Patent ID: 7173918

Claim:
A network station for a contention-based wireless network further comprising at least two access points, the network station adapted to: receive an access point traffic load parameter transmitted to the network station from each access point of the at least two access points; monitor its network station communication quality; derive a network station communication quality parameter indicative of its network station communication quality; receive an access point communication quality parameter transmitted to the network station from said each access point; select, for said each access point, one of the network station communication quality parameter and the corresponding access point communication quality parameter; generate, for said each access point, a cost function value as a function of (1) the corresponding access point traffic load parameter and (2) the corresponding selected communication quality parameter; and compare the cost function values to select a communication connection with one of the at least two access points as a function of (1) the access point traffic load parameter from said each access point and (2) the corresponding network station communication quality parameter.