Method and system for wireless communication channel allocation in wireless networks

1. A method of wireless communication channel allocation, comprising:

scanning wireless channels for available wireless channels, wherein each wireless channel has an associated bandwidth and an associated weight value based on one or more different channel bandwidths; and

selecting a wireless channel among the available wireless channels for allocation in wireless communication;

wherein selecting the wireless channel comprises selecting the wireless channel among the available wireless channels such that a maximum number of wireless channels with wider bandwidth than the selected wireless channel remain available after selection of the wireless channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the wireless channel comprises:

selecting the wireless channel among the available wireless channels such that the selected wireless channel has least overlap with other wider bandwidth available wireless channels.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

associating a weight value to each wireless channel; and

selecting the wireless channel based on the associated weight.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

associating a weight value to each wireless channel comprises associating an initial weight value to each available wireless channel based on a number of the one or more different channel bandwidths as channel types;

scanning the available wireless channels based on channel weights for available wireless channels to reduce channel selection duration; and

selecting a wireless channel among the available wireless channels such that the selected wireless channel has least overlap with other wider bandwidth available wireless channels.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

scanning wireless channels for available wireless channels based on the weights associated with the wireless channels from low to high, to reduce channel selection duration.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

selecting a wireless channel with the lowest weight value from all available wireless channels based on scanning results;

adjusting the weight of the selected wireless channel to an upper limit value; and

adjusting the weight of an overlapping wireless channel of a different bandwidth as the selected wireless channel, to said upper limit value.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

reducing the weight of a wireless channel of the same bandwidth as the selected wireless channel and overlapping wider bandwidth wireless channels with weights adjusted to said upper limit value.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

selecting a wireless channel based on the weight associated with the wireless channel, such that a maximum number of wireless channels with wider bandwidth than the selected wireless channel remain available after selection of the wireless channel.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

categorizing a lower half of a wireless channel bandwidth as a primary channel, and upper half of the wireless channel bandwidth as a secondary channel, wherein the primary channel has a higher priority for selection; and

selecting a secondary channel only when no primary channels are available.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a lower half or an upper half of a wireless channel bandwidth based on availability, wherein said lower half has the same priority for selection as said upper half.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

re-allocating a currently selected wireless channel to a new available wireless channel bandwidth location having the lowest weight.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

allocating the selected wireless channel for wireless transmission in a wireless local area network between 902 MHz and 928 MHz.

13. A wireless station, comprising:

a communication module configured for processing information for transmission on a wireless communication channel; and

a channel allocation module for allocating the wireless communication channel, wherein the channel allocation module is configured for scanning wireless channels for available wireless channels wherein each wireless channel has an associated bandwidth and an associated weight value based on one or more different channel bandwidths, and selecting the wireless channel among the available wireless channels for allocation in wireless communication;

wherein selecting the wireless channel comprises selecting the wireless channel among the available wireless channels such that a maximum number of wireless channels with wider bandwidth than the selected wireless channel remain available after selection of the wireless channel.

14. The wireless station of claim 13 , wherein the channel allocation module selects the wireless channel among the available wireless channels such that the selected wireless channel has least overlap with other wider bandwidth available wireless channels.

15. The wireless station of claim 13 , wherein each wireless channel has an associated weight value such that the channel allocation module selects wireless channels based on the associated weight.

16. The wireless station of claim 15 , wherein:

each wireless channel has an associated initial weight value based on the number of different channel bandwidths as channel types; and

the channel allocation module scans the wireless channels based on channel weights for available wireless channels to reduce channel selection duration, and selects the wireless channel among the available wireless channels such that the selected wireless channel has least overlap with other wider bandwidth available wireless channels.

17. The wireless station of claim 16 , wherein the channel allocation module scans wireless channels for available wireless channels based on the weights associated with the wireless channels from low to high, to reduce channel selection duration.

