Patent ID: 8908556

Claim:
A method for adjusting the timing of packet transmissions in a wireless communications system, comprising: receiving ranging signals from a plurality of wireless network nodes; determining timing adjustment information for adjusting starting timing of packet transmissions from the wireless network nodes based on the ranging signals, comprising: determining which one of the wireless network nodes has a maximum propagation delay; determining a propagation delay of each of the wireless network nodes other than the wireless network node having the maximum propagation delay; and determining a timing adjustment for each of the wireless network nodes other than the wireless network node having the maximum propagation delay by subtracting, respectively, the propagation delay of each of the wireless network nodes other than the wireless network node having the maximum propagation delay from the maximum propagation delay, wherein the timing adjustment for each of the wireless network nodes is coded as an N-bit code indicating a relative delay in one or more delay increments; estimating one or more downlink channel responses for the wireless network nodes; and communicating the timing adjustment information and said one or more downlink channel responses to the wireless network nodes.