Patent ID: 7881269

Claim:
A mobile client device configured for operation in a wireless network having wireless infrastructure devices that are capable of supporting a plurality of different available wireless channels, the mobile client device comprising: a radio module configured to wirelessly receive signals prior to the mobile client device associating with an infrastructure device in the wireless network, the signals conveying active channel information that indicates active channels that are actually being used by the wireless infrastructure devices without indicating any of the plurality of different available wireless channels that are not being used by the wireless infrastructure devices, wherein for each active channel the active channel information also indicates at least one media type access category supported by that active channel, and wherein for each of the wireless infrastructure devices the active channel information indicates a percentage of bandwidth allocated for each media type access category; and a processing logic element coupled to the radio module and configured to select, based upon the active channel information, based upon the percentages of bandwidth, and based upon a desired media type access category of data to be transmitted, at least one active channel to be utilized for communicating data with a desired infrastructure device, the at least one active channel having sufficient bandwidth to support transmitting for the desired media type access category, and further configured to control scanning of only the selected at least one active channel to identify a desired one of the wireless infrastructure devices, wherein the radio module transmits an association request to the desired one of the wireless infrastructure devices.