Medium access control protocol with automatic frequency assignment

A method for accomplishing automatic frequency assignment in a wireless telecommunications network that includes a base station and a wireless terminal, wherein the base station and the wireless terminal communicate in accordance with a medium access control (MAC) protocol, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating MAC frames over a first frequency, wherein the MAC frames contain telecommunications data and control information being transmitted between the base station and the wireless terminal;
• generating a control message from the base station to the wireless terminal in a downlink portion of a MAC frame indicating that the base station and the wireless terminal will be prevented from transmitting following the generation of a first number of MAC frames;
• determining whether the first number of MAC frames has been generated;
• after the first number of MAC frames has been generated, preventing the base station and the wireless terminal from transmitting during a predefined time interval;
• generating a second number of MAC frames after the expiration of the predefined time interval, wherein the MAC frames contain no user data, and wherein the wireless terminal resynchronizes with the base station while the second number of MAC frames are generated;
• determining whether the second number of empty MAC frames has been generated;
• and
• after the second number of empty MAC frames has been generated, resuming the generation of MAC frames containing telecommunications data and control information.

A method for automatic frequency assignment in a wireless local area network that includes a base station and at least one wireless terminal, wherein the base station and the at least one wireless terminal communicate in accordance with a medium access control (MAC) protocol, said method comprises the steps of:

• generating MAC frames over a first frequency, wherein the MAC frames contain telecommunications data and control information being transmitted between the base station and the at least one wireless terminal;
• broadcasting an interference measurement pause control message from the base station to the at least one wireless terminal in a downlink portion of a MAC frame, wherein the interference measurement pause control message warns the at least one wireless terminal that following the generation of a first number of MAC frames the base station will begin making interference measurements for at least one frequency;
• determining whether the first number of MAC frames has been generated;
• after determining that the first number of MAC frames has been generated, terminating all base station and wireless terminal transmissions for a predefined time interval;
• at the base station, measuring interference for the at least one frequency during the predefined time interval;
• determining whether the predefined time interval has elapsed;
• after determining that the predefined time interval has elapsed, terminating the interference measurements being made at the base station and generating a second number of MAC frames, wherein each of the second number of MAC frames contains no user data;
• synchronizing the at least one wireless terminal with the base station while the second number of MAC frames are being generated;
• determining whether all of the second number of empty MAC frames have been generated;
• after determining that all of the second number of empty MAC frames have been generated, resuming the generation of MAC frames containing telecommunications data and control information over the first frequency;
• and
• assigning a new frequency to the base station in place of the first frequency, based on the interference measurements.