Patent ID: 7379441

Claim:
A method for conveying data in a downlink over a communication link, the method comprising: providing a downlink subframe with a time division multiplex (TDM) portion, including at least one TDM section, and a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) portion, including at least one TDMA section with an associated preamble; beginning the downlink subframe with a broadcast preamble; establishing a downlink map for the downlink subframe, the downlink map indicating one or more time positions within the downlink subframe where the at least one TDM section begins, and indicating one or more time positions within the downlink subframe where the at least one TDMA section begins; transmitting the downlink map in the downlink subframe after the broadcast preamble; and transmitting all TDM sections and all TDMA sections, along with each associated preamble, within the downlink subframe after transmitting the downlink map.