CHANNEL MANAGEMENT IN A WI-FI DEVICE IN A MULTI-CHANNEL CONCURRENT ENVIRONMENT

• US 20140254549A1
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Hoon Ki, Upadhyay, Dinesh K., Ranganath, Ashok
• Granted Patent: US 9,451,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00837 Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/249 according to timing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A multi-channel wireless device for participating on a plurality of networks. The wireless device switches from a first channel associated with a first network to a second channel associated with a second network if the wireless device has a channel dwell time on the first channel equal to or greater than a maximum channel allowance time interval for the first channel, wherein the maximum channel allowance time interval for the first channel is given by a channel switching time subtracted from a Beacon interval associated with the first network divided by the total number of networks that the wireless device is participating with.

Claims

1. A method for a wireless device to switch from a first channel associated with a first network to a second channel associated with a second network in an environment of N total networks, the method comprising:

switching the wireless device from the first channel to the second channel when the wireless device has operated on the first channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a first maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the first maximum channel allowance time interval is given by a channel switching time subtracted from a first Beacon interval associated with the first network divided by N.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

switching the wireless device from the first channel to the second channel if the wireless device determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

switching the wireless device from the second channel to a third channel associated with a third network if the wireless device has operated on the second channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a second maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the second maximum channel allowance time interval is given by the channel switching time subtracted from a second Beacon interval associated with the second network divided by N.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

switching the wireless device from the first channel to the second channel if the wireless device determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network;

switching the wireless device from the second channel to the third channel if the wireless device determines that the third network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the third network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein N=2, the method further comprising:

switching the wireless device from the second channel to the first channel if the wireless device has operated on the second channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a second maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the second maximum channel allowance time interval is given by the channel switching time subtracted from a second Beacon interval associated with the second network divided by N.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

switching the wireless device from the first channel to the second channel if the wireless device determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network;

switching the wireless device from the second channel to the first channel if the wireless device determines that the first network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the first network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the N total networks are compliant with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 set of standards.

8. A wireless device comprising:

a radio frequency circuit to operate on a first channel associated with a first network and a second channel associated with a second network in an environment of N total networks;

a counter;

a processor to run and reset the counter, wherein the processor resets the counter when causing the radio frequency circuit to switch channels;

the processor to switch the radio frequency circuit from the first channel to the second channel when the counter indicates that the radio frequency circuit has operated on the first channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a first maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the first maximum channel allowance time interval is given by a channel switching time subtracted from a first Beacon interval associated with the first network divided by N.

9. The wireless device of claim 8, the processor to switch the radio frequency circuit from the first channel to the second channel if the processor determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network.

10. The wireless device of claim 8, the processor to switch the radio frequency circuit from the second channel to a third channel associated with a third network when the counter indicates that the radio frequency circuit has operated on the second channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a second maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the second maximum channel allowance time interval is given by the channel switching time subtracted from a second Beacon interval associated with the second network divided by N.

11. The wireless device of claim 10,

the processor to switch the radio frequency circuit from the first channel to the second channel if the processor determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network;

the processor to switch the radio frequency circuit from the second channel to the third channel if the processor determines that the third network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the third network.

12. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein N=2, the processor to switch the radio frequency circuit from the second channel to the first channel if the counter indicates that the radio frequency circuit has operated on the second channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a second maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the second maximum channel allowance time interval is given by the channel switching time subtracted from a second Beacon interval associated with the second network divided by N.

13. The wireless device of claim 12,

the processor to switch the radio frequency circuit from the first channel to the second channel if the processor determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network;

the processor to switch the radio frequency circuit from the second channel to the first channel if the processor determines that the first network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the first network.

14. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the N total networks are compliant with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 set of standards.

15. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the wireless device is selected from the group consisting of a station, an access point, a Wi-Fi Direct client, and a cellular phone.

16. A wireless device comprising:

a radio frequency circuit to operate on a first channel associated with a first network and a second channel associated with a second network in an environment of N total networks;

a means for counting;

a means for controlling to run and reset the means for counting, wherein the means for controlling resets the means for counting when causing the radio frequency circuit to switch channels;

the means for controlling to switch the radio frequency circuit from the first channel to the second channel when the means for counting indicates that the radio frequency circuit has operated on the first channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a first maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the first maximum channel allowance time interval is given by a channel switching time subtracted from a first Beacon interval associated with the first network divided by N.

17. The wireless device of claim 16, the means for controlling to switch the radio frequency circuit from the first channel to the second channel if the means for controlling determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network.

18. The wireless device of claim 16, the means for controlling to switch the radio frequency circuit from the second channel to a third channel associated with a third network when the means for counting indicates that the radio frequency circuit has operated on the second channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a second maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the second maximum channel allowance time interval is given by the channel switching time subtracted from a second Beacon interval associated with the second network divided by N.

19. The wireless device of claim 18,

the means for controlling to switch the radio frequency circuit from the first channel to the second channel if the means for controlling determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network;

the means for controlling to switch the radio frequency circuit from the second channel to the third channel if the means for controlling determines that the third network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the third network.

20. The wireless device of claim 16, wherein N=2, the means for controlling to switch the radio frequency circuit from the second channel to the first channel if the means for counting indicates that the radio frequency circuit has operated on the second channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a second maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the second maximum channel allowance time interval is given by the channel switching time subtracted from a second Beacon interval associated with the second network divided by N.

21. The wireless device of claim 20,

the means for controlling to switch the radio frequency circuit from the first channel to the second channel if the means for controlling determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network;

the means for controlling to switch the radio frequency circuit from the second channel to the first channel if the means for controlling determines that the first network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the first network.

22. The wireless device of claim 16, wherein the N total networks are compliant with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 set of standards.

23. The wireless device of claim 16, wherein the wireless device is selected from the group consisting of a station, an access point, a Wi-Fi Direct client, and a cellular phone.

24. A computer-readable non-transitory medium having stored instructions to cause a wireless device in an environment of N total networks to perform a method comprising:

switching from a first channel associated with a first network to a second channel associated with a second network when the wireless device has operated on the first channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a first maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the first maximum channel allowance time interval is given by a channel switching time subtracted from a first Beacon interval associated with the first network divided by N.

25. The medium of claim 24, the method further comprising:

switching from the first channel to the second channel if the wireless device determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network.

26. The medium of claim 24, the method further comprising:

switching the wireless device from the second channel to a third channel associated with a third network if the wireless device has operated on the second channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a second maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the second maximum channel allowance time interval is given by the channel switching time subtracted from a second Beacon interval associated with the second network divided by N.

27. The medium of claim 26, the method further comprising:

switching the wireless device from the first channel to the second channel if the wireless device determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network;

switching the wireless device from the second channel to the third channel if the wireless device determines that the third network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the third network.

28. The medium of claim 24, wherein N=2, the method further comprising:

switching the wireless device from the second channel to the first channel if the wireless device has operated on the second channel for a length of time equal to or greater than a second maximum channel allowance time interval, wherein the second maximum channel allowance time interval is given by the channel switching time subtracted from a second Beacon interval associated with the second network divided by N.

29. The medium of claim 28, the method further comprising:

switching the wireless device from the first channel to the second channel if the wireless device determines that the second network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the second network;

switching the wireless device from the second channel to the first channel if the wireless device determines that the first network is about to transmit a Beacon frame associated with the first network.

30. The medium of claim 24, wherein the N total networks are compliant with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 set of standards.