Patent ID: 7355998

Claim:
A method for adding a new service to a basic service set, the method comprising: receiving at a physical access point (AP) a request for the new service; analyzing the service parameters of the new service; based upon the analysis, determining whether the new service can be supported by one of a plurality of existing virtual access points, each virtual access point being associated with different antenna beams or pattern; based on the determination, adding the new service to a selected one of the existing virtual access points for a new service that can by supported by one of the plurality of existing virtual access points; creating a new virtual access point for the new service for a new service that cannot be supported by one of the plurality of existing virtual access points; configuring a new virtual access point's characteristics wherein the new virtual access point characteristics are selected from the group consisting of: MAC framing, rate control scheme and modulation; passing service parameters of the new service to the new virtual access point; and configuring the selected one of the existing virtual access points or the new virtual access point to optimize a beam steering or pattern algorithm wherein the beam steering or pattern algorithm controls the antenna pattern and transmission power.