Method for maintaining the continuing existence of NPD in IEEE 802.22.1 operation

A method for providing protection in a communication system, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of protective devices protecting a plurality of licensed devices, with the plurality of protective devices comprising a primary protecting device, a next-in-line protecting device, and a plurality of secondary protecting devices;
• periodically transmitting, via a first subset of the plurality of secondary protecting devices, beacon messages to the primary protecting device in a regular period of time T1;
• transmitting, by the primary protecting device, a beacon frame signal containing information of the secondary protecting devices that have transmitted the beacon messages within a certain period of time;
• and
• when the next-in-line protecting device disappears, selecting, by the primary protecting device, a secondary protecting device from among the secondary protecting devices that have transmitted the beacon messages within a certain period of time to be a new next-in-line protecting device.

A method for providing protection in a communication system, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of protective devices protecting a plurality of licensed devices, the plurality of protective devices comprising a primary protecting device, a next-in-line protecting device, and a plurality of secondary protecting devices;
• continuously monitoring, by a first subset of the plurality of secondary protecting devices, an existence of the next-in-line protecting device;
• when the next-in-line protecting device disappears for a period of time T2, contending, by the first subset of the plurality of secondary protecting devices, to be a new next-in-line protecting device;
• and
• selecting, by the primary protecting device, a secondary protecting device from among the first subset of the secondary protecting devices to be the new next-in-line protecting device.

A secondary protecting device for providing protection in a communication system, the secondary protecting device configured to:

• periodically transmit a beacon message to a primary protecting device, in a regular period of time T1, in a beacon network comprising the primary protecting device, a plurality of secondary protecting devices, and a next-in-line protecting device;
• when the next-in-line protecting device disappears, determine whether the secondary protecting device itself has been selected by the primary protecting device to be a new next-in-line protecting device;
• and
• if the secondary protecting device has been selected to be the new next-in-line protecting device, promote the secondary protecting device itself to be the new next-in-line protecting device.

A primary protecting device for providing protection in a communication system, the primary protecting device configured to:

• receive beacon messages from a subset of a plurality of secondary protecting devices in a beacon network comprising the primary protecting device, the plurality of secondary protecting devices, and a next-in-line protecting device;
• store information of the secondary protecting devices that have transmitted beacon messages within a certain period in a memory unit;
• and
• when the next-in-line protecting device disappears, select a secondary protecting device from among the secondary protecting devices whose infoimation is currently stored in the memory unit to be a new next-in-line protecting device.

A secondary protecting device for providing protection in a communication system, the secondary protecting device configured to:

• continuously monitor an existence of a next-in-line protecting device in a beacon network comprising a primary protecting device, a plurality of secondary protecting devices, and the next-in-line protecting device;
• when the next-in-line protecting device disappears for a period of time T2, contend with other secondary protecting devices in the beacon network to be a new next-in-line protecting device;
• determine whether the secondary protecting device itself has been selected by the primary protecting device to be the new next-in-line protecting device;
• and
• if the secondary protecting device has been selected to be the new next-in-line protecting device, promote the secondary protecting device itself to be the new next-in-line protecting device.