Patent ID: 7522551

Claim:
A method in a wireless network comprising a wireless access point and a plurality of wireless devices wherein each wireless device may operate in a plurality of wireless communication modes, the method for making more effective use of an available wireless communication bandwidth, the method comprising: (a) the access point communicating with both a first wireless device and a second wireless device on a first wireless channel, in an infrastructure mode; (b) determining a type of data to be communicated over the wireless network; (c)when the data is a first type, selectively operating the first wireless device as a client wireless device that is coupled in wireless communication with the wireless access point over the first wireless channel; (d)when the data is a second type, selectively operating the first wireless device as a surrogate access point that is coupled in wireless communication with at least one other wireless device over a second wireless channel which is different than the first wireless channel; and (e) when determining that the first wireless device and the second wireless device are within range of each other to facilitate direct communication, the access point sending a signal on the first wireless channel, the signal causing the first wireless client device and the second wireless client device to establish direct communications on the second wireless channel.