Patent ID: 8462704

Claim:
A method for interoperations between a single-radio channel switching (SR-CS) device and a single-radio always-on (SR-AO) device in a radio communication system comprising a safety channel, the method comprising: operating the SR-AO device in a normal mode wherein the SR-AO device transmits safety messages on the safety channel at any time during operation intervals and monitors packet transmissions on the safety channel at all times when it is not transmitting; operating the SR-CS device on the safety channel during safety channel intervals within operation intervals to transmit safety messages and to monitor for packet transmissions; and responsive to detection by the SR-AO device of a safety message transmitted by the SR-CS device during one of the safety channel intervals, switching the SR-AO device to an interoperation mode, in which the SR-AO device transmits safety messages at least during the safety channel intervals of the operation intervals.