Patent ID: 9148871
Filing Date: 2015-09-29
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of communicating in a wireless network, the method comprising: determining whether a communication has been received from each of a plurality of apparatuses within a previous period; generating a plurality of indicators, each indicator signifying a result of the determination for a respective one of the plurality of apparatuses and including information identifying a previous communication received from the respective one of the plurality of apparatuses within the previous period, wherein the plurality of indicators includes the information identifying the previous communication received from at least two different apparatuses; wirelessly broadcasting a beacon associated with a periodicity with which the plurality of indicators is to be broadcast; and wirelessly broadcasting a communication comprising the plurality of indicators according to a stored schedule indicating the periodicity, wherein the generating comprises generating a bitmap comprising the plurality of indicators having information identifying the previous communication received from the respective one of the plurality of apparatuses within the previous period, each of the plurality of indicators comprising a bit in the bitmap and signifying the result of the determination for the respective one of the plurality of apparatuses, wherein at least two indicators of the plurality of indicators in the bitmap include the information identifying the previous communication received from the at least two different apparatuses, and wherein the broadcast communication includes the bitmap.