DYNAMIC CONFIGURATION OF MULTIPLE RADIO DEVICES AT ONE ACCESS POINT

Abstract

An access point (110; 200; 700), consisting of: a processor (705); a memory (710) for storing data; Hardware filters (220; 720) for radio operation; and a first set of radio chains and antennas for operation on a frequency band, wherein the access point (110; 200; 700) comprises at least one first radio mode for operating the first set of radio chains and antennas as a single radio on a first channel to provide a first basic service set (BSS), and a second radio mode for operating the first set of radio chains and antennas as a first radio (120) on the first channel to provide the first BSS, and a second radio (122) on a second channel to provide an additional service, wherein the first radio has a first hardware filter set and the second radio (122) has a second hardware filter set, wherein the first hardware filter set includes a sub-band filter and a full-band filter, and the second hardware filter set includes an upper-band filter and a full-band filter; and wherein the access point (110; 200; 700) is to provide a dynamic configuration of the first radio (120) and the second radio (122) to mitigate interference, wherein the dynamic configuration includes: in response to the first radio (120) and the second radio (122) channels in an upper subband of the frequency band, migrating the BSS from the first radio (120) to the second radio (122) and operating the upper band filter of the second radio (122) and the full band filter of the first radio (120) and increasing a dwell time for the first radio (120) to perform the additional service which includes a search service on the first radio (120); in response to the first radio (120) on a channel in the upper subband and the second radio (122) on a channel in the lower subband of the frequency band, migrating the BSS from the first radio (120) to the second radio (122) and operating the lower band filter of the first radio (120) and the upper band filter of the second radio (122); and In response to the first radio (120) and the second radio (122) on channels in the lower sub-band, increasing a dwell time for the second radio (122) to perform the additional service which includes a search service on the second radio (122).

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Wireless access points may include multiple radios to serve stations, such as client devices, in several different frequency bands. In one particular example, a Wi-Fi access point may include a first radio operating with a first set of radio chains in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and a second radio operating with a second set of radio chains in the 5 GHz frequency band, enabling simultaneous operation of multiple operations.

[0002] Certain access points may also feature an architecture that allows the antennas and radio chains of a radio to be split into multiple independent radios operating in the same band. In particular, a Wi-Fi access point operating in the 5 GHz frequency band may be able to split the antennas and radio chains into two radios operating on different channels in the 5 GHz frequency band.

[0003] While multiple radio capability allows for the addition of another functionality that the access point can provide during operation, multiple radios on an access point can interfere with each other in a frequency band, with the transmission of one radio disrupting the reception of another. This interference can be mitigated by deploying sufficient hardware filtering. However, hardware filters are relatively expensive and large (especially for simultaneous operation within the same band), so manufacturers prefer to minimize the number of filters present in an enterprise access point and limit selected filters to specific radios.

[0004] US 2019 / 0 082 497 A1 describes a method comprising: activating a first radio of a wireless access point to communicate with a first set of client devices by transmitting and receiving signals on channels within a first frequency band; activating a second radio of the wireless access point to communicate with a second set of client devices by transmitting and receiving signals on channels within a second frequency band; receiving a command from a network controller to change the frequency bands of the wireless access point; switching the first radio from a first antenna circuit to a second antenna circuit to connect the first radio to an antenna such that the first radio is capable of transmitting signals on channels within a first subband of the first frequency band;and configuring the second radio to transceive signals on channels within a second subband of the first frequency band; SHORT DESCRIPTION

[0005] An access point according to claims 1 to 3, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media according to claims 4 to 5 and a method according to claims 6 to 8 are disclosed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The embodiments described herein are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements. Fig. 1 is an illustration of an access point with dual-radio and tri-radio modes, according to some embodiments; Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B are illustrations of the dynamic configuration of multiple radios according to some embodiments; Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B illustrate primary and secondary radio operation in an access point according to some embodiments; Fig. 4 is an illustration of several radio adaptation cases for access point operation, according to some embodiments; Fig. 5A to Fig. 5D are illustrations of signal operations for radio adaptation cases, according to some embodiments; Fig. 6A to Fig. 6C shows a flowchart illustrating operations for dynamically configuring multiple radios according to some embodiments; Fig. 7 is an illustration of an access point with dynamic configuration of multiple radios, according to some embodiments; and Fig. 8 is an illustration of intelligent channel assignment for access points, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] The embodiments described here relate to the dynamic configuration of multiple radio devices of an access point.

