Patent ID: 7684806

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a resource allocator to allocate wireless communication channel resources to a plurality of stations of a wireless communication system, wherein the resource allocator is to calculate a plurality of net benefit parameter values corresponding to a respective plurality of different resource allocation permutations, each permutation defining a different allocation of the resources to the stations, wherein the calculation of the net benefit parameter value corresponding to each allocation permutation is based on a net benefit function, which takes into account an overhead cost incurred by communication with the stations in accordance with the allocation permutation, wherein the resource allocator is to select out of the plurality of different allocation permutations an allocation permutation that optimizes the net benefit parameter, and to allocate the wireless communication channel resources according to the selected allocation permutation, and wherein said net benefit parameter is calculated by subtracting a value related to said overhead from a value related to a gross benefit parameter of said wireless communication system.