Patent ID: 9629202
Date: 2017-04-18
CPC Classifications: H04W

Claim:
1. A method of operating a communication device configured to communicate according to at least a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol, the method comprising: obtaining, at the communication device, a time division multiplexing (TDM) pattern defined for communication in a first network according to the first communication protocol, wherein the TDM pattern defines communication periodicity that includes a scheduled period and an unscheduled period of the first network; reserving, by the communication device, a guard interval within the unscheduled period, the guard interval for completing frame exchanges, in a second network according to the second communication protocol, so that no frame exchanges with the communication device in the second network occur during a next scheduled period in the TDM pattern; using, at the communication device, the unscheduled period for communication in the second network according to the second communication protocol, including using the guard interval to complete one or more frame exchanges in the second network prior to the next scheduled period in the TDM pattern of the first network; and transmitting, by the communication device, a management frame during the guard interval, wherein: