Patent ID: 8730905

Claim:
A method, comprising: acquiring, in a first wireless communication apparatus, a transmission period to transmit data on a first frequency band within a determined transmission time interval, wherein the transmission period is a transmission opportunity for a wireless local area network; determining to utilize a bandwidth greater than that of the first frequency band during the transmission period; causing transmission of a reservation request message to at least second wireless communication apparatus, wherein the reservation request message instructs the second wireless communication apparatus to reserve at least one additional frequency band for the first wireless communication apparatus during the transmission period; receiving a reservation response message from the at least second wireless communication apparatus, wherein the reservation response message indicates that said at least one additional frequency band is available for the first wireless communication apparatus to use in transmission during the transmission period; and in response to the reception of the reservation response message, increasing a transmission band to comprise both said first frequency band and said at least one additional frequency band during the transmission period thereby transmitting data on the transmission band having the increased bandwidth greater than that of the first frequency band.