Patent ID: 7643443

Claim:
A method for optimizing transmission power and transmission speed of a first endpoint machine in a wireless network, the method comprising: receiving a signal at the first endpoint machine transmitted by an access point in the wireless network; at the first endpoint machine, measuring one or more characteristics of the received signal; at the first endpoint machine, computing the signal quality of the received signal based on the one or more characteristics; and at the first endpoint machine, determining whether the signal quality of the received signal is acceptable, wherein if the signal quality of the received signal is acceptable, then determining whether a transmission power of the first endpoint machine is greater than a user-defined minimum level, wherein if the transmission power of the first endpoint machine is greater than the user-defined minimum level, then reducing the transmission power of the first endpoint machine, wherein if the transmission power of the first endpoint machine is not greater than the user-defined minimum level, then determining whether a transmission speed of the first endpoint machine is at a maximum possible transmission speed, wherein if the transmission speed of the first endpoint machine is at a maximum possible transmission speed, then returning to the step of measuring, wherein if the transmission speed of the first endpoint machine is not at the maximum possible transmission speed, then increasing the transmission speed of the first endpoint machine by one level, wherein if the signal quality of the received signal is not acceptable, then determining whether the transmission speed of the first endpoint machine is at a user-defined minimum level, wherein if the transmission speed of the first endpoint machine is at the user-defined minimum level, then increasing the transmission power of the first endpoint machine, wherein if the transmission speed of the first endpoint machine is not at the user-defined minimum level, then: decreasing the transmission speed of the first endpoint machine by one level, and determining whether the signal quality of the received signal is improved enough to allow for a faster transmission speed of the first endpoint machine, wherein if the signal quality of the received signal is improved enough to allow for the faster transmission speed of the first endpoint machine, then increasing the transmission speed of the first endpoint machine by one level, wherein if the signal quality of the received signal is not improved enough to allow for the faster transmission speed of the first endpoint machine, then returning to the step of measuring.