Patent ID: 8054815

Claim:
A method for transferring a file from a first user device within a wireless local area network to a second user device within the wireless local area network comprising: providing a primary local wireless interface for the first user device, the primary local wireless interface having a physical layer, a data link layer, a network layer, and a transport layer; providing a secondary local wireless interface for the first user device, the secondary local wireless interface having a physical layer, a data link layer, a network layer, and a transport layer; providing a control system associated with the primary and secondary local wireless interfaces, the control system comprising: a first network agent operatively associated with the primary local wireless interface, the first network agent monitoring at least one of the physical layer, the data link layer, the network layer, and the transport layer of the primary local wireless interface; a second network agent operatively associated with the secondary local wireless interface, the second network agent monitoring at least one of the physical layer, the data link layer, the network layer, and the transport layer of the secondary local wireless interface; and a cross-layer agent obtaining information regarding the secondary local wireless interface from the second network agent, and determining to transfer the file to the second user device via a direct point-to-point wireless communication link based on at least a portion of the information regarding the secondary local wireless interface; and initiating a file transfer of the file from the first user device to the second user device; determining to transfer the file to the second user device via the direct point-to-point wireless communication link where the secondary local wireless interface communicates with the second user device using the direct point-to-point wireless communication link; if the file is to be transferred via the direct point-to-point wireless communication link: establishing the direct point-to-point wireless communication link with the second user device; and transferring the file to the second user device via the direct point-to-point wireless communication link, thereby bypassing an access point.