Patent ID: 8526403

Claim:
A method performed in a wireless access point for providing wireless network services, the method comprising: establishing a first communications link between a first network access device and a second network access device via the wireless access point, the first and second network access devices being independent wireless network access devices, the first communications link comprising a first wireless radio link between the first network access device and the wireless access point, and a second wireless radio link between the second network access device and the wireless access point; detecting at the wireless access point a data traffic event relating to traffic in the first communications link; based on detecting the data traffic event, establishing a direct free-space optical communications link from the first network access device to the second network access device, the direct, free-space optical communications link bypassing the wireless access point; and at the wireless access point, coordinating the direct, free-space optical communications link between the first network access device and the second network access device, the coordinating using the first wireless radio link between the first network access device and the wireless access point, the coordinating further using the second wireless radio link between the second network access device and the wireless access point.