Methods and apparatus for use in configuring a wireless access point (AP)
which serves as a handoff indication mechanism ("AP tripwire") in a
wireless local area network (WLAN) for mobile device handoffs between the
WLAN and a wireless wide area network (WWAN) are described. During a
configuration procedure or training mode of operation of the wireless AP,
radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted from a plurality of
communication devices are received at the wireless AP. The plurality of
communication devices include a first group of communication devices
positioned at locations of undesired RF coverage of the wireless AP,
outside of an RF coverage boundary of a WLAN coverage region of one or
more other wireless APs of the WLAN. The plurality of communication
devices also include a second group of communication devices positioned
at locations of desired RF coverage of the wireless AP, around the RF
coverage boundary of the WLAN coverage region and within the WWAN
coverage region. Wireless transceiver parameters of the wireless AP are
automatically determined and set to adjust boundaries of an RF coverage
region, such that RF signal coverage of the first group of communication
devices is minimized but RF signal coverage of the second group of
communication devices is maximized. Preferably, the parameters of the
wireless transceiver are determined through use of an adaptive
beamforming technique (e.g. a minimax optimization) which is performed
automatically by the wireless AP without user intervention. After the
configuration procedure, the wireless AP operates with use of the
configured wireless transceiver parameters in a normal, steady-state mode
of operation as the AP tripwire of the WLAN.