Patent ID: 8781487

Claim:
A computer program product for use in a wireless local area network communications environment including a plurality of access points and a plurality of mobile stations, the computer program product stored on non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising: code configured to, in response to restart, before transmitting regular beacons, cause a first access point to: select a wireless channel front a plurality of available channels; transmit, on the selected wireless channel, and before utilizing the channel for transmission of non-management data to a mobile station, a claim message indicative of an intent to utilize the selected channel for transmission of non-management data to a mobile station; code configured to select, in response to receipt of a claim message from at least one second access point indicative of utilization of or an intent to utilize the selected wireless channel, which of the first and at least one second access points will utilize the selected channel; and wherein when first access point is selected to utilize the selected channel, the first access point utilizes the selected channel, wherein when first access point is not selected to utilize the selected channel, the first access point will utilize another channel from the plurality of available channels, the another channel being different from the selected channel, and wherein the code configured to select is configured to make a non-random selection.