Patent ID: 7978667

Claim:
A mesh network communication system for providing wireless local area network (WLAN) service within a mesh network service area, the mesh network communication system comprising: a plurality of access points configured to provide WLAN service within the mesh network communication system, the plurality of access points comprising a plurality of detection access points (DAPS) configured to receive reverse link (RL) wireless wide area network (WWAN) signals transmitted by multi-mode wireless communication devices; and a WLAN controller connected to the plurality of access points through a backhaul and configured to: generate a device to access point association list (device-AP association list), based on the RL WWAN signals, comprising a plurality of target access point identifiers and a plurality of device identifiers, each target access point identifier associated with at least one device identifier, each device identifier uniquely identifying, based on the RL WWAN signals, a target multi-mode wireless communication device within a maximum proximity of a target access point identified by one of the plurality of target access point identifiers, and send the device-AP association list to a wireless wide area network (WWAN).