Selecting an access point according to a measure of received signal quality

• Main Author: GOODALL DAVID S.,RYAN PHILIP J.,MYLES ANDREW F.,DE SOUZA LUDOVICO N
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.12.2006
• Subjects: ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; TRANSMISSION; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION; WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

An apparatus for inclusion and a method for operation in a station (STA) of a wireless network. The method includes received data from at least one remote station and determining a measure of the signal quality, e.g., a measure of the EVM from samples of the data received from the remote station(s). If the remote station(s) is/are access point(s), the station selects an access point for association according to criteria that include the measure of the EVM from the remote station. If the received data includes a request management message, the station responds to the request management message with a response management message that include a measure of the EVM of the received data corresponding to the request management message. Thus, the remote station receiving the response management message receives an indication of the quality of the link between the station and the remote station without the receiving remote station necessarily being EVM-capable.