Methods and apparatus to manage wireless device power consumption

An apparatus to manage power consumption in a wireless terminal, the apparatus comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• initiate a data frame exchange with an access point of a wireless network;
• in response to not successfully completing the frame exchange with the access point, designate the access point as providing the wireless terminal with fringe wireless signal coverage, and store a first signal strength, associated with the access point, in a data structure at the wireless terminal;
• and
• ignore a beacon signal, broadcast by the access point, when a second signal strength of the beacon signal is less than the first signal strength stored in the data structure.

A method to manage power consumption in a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

• designating an access point of a wireless network as providing the wireless terminal with fringe wireless signal coverage by storing a first channel power, associated with the access point, in a data structure at the wireless terminal;
• during a wake-up interval of the wireless terminal from a power conservation mode, determining whether a second channel power associated with a beacon signal broadcast by the access point is better than the first channel power stored in the data structure;
• initiating a re-association with the access point when the second channel power is better than the first channel power stored in the data structure;
• and
• ignoring the beacon signal, broadcast by the access point, when the second channel power is less than the first channel power stored in the data structure.