Coexistence of stations capable of different modulation schemes in a wireless local area network

1. A wireless-local-area network comprising:

at least one access point of transmitting and receiving data modulated using a first modulation scheme and a second modulation scheme, said second modulation scheme being different from said first modulation scheme;

at least one first station for transmitting and receiving data modulating using at least the first modulation scheme; and,

at least one second station for transmitting and receiving data modulated using the second modulation scheme,

wherein said access point transmits data modulated using the first modulation scheme if the transmission of data modulated according to the first modulation scheme is possible before the contention-free-period (CFP) expires, and transmits data modulated according to the second modulation scheme after the contention-free-period ends.

2. The local-area network as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, if the transmission of data modulated according to the first modulation scheme is not possible before the CFP expire, the at least one first station transmits request-to-send and clear-to-send frames modulated according to the second modulation scheme.

3. The local-area network as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one first station operates under the IEEE 802.11g specification.

4. The local-area network as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one second station operates under the IEEE 802.11b specification.

5. The local-area network as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first modulation scheme is an OFDM modulation scheme.

6. The local-area network as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second modulation scheme is a DSSS/CCK modulation scheme.

7. A method for providing a communication between an access point and a plurality of stations having at least one first station and at least one second station in a wireless-local-area network (WLAN), the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a beacon signal having a contention-free period (CFP) followed by a contention period (CP) to said plurality of stations;

determining whether a transmission of OFDM-modulated data is possible before the CFP expires;

if so, transmitting the OFDM-modulated data to the plurality of said stations; and

transmitting DSSS/CCK-modulated data during the contention period (CP).

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

transmitting a request-to-send (RTS) frame comprising information representative of OFDM-modulation capability if the transmission of said OFDM-modulated data is not possible before the CFP expires; and,

transmitting the OFDM-modulated data if a clear-to-send frame (CTS) is received from said at least one first station indicating an acceptance of the OFDM modulation.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said at least one first station operates under the IEEE 802.11g specification.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said at least one second station operates under the IEEE 802.11b specification.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

transmitting data from said access point to said plurality of stations during the CFP; and

receiving an acknowledgment of data receipt therefrom.

12. A system comprising:

a first station for transmitting and receiving data modulated using at least a first modulation scheme;

a second station for transmitting and receiving data modulated using a second modulation scheme, said second modulation scheme being different from said first modulation scheme; and

an access point for communicating with the first and the second stations,

wherein the access point transmits a beacon frame indicating a beginning of a contention-free period followed by a contention period, and the contention-free period comprises a sub-contention period before the contention-free period expires during which the second station is enabled to transmit data modulated according to the second modulation scheme.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the first modulation scheme is a DSSS/CCK modulation scheme.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second modulation scheme is an OFDM modulation scheme.

15. The system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the sub-contention period occurs before the contention-free period expires.

16. The system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the system operates under the IEEE 802.11 specification.

17. A station in a local-area network, the station transmitting and receiving data using at least a first modulation scheme, the local-area network further comprising a second station for transmitting and receiving data using a second modulation scheme, and an access point for communicating with both said station and said second station, wherein the station receives a beacon frame transmitted by the access point indicating the beginning of a contention-free period followed by a contention period, and the contention-free period comprises a sub-contention period before the contention-free period expires during which the second station is enabled to transmit data modulated according to the second modulation scheme.

18. The station as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the first modulation scheme is a DSSS/CCK modulation scheme.

19. The station as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the second modulation scheme is an OFDM modulation scheme.

20. The station as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the sub-contention period occurs before the contention-free period expires.

21. The station as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the station operates under the IEEE 802.11 specification.

22. The station as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the station is an access point.