Patent ID: 8149811

Claim:
A wireless network comprising: a plurality of client stations configured to respectively generate uplink user data, wherein the plurality of client stations include (i) a first set of client stations configured to transmit the uplink user data during a simultaneous uplink transmission period without sensing channel prior to transmitting the uplink user data, and (ii) a second set of client stations configured to transmit the uplink user data by sensing channel prior to transmitting the uplink user data; and an access point configured to service the plurality of client stations including the first set of client stations and the second set of client stations, instruct the second set of client stations to not transmit the uplink user data during the simultaneous uplink transmission period, and receive the uplink user data transmitted from two or more of the first set of client stations during the simultaneous uplink transmission period, wherein the access point is configured to sequentially transmit a respective acknowledgement to the two or more of the first set of client stations in a non-overlapping manner during the simultaneous uplink transmission period.