Wireless communication methods and apparatus supporting multiple modes

摘要

Wireless terminal operation is coordinated to be responsive to dynamic communications frequency spectrum reallocation between infrastructure based communications usage and peer to peer communications usage. Methods and apparatus in which mobile nodes switch between cellular and peer to peer communication modes of operation are described. Broadcast signals, e.g., beacon signals, are monitored and detected by the mobile node to ascertain a current spectrum usage designation, and the mobile node switches operational modes in response to detected changes in the broadcast signals.

主权项

1. A method of operating a wireless device, the method comprising:
monitoring for broadcast signals from a base station; determining from a received beacon signal transmitted from said base station if said base station has reallocated frequency spectrum from one of: i) infrastructure use and ii) peer to peer use during which said spectrum is used for peer to peer communications to the other one of: i) infrastructure use and ii) peer to peer use; determining from said received beacon signal whether spectrum is allocated for infrastructure use or peer to peer use; and in response to detecting a reallocation of frequency spectrum from a peer to peer use to an infrastructure use, reducing a transmission power.