Patent ID: 8139531

Claim:
A method of operating a second device having a connection with a first device in a peer-to-peer communication network, comprising: receiving a pilot signal from the first device in a pilot channel associated with a data traffic slot; determining the data transmission format to be used in the data traffic slot, the data transmission format including at least a small packet format and a normal packet format; determining an amount of power back off based on at least the pilot signals received in the pilot channel when the data transmission format includes a small packet format, the power back off indicating an amount that the first device can reduce for the transmission power of the data traffic slot; determining a rate feedback format to be used in a rate feedback channel associated with the data traffic slot based on the determined data transmission format; and sending a rate feedback signal in the rate feedback channel using the rate feedback format, and signaling the determined amount of power back off in the rate feedback signal when the data transmission format includes a small packet format.