18. The wireless station of claim 16 , wherein the channel allocation module selects a wireless channel with the lowest weight value from all available wireless channels based on scanning results, adjusts the weight of the selected wireless channel to an upper limit value and adjusts the weight of an overlapping wireless channel of a different bandwidth as the selected wireless channel, to said upper limit value.

19. The wireless station of claim 18 , wherein the channel allocation module reduces the weight of a channel of the same bandwidth as the selected wireless channel and overlapping wider bandwidth wireless channels with weights adjusted to said upper limit value.

20. The wireless station of claim 16 , wherein the channel allocation module selects a wireless channel based on the weight associated with the wireless channel, such that a maximum number of wireless channels with wider bandwidth than the selected wireless channel remain available after selection of the wireless channel.

21. The wireless station of claim 13 , wherein a lower half of a channel bandwidth is categorized as a primary channel, and upper half of the channel bandwidth is categorized as a secondary channel, wherein the primary channel has as higher priority for selection, such that the channel allocation module selects a secondary channel only when no primary channels are available.

22. The wireless station of claim 13 , wherein the channel allocation module selects a lower half or an upper have of a channel bandwidth based on availability, wherein said lower half has the same priority for selection as said upper half.

23. The wireless station of claim 19 , wherein the channel allocation module re-allocates a currently selected wireless channel to a new available channel bandwidth location having the lowest weight.

24. The wireless station of claim 13 , wherein the wireless station comprises an access point in a local area network.

25. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer useable medium for wireless communication channel allocation, the program product comprising program code for causing a computer system to perform the following steps:

scanning wireless channels via a physical (PHY) wireless communication layer for available wireless channels, wherein each wireless channel has an associated bandwidth and an associated weight value based on one or more different channel bandwidths; and

selecting a wireless channel among the available wireless channels for allocation in wireless communication;

wherein selecting the wireless channel comprises selecting a wireless channel among the available wireless channels such that a maximum number of wireless channels with wider bandwidth than the selected wireless channel remain available after the selection.

26. The program product of claim 25 , wherein selecting the wireless channel comprises:

selecting a wireless channel among the available wireless channels such that the selected wireless channel has least overlap with other wider bandwidth available wireless channels; and

allocating the selected wireless channel for wireless transmission in a wireless location area network.

27. The program product of claim 26 , further comprising:

associating an initial weight value to each available wireless channel based on the number of different channel bandwidths as channel types;

scanning the wireless channels based on channel weights for available wireless channels to reduce channel selection duration; and

selecting the wireless channel based on the associated weight such that the selected wireless channel has least overlap with other wider bandwidth available wireless channels.

28. The program product of claim 27 , further comprising:

scanning wireless channels for available wireless channels based on the weights associated with the wireless channels from low to high, to reduce channel selection duration;

selecting a wireless channel with the lowest weight value from all available wireless channels based on scanning results;

adjusting the weight of the selected wireless channel to an upper limit value;

reducing the weight of an overlapping wireless channel of the same bandwidth as the selected wireless channel; and

adjusting the weight of an overlapping wireless channel of a different bandwidth as the selected wireless channel, to said upper limit value.

29. The program product of claim 27 , further comprising:

selecting the wireless channel based on the weight associated with the wireless channel, such that a maximum number of wireless channels with wider bandwidth than the selected wireless channel remain available after selection of the wireless channel.

30. The program product of claim 25 , further comprising:

categorizing a lower half of a channel bandwidth as a primary channel, and upper half of the channel bandwidth as a secondary channel, wherein the primary channel has as higher priority for selection; and

selecting a secondary channel only when no primary channels are available.

31. The program product of claim 25 , further comprising:

selecting a lower half or an upper have of a channel bandwidth based on availability, wherein said lower half has the same priority for selection as said upper half.

32. The program product of claim 27 , further comprising:

re-allocating a currently selected wireless channel to a new available wireless channel bandwidth location having the lowest weight.