Patent ID: 8509201

Claim:
In a system comprising a first access point serving a first wireless network; and a neighbouring access point serving a neighbouring wireless network having coverage overlapping with said first wireless network, wherein said first access point and said neighbouring access point transmit beacon messages at beacon times that are temporally separated by predetermined beacon periods, a method of operating said system, said method comprising: said first access point sending a first offer to said neighbouring access point, said first offer offering a period of silent time to said neighbouring access point during which period of silent time said first access point silences said first wireless network; said neighbouring access point sending an acceptance of said first offer to said first access point; said first access point receiving said acceptance; and said first access point not honouring said first offer by not silencing said first wireless network; wherein a specific point in time when said period of silent time could start and its duration are not limited by when said beacon times will occur and are not limited by a length of said beacon periods.