Patent ID: 8144723

Claim:
A cognitive radio system comprising: a first transmitter configured to receive a plurality of first packets and to transmit the first packets to a first receiver via a wireless channel; and a second transmitter configured to: receive a plurality of second packets; receive the plurality of the first packets from the first transmitter; and detect an idle state of the wireless channel, wherein, upon detecting the idle state of the wireless channel, the second transmitter is configured to select between transmitting at least one of the second packets to a second receiver and relaying at least one of the first packets to the first receiver, and configured to transmit the at least one of the second packets to the second receiver or relay the at least one of the first packets to the first receiver based on the selecting, wherein the selecting is based on a detected state of a transmission of the at least one of the first packets to the first receiver from the first transmitter.