System and method for reducing collisions in wireless networks

A wireless station, comprising:

• a receiver;
• a transmitter;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor connected to the memory, the receiver and the transmitter, wherein the processor operates to:
• examine a frame control field having a parameter used to indicate that data to be transmitted includes a plurality of fragments;
• partition the data retrieved from the memory into a plurality of fragments, including a first fragment and a second fragment;
• if the parameter indicates the data to be transmitted includes a plurality of fragments, select the first fragment from the plurality of fragments and transmit the first fragment from the transmitter at a first PHY data rate and a first transmission power;
• and
• transmit the second fragment from the transmitter at a second PHY data rate and a second transmission power,
• wherein the second PHY data rate is higher than the first PHY data rate;
• wherein a segment length of the first fragment is shorter than a segment length of the second fragment, and
• wherein the first transmission power is higher than the second transmission power.

A wireless network, comprising:

• one or more first wireless stations, wherein each first wireless station includes a receiver and a transmitter;
• and
• a second wireless station, wherein the second wireless station includes:
• a receiver,
• a transmitter;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor connected to the memory, the receiver and the transmitter, wherein the processor operates to:
• examine a frame control field having a parameter used to indicate that data to be transmitted includes a plurality of fragments;
• partition the data retrieved from the memory into a plurality of fragments, including a first fragment and a second fragment;
• if the parameter indicates the data to be transmitted includes a plurality of fragments, select the first fragment from the plurality of fragments and transmit the first fragment from the transmitter at a first PHY data rate and a first transmission power;
• and
• transmit the second fragment from the transmitter at a second PHY data rate and a second transmission power,
• wherein the second PHY data rate is higher than the first PHY data rate;
• wherein a segment length of the first fragment is shorter than a segment length of the second fragment, and
• wherein the first transmission power is higher than the second transmission power.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

• transmit a first type of information from a transmitter at a first set of transmission parameters, wherein the first set of transmission parameters includes a first PHY data rate and a first transmission power, wherein transmitting the first type of information includes:
• examining a frame control field having a parameter used to indicate that data to be transmitted includes a plurality of fragments;
• and
• if the parameter indicates the data to be transmitted includes a plurality of fragments, selecting a first fragment from the plurality of fragments and transmitting the first fragment at the first PHY data rate and the first transmission power;
• transmit a second type of information from the transmitter at a second set of transmission parameters, wherein the second set of transmission parameters includes a second PHY data rate and a second transmission power, wherein transmitting the second type of information from the transmitter includes transmitting a second fragment at the second PHY data rate and the second transmission power;
• and
• switch between the first set of transmission parameters and the second set of transmission parameters as a function of the type of information to be transmitted,
• wherein the second PHY data rate is higher than the first PHY data rate;
• wherein a segment length of the first fragment is shorter than a segment length of the second fragment, and
• wherein the first transmission power is higher than the second transmission power.