Patent ID: 8855087

Claim:
A method of operating a wireless network access point (WAP) that maintains operating state information that controls switching of the WAP between first, second, and third operating states, the WAP comprising a radio, the operating state information controlling whether the WAP enters the first operating state in which the WAP listens with the radio but does not transmit beacons with the radio, the operating state information controlling whether the WAP enters the second operating state in which the WAP transmits beacons with the radio but does not listen with the radio, and the operating state information controlling whether the WAP enters the third operating state in which the WAP both listens and transmits beacons with the radio, the method comprising: monitoring for and detecting events indicative of uses of the WAP by applications running on the WAP and/or by wireless client devices, wherein detected events are responded to by updating the operating state information accordingly; in response to detecting an event, selecting one of the operating states for the WAP based on the event and based on the operating state information which has been updated according to one or more detected events, wherein the operating state information indicates either or both a number of applications or a number of wireless clients in at least one state of use of the wireless network access point; and configuring the WAP to operate in the selected operating state.