A method allowing wireless communications devices to scan for critical transmissions while transmitting on a conventional time division multiple access channel (TDMA) is disclosed. The TDMA channel is divided into a plurality of slots, each slot capable of carrying audio, video, control, and/or data transmissions. A first slot is used by a first communication device, while a second slot is used by a second communication device. The first communication device transmits at least one burst of information from a first transmission in a first slot. The first communication device switches to a second slot and reads at least one signaling information segment embedded in a second transmission that is being transmitted in the second slot. The first communication device determines to terminate the first transmission in order to receive the second transmission, or to switch back to the first slot and repeat the steps of transmitting, switching, reading and determining.
展开▼
