Spectrum sharing in the unlicensed band

The invention provides methods for autonomous detection and adaptation with respect to an interfering signal on a frequency channel to assist a wireless device on a wireless network in choosing an appropriate frequency channel. According to embodiments, a method determines an appropriate channel by first detecting whether there is an interfering signal on a frequency channel over the wireless network, then retrieving data from the interfering signal to retrieve protocol identification information. Prior to determining whether to transmit over the frequency channel, the method calls for determining whether the identified protocol of the interfering signal is a predetermined protocol.