network device, establishing the communication link with the mobile telephone through a dedicated wireless access point of the local computer network.