Patent ID: 7664465

Claim:
At least one computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a processor of a computer system perform steps for determining whether interference has achieved a threshold level in a wireless network, wherein the wireless network comprises a serving basic service set (BSS) that includes a first device for receiving wireless signals, and a second device for transmitting wireless signals, the steps comprising: receiving classified data from one or more classifiers, the classified data describing interference that is detectable within the wireless network; determining, by the processor, whether the interference is being generated by a non-WLAN interferer or by a WLAN interferer that is part of a different BSS operating in the same channel; if it is determined that the interferer is a non-WLAN interferer, performing the following: the processor generating a noise floor for the first device by subtracting a required signal to noise ratio at each data rate from a receive sensitivity of the first device at the corresponding data rate; and comparing the interference level to the noise floor such that if the interference level is below the noise floor, the interference is ignored, otherwise the interference is addressed; if it is determined that the interferer is a WLAN interferer that is part of a different BSS, performing the following: the processor sending a command to each wireless node in the serving BSS, the command causing each wireless node to cease transmitting; the processor sending a command to a sniffer to cause the sniffer to sniff the channel to detect the presence of the WLAN interferer; the processor receiving a radio signal strength indicator (RSSI) from the different BSS that includes the WLAN interferer; comparing the RSSI of the different BSS to the RSSI of the serving BSS such that if the RSSI of the different BSS is a threshold level below the RSSI of the serving BSS, the interference is ignored, otherwise the interference is addressed; addressing the interference by performing one of fragmenting packets of a signal transmitted from the second device to the first device, or by performing instantaneous frequency selection.