Patent ID: 8045993

Claim:
A method for reallocation of overlapping channel usage 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, and wherein each cell includes a base station (“BS”) and a plurality of consumer premise equipments (“CPEs”) associated with the BS, the method comprising; monitoring by a cell within a first community usage of the operating channel associated with a neighboring community; ascertaining a degree of congestion of an 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 by 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 by 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.