COORDINATION IN WIRELESS NETWORKS HAVING DEVICES WITH DIFFERENT PHYSICAL LAYER TRANSMISSION SCHEMES

摘要

A wireless network (300) operates with at least two different types of wireless devices, including Type-A wireless devices (320) that communicate using a first transmission scheme and Type-B wireless devices (310) that communicate using a second transmission scheme. Type-A wireless devices (320) can transmit Type-A beacons (325) using the first transmission scheme. Type-B wireless devices (310) can transmit and receive Type-B beacons (315) using the second transmission scheme. Type-B wireless devices (310) can also transmit Type-A beacons (325) using the first transmission scheme, but cannot receive the Type-A beacons (325). Before establishing communications in a new channel, a Type-B wireless device (310) performs power sensing to detect the presence of any non-Type-B wireless devices (200), and if such wireless devices (200) are detected, it switches to another channel. Otherwise, it transmits a Type-A beacon (325) and a Type-B beacon (315) to establish communications in the channel.