Antenna steering for an access point based upon control frames

A method for operating an access point in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the access point comprising a directional antenna for communicating with at least one remote station in a reverse link based upon an exchange of packet data comprising a plurality of control frames and a data frame, the directional antenna comprising a plurality of antenna patterns, the method comprising:

• receiving at the access point in the reverse link with the at least one remote station a first control frame via a first antenna pattern of the directional antenna from the at least one remote station;
• transmitting at the access point a second control frame to the at least one remote station;
• receiving at the access point a first data frame via a second antenna pattern of the directional antenna from the at least one remote station;
• measuring at the access point a signal quality of the first control frame received via the first antenna pattern and a signal quality of the first data frame received via the second antenna pattern;
• comparing at the access point the respective measured signal qualities associated with the first and second antenna patterns;
• and
• selecting at the access point the first or second antenna pattern of the directional antenna based on the comparing.

An access point for a wireless local area network (WIJAN) comprising:

• a directional antenna comprising a plurality of antenna patterns;
• and
• a controller connected to said directional antenna for control thereof, said controller communicating with at least one remote station in a forward link based upon an exchange of packet data comprising a plurality of control frames and a data frame, said controller
• receiving a first control frame via a first antenna pattern of said directional antenna from the at least one remote station,
• transmitting a first data frame to the at least one remote station,
• receiving a second control frame via a second antenna pattern of said directional antenna from the at least one remote station,
• measuring a signal quality of the first control frame received via the first antenna pattern and a signal quality of the second control frame received via the second antenna pattern,
• comparing the respective measured signal qualities associated with the first and second antenna patterns, and
• selecting the first or second antenna pattern of said directional antenna based on the comparing.

An access point for a wireless local area network (WLAN) comprising:

• a directional antenna comprising a plurality of antenna patterns;
• and
• a controller connected to said directional antenna for control thereof, said controller communicating with at least one remote station in a reverse link based upon an exchange of packet data comprising a plurality of control frames and a data frame, said controller
• receiving a first control frame via a first antenna pattern of said directional antenna from the at least one remote station,
• transmitting a second control frame to the at least one remote station,
• receiving a first data frame via a second antenna pattern of said directional antenna from the at least one remote station,
• measuring a signal quality of the first control frame received via the first antenna pattern and a signal quality of the first data frame received via the second antenna pattern,
• comparing the respective measured signal qualities associated with the first and second antenna patterns, and
• selecting the first or second antenna pattern of the directional antenna based on the comparing.