Patent ID: 8526349

Claim:
A method for communicating data, the method comprising: transmitting, by an originating wireless station, to a plurality of wireless stations, a first clear to send (CTS) to self message via a first channel and identifying the originating wireless station as a destination of the CTS to self message, the originating wireless station determining a first time interval to reserve the first channel, and the originating wireless station also communicating with an access point as a station to the access point; assessing a second channel to determine channel activity on the second channel and when channel activity is detected, to continue to assess the second channel until channel activity is no longer detected or until a predetermined time interval for assessing the second channel has lapsed; transmitting, by the originating wireless station, to the plurality of wireless stations, a second CTS to self message subsequent to the first CTS to self message via the second channel, when channel activity on the second channel is not detected within the predetermined time interval, the originating wireless station determining a second time interval to reserve the second channel, in which the second time interval to end substantially at a same time the first time interval of the first channel is to end; and transmitting, by said originating wireless station, to an intended recipient wireless station of the plurality of wireless stations, data frames via the first and second channels in a period following the first and second CTS to self messages, in which other wireless stations of the plurality of wireless stations refrain from transmitting in response to transmission of the first and second CTS to self messages.