Patent ID: 8285297

Claim:
A method for reallocation of overlapping channel usage for a base station (BS) in a wireless network having at least two communities wherein each community is formed from two or more overlapping cells, wherein each community is associated with an operating channel, wherein each cell includes a respective BS and a plurality of consumer premise equipments (“CPEs”) associated with the respective BS, and wherein a cell includes the BS, the method comprising; monitoring for the cell within a first community an operating channel associated with a neighboring community; ascertaining a degree of congestion of the operating channel associated with the neighboring community; comparing the degree of congestion of the operating channel associated with the neighboring community with congestion of an operating channel associated with the first community; switching for the cell to the operating channel associated with the neighboring community responsive to the degree of congestion of the operating channel associated with neighboring community being less than congestion of the operating channel associated with the first community; and initiating a back-off procedure including generating a back-off period for the cell within the first community prior to switching to the operating channel associated with the neighboring community, wherein the back-off period is smaller for more congested channels than less congested channels.