Abstract: A multi-mode wireless terminal device includes a first network interface for communicating with a first wireless network and a second network interface for communicating with a second wireless network. The second wireless network offers services that are not necessarily provided by the first wireless network. The multi-mode wireless terminal device acts as a gateway so that wireless terminal devices operating on the first wireless network may connect to the multi-mode wireless terminal device in order to access the services of the second wireless network. The multi-mode terminal device can limit access to the services based on operational parameters such as battery power level, wireless signal strength, usage time, processing load and the like.

Abstract: An exemplary method for searching one of a plurality of systems on a multi-mode device capable of communicating on a first air interface technology and a second air interface technology is disclosed. The exemplary method includes storing a default system search period for one of the air interface technologies, such as WLAN system, receiving user input representative of a user-defined system search period for the WLAN system, storing the user-defined system search period, detecting a system search event for WLAN services, searching WLAN services in response to the system search event, and terminating the WLAN system search after expiration of the user-defined search period.

Abstract: An exemplary method for updating acquisition list in a wireless communication device having a first transceiver and a second transceiver is disclosed. The acquisition list associated with the second transceiver. The exemplary method comprises updating a first category of entries of the acquisition list over a wide area network via the first transceiver and updating a second category of entries of the acquisition list by a user through input means on the wireless communication device.