Patent ID: 7206610

Claim:
A method for an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) to provide communication services in a geographic area of service to wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs), the method comprising: selectively generating directional beams for providing communication service in sectors of the geographic service area such that each beam provides service to a predefined sector whereby collectively the directional beams provide service to the entire geographic service area; controlling the generation of the directional beams to switch from beam to beam such that service is provided only during selected service periods (SPs) in each sector during a predefined beacon period (BP) and such that a beacon service period (SP beacon ) is provided consecutively for every sector in which a beacon signal is transmitted at the beginning of each BP, thereby defining a post beacon service period (SP postbeacon ) for the time remaining in the BP after the SP beacon s for that BP are completed; selecting a sector to be serviced at the start of the SP postbeacon for a BP; and transmitting a signal to activate WTRU transmission capabilities in the selected sector's SP beacon for that BP and a signal to de-activate WTRU transmission capabilities in each SP beacon of the other sectors for that BP.