Channel Access Avoiding Windows Having Restricted Access

1 . A method comprising:

determining if a period between two beacons is to comprise at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW), where at least one of the beacons comprises a Short Beacon (SB); and

based upon the determining if the period comprises the at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW), providing in a RAW Parameter Set (RPS) an indication regarding the at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW).

2 . A method as in claim 1 where the RAW Parameter Set (RPS) comprises an indication field following a RAW Assignment field in the RAW Parameter Set (RPS), where the indication is in regard to the at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) relative to a respective Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) for that RAW Assignment field.

3 . A method as in claim 2 where the RAW Parameter Set (RPS) comprises a plurality of the indication field, where each of the indication fields is associated with a separate RAW Assignment field in the RAW Parameter Set (RPS).

4 . A method as in claim 1 where the indication comprises a first bit which indicates if the at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) is to occur substantially adjacent to a respective Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) in the period.

5 . A method as in claim 4 where the indication comprises a second bit which indicates if the Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) is before the Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) or after the Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW).

6 . A method as in claim 1 further comprising a node using two of the indications in the RAW Parameter Set (RPS) for two different Non-Periodic Restricted Access Windows (NRAWs) in the period to indicate that a first one of the Periodic Restricted Access Windows (PRAWs) is before one of the Non-Periodic Restricted Access Windows (NRAWs) of the period and a second one of the Periodic Restricted Access Windows (PRAWs) is after the Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW).

7 . A method as in claim 1 further comprising, when a second Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) is adjacent to a prior first Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) during the period, omitting the indication relative to a first RAW Assignment field of the RAW Parameter Set (RPS) for the first Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW).

8 . A method as in claim 1 further comprising, by making a same bit of all of a plurality of the indications in the RAW Parameter Set (RPS) the same, indicating to at least one node that no Non-Restricted Access Window (Non-RAW) access is possible during the period.

9 . A method as in claim 1 further comprising, by making a same bit of all of a plurality of the indications in the RAW Parameter Set (RPS) the same, indicating to at least one node that Non-Restricted Access Window (Non-RAW) access is possible before and after each Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) in the period.

10 . A method as in claim 1 further comprising, in a RAW control field of a RAW Assignment field in the RAW Parameter Set (RPS), indicating that the period comprises at least one of the Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) and comprises no Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW).

11 . A method as in claim 10 where the indicating, that the period comprises at least one of the Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) and comprises no Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW), comprises a RAW type option field of the RAW Control field indicating that the period comprises at least one of the Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) and comprises no Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW), and that only RAW Start Time and RAW Slot Definition subfields are present in every RAW Assignment filed of the RAW Parameter Set (RPS).

12 . An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least:

determine if a period between two beacons is to comprise at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW), where at least one of the beacons comprises a Short Beacon (SB); and

based upon the determining if the period comprises the at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW), provide in a RAW Parameter Set (RPS) an indication regarding the at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW).

13 . A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, the operations comprising:

determining if a period between two beacons is to comprise at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW), where at least one of the beacons comprises a Short Beacon (SB); and

based upon the determining if the period comprises the at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW), providing in a RAW Parameter Set (RPS) an indication regarding the at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW).

14 . A method comprising:

providing an indication with a first bit if a Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) is at least substantially adjacent to a Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) in a period between two beacons, where at least one of the beacons is a Short Beacon (SB); and

providing an indication with a second bit if the Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) is before or after the Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW).

15 . A method as in claim 14 where the first and second bits are provided in an indication field in a RAW Parameter Set (RPS).

16 . A method as in claim 15 where the RAW Parameter Set (RPS) comprises a plurality of the indication field, where each indication field follows a respectively associated RAW assignment field in the RAW Parameter Set (RPS).

17 . A method as in claim 15 where, when Periodic Restricted Access Windows (PRAWs) are both before and after the Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW), a node using two of the indication fields in the RAW Parameter Set (RPS) for two different ones of the Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) in the period to indicate that a first one of the Periodic Restricted Access Windows (PRAWs) is before a Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) of the period and a second one of the Periodic Restricted Access Windows (PRAWs) is after the Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW).

18 . A method as in claim 15 further comprising, when a second Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) is adjacent to a prior first Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) during the period, omitting the indication field relative to a first RAW Assignment field of the RAW Parameter Set (RPS) for the first Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW).

19 . A method as in claim 15 further comprising, by making a same bit of all of a plurality of the indications in the RAW Parameter Set (RPS) a first value, indicated to at least one node that no Non-Restricted Access Window (Non-RAW) access is possible during the period, or by making the same bit of all of the plurality of the indications in the RAW Parameter Set (RPS) a different second value, indicated to the at least one node that Non-Restricted Access Window (Non-RAW) access is possible both before and after each Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) in the period.

20 . A method as in claim 15 further comprising, in a RAW control field of a RAW Assignment field in the RAW Parameter Set (RPS), indicating that the period comprises at least one of the Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) and comprises no Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW).

21 . A method as in claim 20 where the indicating, that the period comprises at least one of the Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) and comprises no Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW), comprises a RAW type option field of the RAW Control field indicating that the period comprises at least one of the Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) and comprises no Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW), and that only RAW Start Time and RAW Slot Definition subfields are present in every RAW Assignment filed of the RAW Parameter Set (RPS).

22 . An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least:

provide an indication with a first bit if a Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) is adjacent to a Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) in a period between two beacons, where at least one of the beacons is a Short Beacon (SB); and

provide an indication with a second bit if the Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) is before or after the Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW).

23 . A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, the operations comprising:

providing an indication with a first bit if a Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) is adjacent to a Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) in a period between two beacons, where at least one of the beacons is a Short Beacon (SB); and

providing an indication with a second bit if the Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) is before or after the Non-Periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW).

24 . A method comprising:

providing in a Short Beacon (SB) at least one indication regarding present of at least one Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) in an interval partially defined by the Short Beacon (SB); and

providing in the Short Beacon (SB) at least one indication that the Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW) is before a respective Non-periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) in the interval or after the Non-periodic Restricted Access Window (NRAW) in the interval.