Patent ID: 8014825

Claim:
A wireless device, comprising: an antenna; a wireless communication interface connected to said antenna and supporting wireless communication across a wireless connection provided by said antenna; a memory for storing data; and a controller connected to said wireless interface and to said memory, supporting an application service and a network evaluation service; wherein said wireless device: sends out a beacon signal identifying the wireless device and provides connection information; polls an area for other responsive wireless devices; determines whether to build a new list or update an existing list of the responsive devices; receives a signal from a second wireless device that identifies the second wireless device and provides connection information; wherein the signal specifies status information; sends a status query to each device on the list of responsive devices requesting a specified combination of the status information; receives at least one status response comprising a specific combination of status information as a function of a requested combination of status information from at least the second wireless device; and builds a status report based on said received at least one status response.