Patent ID: 7801092

Claim:
A method for controlling channel access by an access point, the access point comprising a Hybrid Coordinator servicing an Enhanced Distributed Coordination Function transmit queue and a strict priority transmit queue, the steps for the Hybrid Coordinator comprising: determining whether a sufficient resource is available for an uplink flow, the upstream flow having a periodic service interval; admitting the upstream flow for a station responsive to determining the sufficient resource is available; starting a service timer to establish a polling interval for sending a poll transmission to the station to retrieve an uplink frame for the upstream flow, the polling interval corresponding to the periodic service interval for the uplink flow; inserting the poll transmission into the strict priority transmit queue responsive to the service timer expiring; gaining control of a channel using a higher priority access than any other wireless device in communication with the access point; sending the poll transmission from the strict priority transmit queue prior to servicing the Enhanced Distributed Coordination Function transmit queue, wherein the poll transmission comprises data representative of a fixed amount of time for reserving the channel to receive the uplinked frame; and reclaiming the channel for a portion of the fixed amount of time after sending the poll transmission, wherein reclaiming the channel comprises waiting for a response to the poll for a predefined time period, and sending a frame that cancels the channel reservation for the portion of the time period responsive to not receiving a response to the poll during the predefined time period; wherein the frame contains data that reduces the channel reservation in other stations.