Padding and backoff operations when transmitting via multiple frequency segments in a wlan

A first communication device, comprising:

• a wireless network interface device that is configured to communicate via multiple frequency segments, the wireless network interface device having one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices configured to:
• determine that simultaneous transmission and reception via multiple frequency segments is not permitted,
• control the wireless network interface device to transmit a first packet in a first frequency segment beginning at a first time,
• control the wireless network interface device to transmit a second packet in a second frequency segment beginning at a second time that is different than the first time, wherein transmission of the second packet overlaps in time with transmission of the first packet, and
• in response to having determined that simultaneous transmission and reception via multiple frequency segments is not permitted, include in the first packet padding so that an end of transmission of the first packet occurs at a same time as an end of transmission of the second packet.

A method for simultaneously transmitting in multiple frequency segments, comprising:

• performing, at a communication device, a backoff operation corresponding to one frequency segment among the multiple frequency segments, the backoff operation involving decrementing a backoff counter in connection with the one frequency segment;
• determining, at a communication device, whether the backoff counter of the communication device is expired;
• and
• in response to determining that the backoff counter has expired, simultaneously transmitting, by the communication device, respective transmissions in respective frequency segments beginning at a same time.

A communication device, comprising:

• a wireless network interface device that is configured to communicate via multiple frequency segments, the wireless network interface device including one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices and a backoff counter implemented on the one or more IC devices, wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to:
• perform a backoff operation corresponding to one frequency segment among the multiple frequency segments, the backoff operation involving decrementing the backoff counter in connection with the one frequency segment,
• determine whether the backoff counter is expired, and
• in response to determining that the backoff counter has expired, control the wireless network interface device to simultaneously transmit respective transmissions in respective frequency segments beginning at a same time.