Patent ID: 8908559

Claim:
A wireless client station, comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit data; a receiver configured to detect a signal in response to a strength of the signal being greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and detect (i) a first signal from a first access point and (ii) a second signal from a second access point, wherein the first signal from the first access point includes a first transmit power of the first access point, and wherein the second signal from the second access point includes a second transmit power of the second access point; a signal strength module configured to estimate (i) a first signal strength of the first signal received from the first access point and (ii) a second signal strength of the second signal received from the second access point; and a control module configured to determine a first path loss based on (i) the first signal strength of the first signal received from the first access point and (ii) the first transmit power of the first access point included in the first signal received from the first access point, determine a second path loss based on (i) the second signal strength of the second signal received from the second access point and (ii) the second transmit power of the second access point included in the second signal received from the second access point, and adjust, in response to the first path loss being lower than the second path loss, a minimum transmit power level of the transmitter based on (i) the first path loss and ii) the predetermined value of the strength of the signal that the receiver is configured to detect.