Patent ID: 7231215

Claim:
A method of channel switching in a packet-based wireless communication network, where data traffic takes place on a first channel that is controlled by a central control unit which indicates its presence on the first channel by transmitting regular beacons with a specified time interval, and where devices associated with the central control unit are active, or leaving sleep mode to listen for pending data traffic at specified time intervals, comprising the steps of: detecting a radar signal on the first channel and in response to the detection interrupting the data traffic on the first channel, transmitting a first channel switch message on the first channel, signaling to active and/or listening devices that a channel switch to a second channel will occur, wherein a channel switch count is set to zero in the first channel switch message, thus signaling to active and/or listening devices that a channel switch will occur immediately after the beacon transmission; switching to and resuming data traffic on the second channel, transmitting a second channel switch message on the first channel, signaling to active and/or listening devices that a channel switch has occurred, wherein a channel switch count is set to one in the second channel switch message, thus signaling to active and/or listening devices that a channel switch will occur before the next beacon transmission, and repeatedly transmitting second channel switch messages at predetermined intervals on the first channel and transmitting a regular beacon on the second channel.