Reliable and deterministic communication protocol

A method of transmitting data, audio or video frames in a basic service set having a plurality of stations in the presence of an overlapping basic service set in a wireless local area network, the method comprising:

• optionally transmitting a transmit opportunity information element to reserve a transmit opportunity time interval;
• transmitting a protection frame during the reserved transmit opportunity time interval or a non-reserved transmit opportunity time interval to cause at least one station in the overlapping basic service set to refrain from transmission during a protection duration within the reserved transmit opportunity time interval or the non-reserved transmit opportunity time interval;
• and
• transmitting the data, audio or video frames during the protection duration within the reserved transmit opportunity time interval or the non-reserved transmit opportunity time interval.

A method of transmitting data, audio or video frames in a reserved or non-reserved transmit opportunity in a basic service set having an access point and a plurality of stations with or without the presence of an overlapping basic service set in a wireless local area network, the method comprising:

• selecting a first number of the stations in the basic service set to provide acknowledgement;
• transmitting a plurality of data, audio or video frames to a second number of the stations in the basic service set, the second number being equal to or greater than the first number;
• transmitting a block acknowledgement request after transmitting the plurality of data, audio or video frames;
• and
• receiving acknowledgement frames from the first number of the stations after transmitting the plurality of data, audio or video frames.

A method of transmitting data, audio or video frames in a reserved or non-reserved transmit opportunity in a basic service set having a plurality of stations in the presence of an overlapping basic service set in a wireless local area network, the method comprising:

• transmitting a first request to a first station in the basic service set that is within a transmission range of the overlapping basic service set, the first request indicating a transmission duration during which a plurality of data, audio or video frames will be transmitted;
• receiving a response to the first request from the first station;
• transmitting the data, audio or video frames to a first number of the stations in the basic service set;
• and
• receiving a respective acknowledgement from each of a second number of the stations after transmitting the data, audio or video frames, the first number being equal to or greater than the second number.

A method of transmitting data, audio or video frames in a basic service set having a plurality of stations in a wireless local area network, the method comprising:

• transmitting a first frame having a first sequence number to a subset of stations of the plurality of stations that are in a broadcast or multicast group;
• transmitting a second frame having a second sequence number that is different than the first sequence number to at least the subset of stations;
• setting a buffer sequence number in the subset of stations to a third sequence number that is different from the first sequence number;
• and
• transmitting a third frame having the third sequence number to the subset of stations.