Patent ID: 7630343

Claim:
A method of operating a wireless station, comprising: associating a first backoff timer with a first receiver associated with a first directional antenna; associating a second backoff timer with a second receiver associated with a second directional antenna; operating the first and second receivers to communicate with a single media access control (MAC) module; operating the first receiver to monitor via the single MAC module for transmissions from a remote wireless station, when operating the second receiver via the single MAC module to monitor for transmissions from a remote wireless station and when transmitting signals using the second directional antenna; in response to the first receiver sensing a transmission from a remote wireless station, activating the first backoff timer; in response to the second receiver sensing a transmission from a remote wireless station, activating the second backoff timer; and when a remote wireless station fails to respond to a frame transmitted from the first directional antenna, transmitting first search signals from the first directional antenna and second search signals from the second directional antenna.