# US 8,571,560 B1 · Selecting a wireless access point based on status information > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,571,560 B1 - Document ID: US8571560B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 12/236,142 - Filed: 2008-09-23 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2008-09-23 - Assignees: Sprint Communications Company L.P. - Applicants: Pallavur Sankaranaraynan; Sean Alan Isaacson; Matthew C. Schlesener; Brian D. Mauer - Inventors: Pallavur Sankaranaraynan; Sean Alan Isaacson; Matthew C. Schlesener; Brian D. Mauer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8571560B1 ## CPC - H04W 48/20: Selecting an access point - H04W 48/12: using downlink control channel - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract What is disclosed is a method of operating a wireless communication device. The method includes detecting a plurality of beacon signals, wherein each of the plurality of beacon signals is associated with each of a plurality of wireless access nodes. The method also includes receiving status information from each of the plurality of wireless access nodes, wherein the status information comprises a modulation level of a wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes. The method also includes selecting one of the plurality of wireless access nodes based on at least the modulation level of the wireless link associated with the one of the plurality of wireless access nodes, modulating user communications based on the modulation level of the wireless link associated with the selected one of the plurality of wireless access nodes, and exchanging the modulated user communications with the selected one of the plurality of wireless access nodes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising: detecting a plurality of beacon signals, wherein each of the plurality of beacon signals is associated with each of a plurality of wireless access nodes; receiving status information from each of the plurality of wireless access nodes, wherein the status information comprises a modulation level of a wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes; determining an application type associated with user communications to be exchanged through the wireless communication device; selecting one of the plurality of access nodes based on the modulation level of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes suited for the application type; modulating the user communications based on the modulation level of the wireless link associated with the one of the plurality of wireless access nodes; and exchanging the modulated user communications with the one of the plurality of wireless access nodes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of operating the wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein receiving the status information from each of the plurality of wireless access nodes comprises receiving the status information from each of the plurality of beacon signals. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of operating the wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising: requesting the status information from each of the plurality of wireless access nodes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of operating the wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the status information from each of the plurality of wireless access nodes further comprises a coding scheme of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of operating the wireless communication device of claim 4, wherein the coding scheme of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes comprises a forward-error correction coding scheme. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of operating the wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the status information from each of the plurality of wireless access nodes further comprises a number of users associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of operating the wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein selecting the one of the plurality of wireless access nodes comprises processing the modulation level of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes and the application type associated with the user communications to select the one of the plurality of wireless access nodes based on the modulation level suited for the application type associated with the user communications. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of operating the wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein selecting the one of the plurality of wireless access nodes comprises processing the modulation level of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes, a coding scheme of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes, the application type associated with the user communications, and a signal strength of each of the plurality of beacon signals to select the one of the plurality of wireless access nodes based on the modulation level, coding scheme, and signal strength suited for the application type associated with the user communications. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of operating the wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the modulation level of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes corresponds to a presently available number of usable symbols less than a maximum number of usable symbols in a style of modulation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of operating the wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the modulation level of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes corresponds to an order of a quadrature amplitude modulation. ### Claim 11 A wireless communication device, comprising: a communication interface configured to detect a plurality of beacon signals, wherein each of the plurality of beacon signals is associated with each of a plurality of wireless access nodes; the communication interface configured to receive status information from each of the plurality of wireless access nodes, wherein the status information comprises a modulation level of a wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes; a processing system configured to determine an application type associated with user communications to be exchanged through the wireless communication device, select one of the plurality of access nodes based on the modulation level of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes suited for the application type; the communication interface configured to modulate the user communications based on the modulation level of the wireless link associated with the one of the plurality of wireless access nodes; and the communication interface configured to exchange the modulated user communications with the one of the plurality of wireless access nodes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wireless communication device of claim 11, comprising: the communication interface configured to receive the status information from each of the plurality of beacon signals. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The wireless communication device of claim 11, further comprising: the communication interface configured to request the status information from each of the plurality of wireless access nodes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the status information from each of the plurality of wireless access nodes further comprises a coding scheme of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of operating the wireless communication device of claim 14, wherein the coding scheme of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes comprises a forward-error correction coding scheme. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the status information from each of the plurality of wireless access nodes further comprises a number of users associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing system is configured to process the modulation level of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes and the application type associated with the user communications to select the one of the plurality of wireless access nodes based on the modulation level suited for the application type associated with the user communications. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the status information from each of the plurality of wireless access nodes further comprises a coding scheme of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes, and wherein the processing system is configured to process the modulation level of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes, the coding scheme of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes, the application type associated with the user communications, and a signal strength of each of the plurality of beacon signals to select the one of the plurality of wireless access nodes based on the modulation level, the coding scheme, and the signal strength suited for the application type associated with the user communications. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the modulation level of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes corresponds to a presently available number of usable bits in a style of modulation less than a maximum number of usable symbols. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the modulation level of the wireless link associated with each of the plurality of wireless access nodes corresponds to an order of a quadrature amplitude modulation.