Patent ID: 8270550

Claim:
A method of synchronizing a transmitter (Tx) entity and a receiver (Rx) entity, wherein the Tx entity initiates a synchronization and the Rx entity responds to the synchronization, the method comprising: with the Tx entity: transmitting an initial plurality of frames to the Rx entity, each of the initial plurality of frames comprising a header having a Tx reset indicator field set to a first state as part of a previously conducted reset operation; in response to a determination to perform a Tx entity reset operation: performing the Tx entity reset operation; and transmitting a subsequent plurality of frames to the Rx entity, each of the subsequent plurality of frames having the Tx reset indicator field in the header set to a second state to indicate that the Tx entity has performed the Tx entity reset operation; and with the Rx entity: in response to identifying that the Tx reset indicator field in the header of a received frame in the subsequent plurality of frames changed from the first state to the second state: performing an Rx entity reset operation; and transmitting a reset acknowledge message comprising a Rx reset indicator to the Tx entity, the Rx reset indicator being set to indicate that the Rx entity has performed the Rx entity reset operation, wherein each of the initial plurality of frames and each of the subsequent plurality of frames further comprises data for use in one or more other operations.