Patent ID: 8693405

Claim:
A method for allocating resources in a wireless communications environment, comprising: receiving a mapping between a first hop-port and frequency range, the mapping associated with a first channel tree that includes multiple mappings between hop-ports and frequency ranges, the first channel tree further includes the first hop-port; and determining whether to assign a second access terminal to a second hop-port that is mapped to at least the same frequency range during a substantially similar instance in time, the determination made as a function of characteristics relating to a first access terminal associated with the first hop-port, wherein a second channel tree includes multiple mappings between hop-ports and frequency ranges, the second channel tree further includes the second hop-port, wherein upon determining that the first access terminal is a candidate for employing Space-Division Multiple Access (SDMA), mapping the second-hop port and associating the second access terminal with the second hop-port when the second access terminal is also a candidate for employing SDMA.