Selection of access point in a wireless communication system

A wireless communication system comprising mobile terminals and access points, each access point being capable of serving the mobile terminals within a service area of the access point, the system comprising:

• reception means for receiving at least one set of attributes from a first group of mobile terminals, at least one of the attributes to indicate the quality of a wireless link between a particular mobile station and the access point serving said mobile station;
• processing means for forming, based on the sets, a service report describing current service conditions in the service area of the access point;
• transmission means for transmitting the service report to a second group of mobile terminals;
• and
• in each of the mobile terminals in said second group, (a) examination means for examining a service report received and (b) selection means, responsive to the examination means, for selecting the access point with which a wireless link is to be established.

An access point for a wireless communication system, the access point comprising:

• interface means for connecting the access point to a distribution system;
• a transceiver for communicating wirelessly with mobile terminals located within a service area of the access point, said transceiver being adapted to receive sets of attributes from the mobile terminals, at least one of the attributes to indicate the quality of a wireless link between the serving access point and the respective mobile terminal;
• processing means for forming, based on the sets, a service report describing current service conditions in the service area of the access point;
• wherein the transceiver is further adapted to transmit the service report to at least one mobile terminal.

A mobile terminal for a wireless communication system, the mobile terminal comprising:

• a transceiver for communicating with an access point of the wireless communication system via a wireless link;
• memory means for storing attributes relating to said link;
• collection means for collecting service reports from available access points, each service report describing current service conditions within a service area of a particular access point;
• examination means for examining the service report received by the mobile terminal;
• selection means, responsive to the examination means, for selecting the access point;
• and
• access means for establishing a wireless link with the access point selected.