Patent ID: 8548525

Claim:
A method comprising: selecting a plurality of antenna patterns from a group of available antenna patterns; identifying a respective antenna pattern of said plurality of antenna patterns for traffic channel communication with each of a plurality of stations by scanning said plurality of antenna patterns, wherein said identifying a respective antenna pattern of said plurality of antenna patterns for a particular station of said plurality of stations comprises: receiving antenna pattern choice information generated by said particular station from monitoring operation of said plurality of antenna patterns, wherein said antenna pattern choice information identifies a perceived best antenna pattern; using said antenna pattern choice information and at least one other parameter to identify a preferred antenna pattern of said plurality of antenna patterns for use with respect to said particular station, wherein said at least one other parameter is derived from an operational characteristic of said particular station during communication with said particular station using at least one antenna pattern of said plurality of antenna patterns; scheduling a scanning order for the identified antenna patterns of said plurality of antenna patterns; scanning the identified antenna patterns of said plurality of antenna patterns according to said scanning order to provide traffic channel communications with said plurality of stations; and using a traffic channel to communicate with one or more station of said plurality of stations when a respective antenna pattern of said plurality of antenna patterns is being scanned.