Patent ID: 8238234

Claim:
A method of operating a first wireless communications device for selection of a multiple antenna scheme for data exchange in a peer-to-peer communications network, wherein the first wireless communications device is equipped with at least two antennas, the method comprising: determining a level of congestion in the peer-to-peer communications network; selecting a multiple antenna scheme from a plurality of predetermined multiple antenna schemes as a function of the determined level of congestion; utilizing the selected multiple antenna scheme to establish a data exchange with a second peer wireless communications device within the peer-to-peer communications network, wherein the plurality of predetermined multiple antenna schemes comprise a receiver beam forming scheme and a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) scheme, wherein selecting the multiple antenna scheme from the plurality of predetermined multiple antenna schemes as a function of the determined level of congestion comprises: selecting the receiver beam forming scheme if the determined level of congestion is high, and selecting the MIMO scheme if the determined level of congestion is low; exchanging data with the second peer wireless communications device using the MIMO scheme; monitoring network conditions for a change in the congestion level; switching from the MIMO scheme to the receiver beam forming scheme if the congestion level changes from low to high; releasing one of at least two reserved distinct sets of channel resources; and continuing to exchange data with the second peer wireless communications device using the receiver beam forming scheme.