Dynamic Multi-Channel Access for WLAN Utilization

The patent implements dynamic channel reservation by allowing stations to continuously monitor and reserve new idle channels during the data transmission process. The reservation period is divided into multiple sub-periods, and stations can dynamically adjust their channel usage by monitoring channel status in each sub-period and reserving new channels as needed, transforming the static reservation model into a dynamic one that adapts to real-time channel conditions.

The patent extends the single-channel reservation model to multi-channel operation by introducing a temporal dimension to channel reservation. Stations can reserve channels not only in the future but also during the transmission process by dividing the reservation period into sub-periods. This allows stations to operate on multiple channels simultaneously or sequentially, effectively adding a time-based dimension to channel access that increases overall utilization.

The patent applies preliminary action by having stations perform channel monitoring and reservation in advance for each sub-period before actual data transmission begins in that sub-period. This allows stations to proactively secure channel resources ahead of time while maintaining the ability to repeat this process for subsequent sub-periods, thus preserving simplicity through structured advance planning while enabling flexibility through repeated preliminary actions.

The patent segments the reservation period into multiple sub-periods, allowing stations to independently monitor, evaluate, and reserve channels for each sub-period. This segmentation transforms a single complex reservation decision into multiple simpler, independent decisions, maintaining ease of operation for each individual reservation while collectively providing high flexibility across the entire transmission process.