Patent ID: 7680150

Claim:
A system comprising: a high-throughput (HT) device configured to invoke a virtual clear channel assessment (VCCA) mechanism and set a virtual clear channel assessment (VCCA) time period equaling a sum of: a content of a Duration field in frame header of the frame being transmitted; eight times a quotient of an actual length, in octets, of the frame being transmitted, and a transmission rate, in Mbps, of the frame being transmitted; an extended inter frame space; and a distributed inter frame space; a receiving station (STA) configured to receive an indicate that the communication medium is busy for a time period equal to the virtual clear channel assessment (VCCA) time period longer than an actual frame transmission period being sent from the transmitter to the receiver; and wherein the receiving station (STA) is further configured to refrain from transmitting on the communication medium during the time period.