Multi-hop wireless mesh network medium access control protocol

An apparatus that facilitates multi-carrier wireless transmission, comprising:

• a contending module configured to contend for a plurality of subcarriers independently by transmitting a separate request-to-send (RTS) signal on each one of the plurality of subcarriers;
• wherein the RTS signal transmitted on one of the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers is transmitted over a narrower frequency bandwidth than the data transmitted on the one of the one or more of the plurality subcarriers;
• a receiver configured to receive one or more clear-to-send (CTS) signals on one or more of the plurality of subcarriers in response to the RTS signals, wherein the one or more CTS signals indicate to another apparatus receiving the one or more CTS signals that the apparatus has won contention for the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers;
• and a transmitter configured to transmit data via the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers.

An apparatus that facilitates performing multi-carrier wireless transmission, comprising:

• means for contending for each one of a plurality of subcarriers independently by transmitting a separate request-to-send (RTS) signal on each one of the plurality of subcarriers;
• wherein the RTS signal transmitted on one of the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers is transmitted over a narrower frequency bandwidth than the data transmitted on the one of the one or more of the plurality subcarriers;
• means for receiving one or more clear-to-send (CTS) signals on one or more of the plurality of subcarriers in response to the RTS signals, wherein the one or more CTS signals indicate to another apparatus receiving the one or more CTS signals that the apparatus has won contention for the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers;
• and means for transmitting data via the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers.

A machine-readable storage device encoded with instructions for facilitating multi-carrier wireless transmission, wherein the instructions upon execution cause a machine to:

• contend for each one of a plurality of subcarriers independently by transmitting a separate request-to-send (RTS) signal on each one of the plurality of subcarriers;
• wherein the RTS signal transmitted on one of the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers is transmitted over a narrower frequency bandwidth than the data transmitted on the one of the one or more of the plurality subcarriers;
• receive one or more clear-to-send (CTS) signals on one or more of the plurality of subcarriers in response to the RTS signals, wherein the one or more CTS signals indicate to another apparatus receiving the one or more CTS signals that the apparatus has won contention for the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers, and each of the one or more CTS signals comprises a multi-valued CTS signal;
• and transmit data via the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers.

An access point, comprising:

• an antenna;
• a contending module configured to contend for a plurality of subcarriers independently by transmitting a separate request-to-send (RTS) signal on each one of the plurality of subcarriers;
• wherein the RTS signal transmitted on one of the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers is transmitted over a narrower frequency bandwidth than the data transmitted on the one of the one or more of the plurality subcarriers;
• a receiver configured to receive one or more clear-to-send (CTS) signals on one or more of the plurality of subcarriers via the antenna in response to the RTS signals, wherein the one or more CTS signals indicate to an apparatus receiving the one or more CTS signals that the access point has won contention for the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers, and each of the one or more CTS signals comprises a multi-valued CTS signal;
• and a transmitter configured to transmit data via the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers.

An access terminal, comprising:

• a contending module configured to contend for a plurality of subcarriers independently by transmitting a separate request-to-send (RTS) signal on each one of the plurality of subcarriers;
• wherein the RTS signal transmitted on one of the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers is transmitted over a narrower frequency bandwidth than the data transmitted on the one of the one or more of the plurality subcarriers;
• a receiver configured to receive one or more clear-to-send (CTS) signals on one or more of the plurality of subcarriers in response to the RTS signals, wherein the one or more CTS signals indicate to an apparatus receiving the one or more CTS signals that the access terminal has won contention for the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers, and each of the one or more CTS signals comprises a multi-valued CTS signal;
• and a transmitter configured to transmit data via the one or more of the plurality of subcarriers.