Dynamic enabling of wider channel transmissions with radio monitoring
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- during a transmit opportunity time interval for a wireless network device, sending from a radio subsystem a transmission in a primary channel without using a secondary channel, within a frequency band containing the primary channel and the secondary channel;
monitoring activity in the secondary channel;
determining whether the secondary channel is free based on the monitoring; and
when it is determined that the secondary channel is free, sending a wider bandwidth transmission in the primary and secondary channels,wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring, upon completion of the transmission in the primary channel, the secondary channel with the radio subsystem, and wherein sending the wider bandwidth transmission comprises transmitting the wider bandwidth transmission from the radio subsystem in the primary channel and the secondary channel,wherein said sending of the transmission in the primary channel, said monitoring, said determining, and said sending of the wider bandwidth transmission in the primary and secondary channels when it is determined that the secondary channel is free, are performed within the transmit opportunity time interval, andwherein monitoring comprises monitoring with separate filters a signal in at least a portion of the primary channel, a signal in a first bandwidth portion of the secondary channel, a signal in a second bandwidth portion of the secondary channel and a signal in a third bandwidth portion of the secondary channel, wherein the third bandwidth portion excludes the first bandwidth portion and the second bandwidth portion and the second bandwidth portion excludes the first bandwidth portion, and wherein a transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the third bandwidth portion and determining that the third bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the first and second bandwidth portions and encompasses the first and second bandwidth portions, and a transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the second bandwidth portion and determining that the second bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the first bandwidth portion and encompasses the first bandwidth portion, and a transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the first bandwidth portion and determining that the first bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the primary channel and encompasses the primary channel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Wider bandwidth transmissions are dynamically enabled in a wireless networking environment. During a transmit opportunity time interval for a wireless network device, a transmission is sent in a primary channel in a frequency band in which the primary channel and a secondary channel may be used simultaneously to send a wider bandwidth transmission. Activity is monitored in the secondary channel. A determination is made as to whether the secondary channel is free based on the monitoring. When it is determined that the secondary channel is free, the wider bandwidth transmission is sent in the primary and secondary channels.
29 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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during a transmit opportunity time interval for a wireless network device, sending from a radio subsystem a transmission in a primary channel without using a secondary channel, within a frequency band containing the primary channel and the secondary channel; monitoring activity in the secondary channel; determining whether the secondary channel is free based on the monitoring; and when it is determined that the secondary channel is free, sending a wider bandwidth transmission in the primary and secondary channels, wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring, upon completion of the transmission in the primary channel, the secondary channel with the radio subsystem, and wherein sending the wider bandwidth transmission comprises transmitting the wider bandwidth transmission from the radio subsystem in the primary channel and the secondary channel, wherein said sending of the transmission in the primary channel, said monitoring, said determining, and said sending of the wider bandwidth transmission in the primary and secondary channels when it is determined that the secondary channel is free, are performed within the transmit opportunity time interval, and wherein monitoring comprises monitoring with separate filters a signal in at least a portion of the primary channel, a signal in a first bandwidth portion of the secondary channel, a signal in a second bandwidth portion of the secondary channel and a signal in a third bandwidth portion of the secondary channel, wherein the third bandwidth portion excludes the first bandwidth portion and the second bandwidth portion and the second bandwidth portion excludes the first bandwidth portion, and wherein a transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the third bandwidth portion and determining that the third bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the first and second bandwidth portions and encompasses the first and second bandwidth portions, and a transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the second bandwidth portion and determining that the second bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the first bandwidth portion and encompasses the first bandwidth portion, and a transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the first bandwidth portion and determining that the first bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the primary channel and encompasses the primary channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus comprising:
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a first radio subsystem configured to, during a transmit opportunity time interval, send a wireless transmission in a primary channel without using a secondary channel, within a frequency band containing the primary channel and the secondary channel; and a second radio subsystem configured to monitor activity in the secondary channel to determine whether the secondary channel is free, and when it is determined that the secondary channel is free, causing the first radio subsystem to send at least a portion of the wider bandwidth transmission in the primary and secondary channels, wherein the first radio subsystem sends the transmission in the primary channel, the second radio subsystem monitors the second channel to determine whether the second channel is free, and the second radio subsystem causes the sending of the wider bandwidth transmission in the primary and secondary channels when it is determined that the secondary channel is free, all within the transmit opportunity time interval, wherein the second radio subsystem is configured to monitor, upon completion of the transmission in the primary channel, the secondary channel, and wherein the first radio subsystem is configured to send the wider bandwidth transmission by transmitting the wider bandwidth transmission in the primary channel and the secondary channel, wherein the second radio subsystem is further configured to monitor, with separate filters, a signal in at least a portion of the primary channel, a signal in a first bandwidth portion of the secondary channel, a signal in a second bandwidth portion of the secondary channel and a signal in a third bandwidth portion of the secondary channel, wherein the third bandwidth portion excludes the first bandwidth portion and the second bandwidth portion and the second bandwidth portion excludes the first bandwidth portion, and wherein a transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the third bandwidth portion and determining that the third bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the first and second bandwidth portions and encompasses the first and second bandwidth portions, and a transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the second bandwidth portion and determining that the second bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the first bandwidth portion and encompasses the first bandwidth portion, and a transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the first bandwidth portion and determining that the first bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the primary channel and encompasses the primary channel. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed is operable to, in a wireless network device:
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during a transmit opportunity time interval for the wireless network device, cause a transmission to be sent in a primary channel without using a secondary channel, within a frequency band containing the primary channel and the secondary channel; monitor activity in the secondary channel; determine whether the secondary channel is free; and when it is determined that the secondary channel is free, cause the wider bandwidth transmission to be sent in the primary and secondary channels, send in the primary channel a transmission from a radio subsystem, wherein the software operable to monitor comprises software operable to monitor, upon completion of the transmission in the primary channel, the secondary channel with the radio subsystem, and wherein the software operable to cause the wider bandwidth transmission to be sent comprises software operable to cause the sending of the wider bandwidth transmission from the radio subsystem in the primary channel and the secondary channel, wherein operations to send the transmission in a primary channel, monitor activity in the secondary channel, determine whether the second channel is free, and cause the sending of the wider bandwidth transmission in the primary and secondary channels when it is determined that the secondary channel is free, are performed within the transmit opportunity time interval, wherein the software operable to monitor activity in the secondary channel is operable to monitor, with separate filters, a signal in at least a portion of the primary channel, a signal in a first bandwidth portion of the secondary channel, a signal in a second bandwidth portion of the secondary channel and a signal in a third bandwidth portion of the secondary channel, wherein the third bandwidth portion excludes the first bandwidth portion and the second bandwidth portion and the second bandwidth portion excludes the first bandwidth portion, and wherein the transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the third bandwidth portion and determining that the third bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the first and second bandwidth portions and encompasses the first and second bandwidth portions, and the transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the second bandwidth portion and determining that the second bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the first bandwidth portion and encompasses the first bandwidth portion, and the transmission bandwidth enabled by monitoring of the first bandwidth portion and determining that the first bandwidth portion is clear is greater than the primary channel and encompasses the primary channel. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification