Patent ID: 8149815

Claim:
A communication method for carrying out data communication among a plurality of communication stations, comprising: transmitting a request to send signal frame from a first communication station to at least one other communication station, the request to send signal frame indicating a request to initiate data transmission; receiving the request to send signal frame transmitted from said first communication station at a second communication station; and transmitting a clear to send signal frame from said second communication station to at least one of the plurality of communication stations, in reply to the request to send signal frame, wherein said first communication station receives the clear to send signal frame transmitted from said second communication station, the request to send signal frame received by said second communication station includes an address of said second communication station, and the clear to send signal frame includes at least a first section and a second section, the first section including information used to indicate an interval of time during which a conventional communication station must stop its communication operation, and the second section including the address of said first communication station, and said first section is a format that the conventional communication station can interpret, and said second section is a format that the conventional communication station can not interpret.