Patent ID: 8023956

Claim:
A method of scheduling communications between base stations operating separate wireless networks over a shared channel, comprising: providing a first base station having a wireless service connection with a bridge consumer premise equipment (CPE) system over the shared channel; with the bridge CPE system, establishing a wireless coexistence connection over the shared channel with a second base station; with the second base station, allocating time slots on the shared channel for communications between the first base station and the bridge CPE system, wherein the second base station and the CPE system do not transmit on the shared channel during the allocated time slots; transmitting coexistence information including spectrum contention numbers from the first base station to the second base station including performing communications between the first base station and the bridge CPE system during the allocated time slots; prior to the releasing, sending a coexistence request with the second base station to the first base station via the bridge CPE system using a coexistence time slot on the shared channel and in response, operating the first base station to perform a spectrum contention for ownership of the shared channel and report results of the spectrum contention to the second base station using a coexistence time slot on the shared channel; when the second base station wins the spectrum contention, using the first base station to instruct the bridge CPE system to perform the establishing of the wireless coexistence connection for use after the releasing of the shared channel and operating the first base station to instruct the bridge CPE system to request the allocated time slots to allow for communications between the first base station and the bridge CPE system on the shared channel; and releasing the shared channel with the first base station; after the releasing, operating the second base station to establish a wireless service connection to a CPE system over the shared channel.