Patent ID: 7426180

Claim:
Apparatus for invoking rapid build-up of a transmission limit in a currently non-transmitting basic service set (BSS) station of a selected priority category in a wireless, prioritized, network communication system, which station is seeking access to available network bandwidth, where the network is one wherein periodic announcements regarding available, unused transmission bandwidth budget are announced to all BSS stations of the mentioned, selected priority category in the network, said apparatus comprising, computer structure provided for and in each BSS station in a selected priority category in the network, and provided within that said computer structure, (1) first componentry structured to determine when a currently non-transmitting station of the selected priority category mentioned above is attempting to seek network bandwidth access and for generating a Yes output signal when such attempting occurs, (2) second componentry operatively connected to said first componentry, structured, in response to such a Yes output signal, to allow the mentioned, currently non-transmitting station to attempt rapid build-up and to produce a control output signal, (3) third componentry operatively connected to said second componentry for receiving a control output signal generated by said second componentry, and structured (a) make an assessment whether or not the mentioned, currently non-transmitting station then seeking bandwidth access is, at the moment in time of the mentioned bandwidth access seeking, the only station seeking such access, and (b) to generate a third-componentry Yes/No output signal regarding the mentioned assessment, (4) fourth componentry operatively connected to said third componentry and structured for receiving a No output signal from said third componentry, operable, in response to receiving such a No output signal, to implement conventional transmission-limit build-up in the mentioned, currently non-transmitting station, and (5) fifth componentry operatively connected to said third componentry, structured to receive any Yes output signal generated by said third componentry, and operable, in response to receiving such a third-componentry Yes signal, to allow a continued, accelerated transmission-limit build-up in the subject station via ensuring for that subject station a transmission limit which is calculated as a defined percentage of a last-announced transmission-bandwidth budget.