Patent ID: 8774124

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a physical layer (PHY) processor configured to: support communications with the at least one additional apparatus in accordance with a plurality of channel bandwidths, such that a first of the plurality of channel bandwidths is a sub-channel of a second of the plurality of channel bandwidths; continuously to monitor one of the plurality of channel bandwidths for communication activity thereon; and a baseband processor configured to: analyze at least one signal received from the at least one additional apparatus, or at least one additional signal corresponding to the at least one signal, to identify any communication activity on any one of the plurality of channel bandwidths; selectively direct the apparatus not to transmit any signal for a period of time when communication activity identified on any one of the plurality of channel bandwidths or allow the apparatus to support the communications with the at least one additional apparatus when no communication activity identified on any one of the plurality of channel bandwidths; and decode the at least one signal, or the at least one additional signal corresponding to the at least one signal, to extract at least one of preamble and signal field (SIG) information therein; and based on the at least one of preamble and SIG information, selectively decode or not decode a remainder of the at least one signal, or the at least one additional signal corresponding to the at least one signal, following the at least one of preamble and SIG information.