Patent ID: 8774134

Claim:
A method, comprising: transmitting a beacon, by a first private access point, the beacon transmitted using a first pseudo-noise code, the first pseudo-noise code being different from an operating pseudo-noise code of the first private access point; determining a first pathloss value at the first private access point, the first private access point in a wireless communication network, the first pathloss value being an estimate of a first pathloss between the first private access point and a first access terminal, wherein determining the first pathloss value comprises determining a first received power value at the first private access point, the first received power value being associated with the first access terminal; sending at least one of the first pathloss value or the first received power value to a private access point server, the private access point server being configured to: receive a hand off message from a macro access point, the hand off message including the first pseudo-noise code corresponding to several private access points including the first private access point, the macro access point being in communication with a second access terminal over a connection; communicate with the several-private access points; determine, using the at least one of the first pathloss value or the first received power value, whether the first private access point is most likely of the several private access points to be a subject of the handoff message; determine, based on at least one of the first pathloss value or the first received power value, whether the first access terminal is within communication range of the first private access point; and respond to the hand off message substituting the operating pseudo-noise code for the first pseudo-noise code.