Patent ID: 7580399

Claim:
A method for partitioning access points (APs) deployed in a region into two or more network service layers (NSLs), the method comprising: computing, for each NSL, an assignment need value for each location of a desired set of locations in the region, the two or more NSLs comprising an overlay NSL and an underlay NSL, the overlay NSL corresponding to one or more low-functionality services provided by an overlay network, the underlay NSL corresponding to one or more high-functionality services provided by an underlay network, and wherein the assignment need value is computed according to the relationship: ANV n,wap =1/max(M n,wap ,ε n ), wherein M n,wap equals the number of APs assigned to a network service layer (n) whose minimum required signal level (MRSL) region covers a given location (way), and wherein ε n satisfies 0<ε n <1; determining, for each AP, a selection metric for each NSL based on the assignment need values corresponding to each NSL and the effective coverage area associated with each AP; assigning the AP with the highest selection metric to the corresponding NSL; and repeating the computing, determining, and assigning steps.