Patent ID: 7574225

Claim:
An access point for providing a wireless local area network connection to a terminal device, by using any one of a plurality of channels of different frequency bands to exchange information, for connecting the terminal device to a wide area network, the access point comprising: a wireless communication unit that operable to exchange information via the wireless local area network; a status determination unit that includes hardware separate from hardware for realizing the wireless communication unit, wherein the status determination unit is operable to: receive radio waves for the wireless local area network, and determine, based on the radio waves, radio wave statuses on each of the plurality of channels, wherein the status determination unit comprises an output source determination unit operable to determine, as the radio wave status, an output source radiating a radio wave of the frequency band of the plurality of channels, wherein the output source includes the access point, another access point, the terminal device, a microwave oven and a ham radio; a channel selection unit operable to select, on the basis of the determined radio wave statuses, a selected channel for exchange of information by the wireless communication unit; and a channel switching unit operable to switch from a channel currently in use for exchange of information by the wireless communication unit to the selected channel.