Patent ID: 7729372
Filing Date: 2010-06-01
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A method for operating in a network in which stations communicate over a shared medium, the shared medium having at least one varying channel characteristic that varies approximately periodically such that a period associated with the varying channel characteristic is approximately equal to a predetermined value, the method comprising: providing repeated beacon transmissions from a coordinator station for coordinating transmissions among a plurality of the stations, wherein at least some beacon transmissions are synchronized to the varying channel characteristic; determining a start time of a beacon transmission based on a time offset from a detected feature of the varying channel characteristic; including in the beacon transmission information indicating start times of a plurality of future beacon transmissions; including in the beacon transmission information indicating time slots relative to the future beacon transmissions during which a first station is permitted to transmit to at least one receiving station; and transmitting from the first station to at least one receiving station during a time slot determined based on at least one of the beacon transmissions received by the first station from the coordinator station.