COMMUNICATIONS METHODS AND APPARATUS RELATED TO BEACON SIGNALS SOME OF WHICH MAY COMMUNICATE PRIORITY INFORMATION
First Claim
1. A method of operating a wireless communication device, comprising:
- receiving at least a portion of a beacon signal including at least one beacon symbol from another communications device; and
making a signal transmission decision based on priority information communicated by said received beacon signal portion.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Wireless terminals receive beacon signals from other communication devices and make transmission decisions based on priority information communicated by the beacon signals. Priority information communicated in a beacon signal includes, e.g., one of device priority, user priority and session priority. A wireless terminal compares priority information recovered from received beacon signals with its own current level of priority. A transmission decision based on received priority information includes deciding not to transmit user data when received priority information indicates a higher priority than its own priority level. Another transmission decision based on received priority information includes deciding to transmit user data when the received priority information indicates a lower priority than its own priority level. Other exemplary transmission decisions, performed as a function of priority information from beacon signals, include deciding to perform a transmission power level adjustment and deciding to terminate an ongoing communications session.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method of operating a wireless communication device, comprising:
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receiving at least a portion of a beacon signal including at least one beacon symbol from another communications device; and
making a signal transmission decision based on priority information communicated by said received beacon signal portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A wireless communications device, comprising:
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a receiver for receiving from another communications device at least a portion of a beacon signal including at leat one beacon symbol; and
a transmission decision module for making a signal transmission decision based on priority information communicated by said received beacon signal portion. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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22. The device of 21, further comprising:
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a beacon signal generation module for generating at least a portion of a beacon signal including a beacon symbol; and
a transmitter for transmitting user data in addition said portion of a beacon signal when said signal transmission decision module indicates that user data is to be transmitted. - View Dependent Claims (23, 26)
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24. The device of 20, further comprising:
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a control module for controlling a monitoring module to monitor for an additional beacon signal portion including at least one beacon symbol following said transmission decision module making a signal transmission decision; and
wherein if said additional beacon signal portion is not received in a predetermined period of time, said transmission decision module making a decision to transmit a signal. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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34. A wireless communications device, comprising:
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means for receiving for receiving from another communications device at least a portion of a beacon signal including at least one beacon symbol; and
means of making a transmission decision for making a signal transmission decision based on priority information communicated by said received beacon signal portion. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. The device of 37, further comprising:
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means for generating beacon signals for generating at least a portion of a beacon signal including a beacon symbol; and
means for transmitting for transmitting user data in said portion of a beacon signal when said signal transmission decision module indicates that user data is to be transmitted. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. The device of 36, further comprising:
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means for monitoring for beacon signals;
means for controlling said means for monitoring for beacon signals to monitor for an additional beacon signal portion including at least one beacon symbol following said means for making a transmission decision making a signal transmission decision; and
wherein if said additional beacon signal portion is not received in a predetermined period of time, said means for making a transmission decision makes a decision to transmit a signal.
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41. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for implementing a method of operating a wireless communications device, the method comprising:
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receiving at least a portion of a beacon signal including at least one beacon symbol from another communications device; and
making a signal transmission decision based on priority information communicated by said received beacon signal portion. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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45. The computer readable medium of 44, further comprising embodying machine executable instruction for:
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controlling the transmission of user data when said signal transmission decision indicates that user data is to be transmitted; and
controlling the transmission of at least a portion of a beacon signal in addition to said user data. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. An apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to;
receive at least a portion of a beacon signal including at least one beacon symbol from another communications device; and
making a signal transmission decision based on priority information communicated by said received beacon signal portion. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
Specification