SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MULTIPLE STATION CAMPING CHANNELS IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20160249378A1
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhou, Yan, Barriac, Gwendolyn Denise, Merlin, Simone, Cherian, George
• Granted Patent: US 9,736,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Systems and methods for wireless communication are disclosed. In one aspect an access point transmits a message to a first device and a second device on a first channel, the message sufficient to inform the first device to camp on a first channel during a time slot and the message sufficient to inform the second device to camp on a second channel during the time slot. The access point further determines whether the first channel is busy during the time slot. If the first channel is determined to not be busy during the time slot, the access point communicates with the first device on the first channel during the time slot. If the first channel is determined to be busy during the time slot, the access point communicates with the second device on the second channel during the time slot.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting over a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

transmitting a message to a first device and a second device on a first channel, the message sufficient to inform the first device to camp on a first channel during a time slot and the message sufficient to inform the second device to camp on a second channel during the time slot;

determining whether the first channel is busy during the time slot;

if the first channel is determined to not be busy during the time slot, communicating with the first device on the first channel during the time slot; and

if the first channel is determined to be busy during the time slot, communicating with the second device on the second channel during the time slot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel comprises a primary channel of the wireless communications network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a beacon.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the time slot comprises a period of time until a next beacon.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the second device on the second channel during the time slot comprises determining if the second channel is busy and if the second channel is not busy, communicating with the second device on the second channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the second device on the second channel comprises transmitting a trigger frame to the second device on the second channel indicating that the second device may transmit an uplink transmission.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first channel is busy during the time slot comprises determining that the first channel is busy during a first portion of the time slot, and wherein communicating with the second device on the second channel during the time slot comprises communicating with the second device on the second channel during the first portion of the time slot.

8. The method of claim 1, the message further transmitted to a third device, the message sufficient to inform the third device to camp on a third channel during the time slot, the method further comprising:

if the first channel and the second channel are determined to be busy during the time slot, communicating with the third device on the third channel during the time slot.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the message informs two or more devices to camp on the first channel, and further informs two or more devices to camp on the second channel.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second message from one or more of the first device and the second device, the second message indicating that the device transmitting the second message will camp on an assigned channel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first channel is busy during the time slot comprises using one or more of preamble detection and energy detection to determine whether the first channel is busy during the first time slot.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is further sufficient to inform a third device to camp on the first channel during a second time slot and the message sufficient to inform a fourth device to camp on the second channel during the second time slot.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the first channel comprises a primary channel of the wireless communications network.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the message comprises a beacon.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the time slot comprises a period of time until a next beacon.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein communicating with the second device on the second channel during the time slot comprises determining if the second channel is busy and if the second channel is not busy, communicating with the second device on the second channel.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein communicating with the second device on the second channel comprises transmitting a trigger frame to the second device on the second channel indicating that the second device may transmit an uplink transmission.

19. The device of claim 12, the message further transmitted to a third device, the message sufficient to inform the third device to camp on a third channel during the time slot, the processor further configured to:

if the first channel and the second channel are determined to be busy during the time slot, communicate with the third device on the third channel during the time slot.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein the message informs two or more devices to camp on the first channel, and further informs two or more devices to camp on the second channel.

21. The device of claim 12, the processor further configured to receive a second message from one or more of the first device and the second device, the second message indicating that the device transmitting the second message will camp on an assigned channel.

22. The device of claim 12, wherein determining whether the first channel is busy during the time slot comprises using one or more of preamble detection and energy detection to determine whether the first channel is busy during the first time slot.

23. The device of claim 12, wherein the message is further sufficient to inform a third device to camp on the first channel during a second time slot and the message sufficient to inform a fourth device to camp on the second channel during the second time slot.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the message comprises a beacon.

26. The device of claim 23, wherein means for communicating with the second device on the second channel comprises means for transmitting a trigger frame to the second device on the second channel indicating that the second device may transmit an uplink transmission.

27. The device of claim 23, the message further transmitted to a third device, the message sufficient to inform the third device to camp on a third channel during the time slot, the device further comprising:

means for communicating with the third device on the third channel during the time slot if the first channel and the second channel are determined to be busy during the time slot.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the message comprises a beacon.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein communicating with the second device on the second channel comprises transmitting a trigger frame to the second device on the second channel indicating that the second device may transmit an uplink transmission.

13. A device for transmitting over a wireless communications network, the device comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a message to a first device and a second device on a first channel, the message sufficient to inform the first device to camp on a first channel during a time slot and the message sufficient to inform the second device to camp on a second channel during the time slot; and

a processor configured to;

determine whether the first channel is busy during the time slot;

if the first channel is determined to not be busy during the time slot, communicate with the first device on the first channel during the time slot; and

if the first channel is determined to be busy during the time slot,

communicate with the second device on the second channel during the time slot.

24. A device for transmitting over a wireless communications network, the device comprising:

means for transmitting a message to a first device and a second device on a first channel, the message sufficient to inform the first device to camp on a first channel during a time slot and the message sufficient to inform the second device to camp on a second channel during the time slot;

means for determining whether the first channel is busy during the time slot;

means for communicating with the first device on the first channel during the time slot if the first channel is determined to not be busy during the time slot; and

means for communicating with the second device on the second channel during the time slot if the first channel is determined to be busy during the time slot.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

transmit a message to a first device and a second device on a first channel, the message sufficient to inform the first device to camp on a first channel during a time slot and the message sufficient to inform the second device to camp on a second channel during the time slot;

determine whether the first channel is busy during the time slot;

if the first channel is determined to not be busy during the time slot, communicate with the first device on the first channel during the time slot; and

if the first channel is determined to be busy during the time slot, communicate with the second device on the second channel during the time slot.