Patent ID: 8488574

Claim:
An association control method for controlling associations in a wireless network system including a first access point and a second access point, comprising: verifying signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) values of downlink transmission links to a first client and a second client associated with the first access point and SINR value of a downlink transmission links to a third client associated with the second access point, wherein the first access point and the second access point are within a downlink transmission interference distance of each other; and when all of the SINR values of the downlink transmission links to the first client and the second client from the first access point are equal to or more than a predetermined capture threshold, the SINR value of the downlink transmission link to the third client from the second access point is less than the capture threshold, and either of the first client or the second client, can be associated with the second access point, modifying associations in the wireless network system so as to associate either of the first client or the second client with the second access point; and after the modifying of the associations, when one of the first and the second access points has a packet to downlink transmit to either of the first client or the second client associated with the one of the first and the second access points, the one of the first and the second access points overhearing a transmission from the other of the first and second access points to the first client to know which link is used in the transmission, referring an interference map to check a SINR value of the link used, concurrently downlink transmitting the packet while the other of the first and the second access points is downlink transmitting another packet to either of the first client and the second client associated with the other of the first and the second access point and the SINR value of the link is equal to or more than the capture threshold; wherein the SINR value is verified by referring to an interference map.