Patent ID: 8583159

Claim:
A method of increasing system throughput in an unlicensed spectrum comprising: transmitting from a first mobile device to a second mobile device a first request to send (RTS) signal having a first transmit data power level based on a channel gain between the first mobile device and the second mobile device; receiving, at the first mobile device, a first clear to send (CTS) signal from the second mobile device; and transmitting data at the first transmit data power level from the first mobile device to the second mobile device, wherein the first RTS signal includes a rate option, receiving, at a fourth mobile device, the first CTS signal from the second mobile device, the first CTS signal having a second received CTS power level; receiving, at the fourth mobile device, a second CTS signal from a third mobile device; and determining, at the fourth mobile device, whether to transmit a data signal based on a predetermined function of the second received CTS power level, wherein the predetermined function depends on the rate option.