Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
51 words
A method of operating a wireless local area network including a plurality of stations (12) utilizing a common wireless communication channel, characterized by the step of dynamically adjusting the power level of information packets (80) transmitted between any two stations (12), in dependence on the signal path between said stations (12).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized by the step of providing, in each transmitted information packet (80) a transmit power value portion (92) representing the power level at which the packet (80) is transmitted.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method according to claim 2, characterized by the step of measuring the receive power level at which a transmitted information packet (80) is received and subtracting said receive power level from the transmit power level contained in said packet to provide an attenuation value for the signal path between said two stations (12).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 3, characterized by the step of averaging the attenuation values in respect of a plurality of received information packets (80) from the same source station (12).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
A method according to claim 4, characterized by the step of measuring the background interference level at each of said stations (12), maintaining a record of said background interference level, and providing, in each information packet (80) transmitted by that station (12), a silence level portion (90) representing the measured background interference level at the transmitting station (12).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 5, characterized by the step of averaging the background interference level measurements at each station (12).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method according to claim 6, characterized by the steps of utilizing the attenuation values at a destination station (12) and the received source station silence level values to determine a transmit power level value for the signal path between said source and destination stations (12) and storing the determined transmit power level value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 7, characterized by the steps of utilizing the determined transmit power level value to determine an associated defer threshold value for transmissions utilizing that transmit power level value, and storing the determined defer threshold value.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
41 words
A method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that said step of measuring the receive power level and said step of measuring the background interference level are carried out in a common level measuring device (188).