[0008] An access point (AP) can operate by splitting a radio operating in one frequency band into two radios operating in the same frequency band on different channels. Specifically, an AP may contain a first set of radio chains for 2.4 GHz (gigahertz) operation (e.g., four antennas) and a second set of radio chains for 5 GHz operation (e.g., eight antennas) in a dual-radio mode (dual-radio refers to a first radio operating at 2.4 GHz and a second radio operating at 5 GHz). Note that 5 GHz operation may be referred to as single-5 GHz mode.

[0009] The access point may also have the ability to reconfigure the 5 GHz radio chains into two 5 GHz radios, which may be referred to as a primary radio and a secondary radio. This operation may also be referred to herein as tri-radio mode (tri-radio refers to a first radio operating at 2.4 GHz, a second radio operating at 5 GHz, and a third radio operating at 5 GHz). (In relation to 5 GHz operation, this may be referred to as transitioning from a single 5 GHz mode to a dual 5 GHz mode.) In future wireless standards, an AP's multiple radios may also or alternatively encompass channels in other frequency bands, such as 6 GHz operation.For example, a frequency band may comprise the 5 and 6 GHz frequency bands (UNII (Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure)-1 to UNII-8) treated as one contiguous band, the second frequency band being the 2.4 GHz frequency band, with frequency subbands in the larger contiguous 5-7 GHz frequency range (UNII-1 to UNII-8) being able to be divided into any number of non-overlapping sections with filtering appropriate for each subband.

[0010] It should be noted that the statements made here also apply to an access point that operates on a single frequency band, such as a 5 GHz access point that can switch between a single-radio mode (a single radio operating at 5 GHz) and a dual-radio mode (a first (primary) radio operating at 5 GHz and a second (secondary) radio operating at 5 GHz).

[0011] In a specific operational example, a 5 GHz radio of an AP in dual-radio mode can serve a specific Basic Service Set (BSS), where the BSS includes the AP and a set of one or more stations, such as a client device. In a tri-radio mode, one of the radios would continue to serve the BSS, and the other radio could perform a different function, such as serving another BSS or performing scanning, as needed and circumstances warrant.

[0012] However, the primary and secondary radios can interfere with each other, with the transmission of one radio disrupting the reception of the other, requiring filtering. While this interference can be addressed with sufficient filtering, such as providing a full set of selectable hardware filters (i.e., a full-band filter, an upper-band filter, and a lower-band filter) for each radio, this may not be practical in terms of cost and physical size in an enterprise access point. To reduce cost and physical size, the 5 GHz radios of an access point can have limited hardware filters.In particular, the primary radio chains may have a low-band filter and a full-band filter (without an upper-band filter), and the secondary radio chains may have an upper-band filter and a full-band filter (without a low-band filter). Thus, the available filters may not be compatible with certain channel assignments. While this specific filter arrangement is described and illustrated here, other limited filter combinations and arrangements are also possible in AP implementations.

[0013] In some embodiments, an apparatus, system, or method includes the ability to reconfigure the radios and filters of an access point with limited hardware filtering to overcome limitations and improve performance. In the particular implementation of an access point comprising primary radio chains with a low-band filter and a full-band filter and secondary radio chains with a high-band filter and a full-band filter, a preferred case or arrangement is for the primary radio to be on a lower subband channel of the frequency band and the secondary radio to be on an upper subband channel of the frequency band, enabling the use of the low-band and high-band filters in the radio chains without requiring the use of full-band filtering.(For example, the 5 GHz band for Wi-Fi operation in the US includes channels 36, 40, 44, and 48 in a lower subband and channels 149, 153, 157, 161, and 165 in an upper subband. There are also other channels for specific operations, such as DFS (Dynamic Frequency) channels in frequencies also used for radar.)

[0014] However, under certain circumstances, such as when certain channels are used by overlapping BSSs (OBSSs), radios within an access point may be assigned channels in reverse subbands or channels within the same subband. Reversing or identical subbands may require the use of full-band filtering on one or both radios, reducing received performance.

[0015] In some embodiments, implementations may further include the use of intelligent dual-mode AP placement to ensure even distribution of the upper and lower bands and promote isolation of primary and secondary channels. In some embodiments, implementations may further include splitting the scanning of upper and lower sub-bands between co-located APs to further improve radio operation.

[0016] As used herein, an access point (AP) (also referred to as a wireless access point (WAP)) refers to a network hardware device that enables wireless devices to connect to a network, including the internet or an intranet. The AP can be connected to a router (via a wired network) as a standalone device or be an integral part of the router itself. An AP can include, but is not limited to, communication using all IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi standards.

[0017] Fig. 1 is an illustration of an access point including dual-radio and tri-radio modes, according to some embodiments. As shown in Fig. 1, an example access point 110 includes 12 antennas and radio chains, where the access point 110 can be configured to operate in either a dual-radio mode 130 or a tri-radio mode 135. In dual-radio mode 130, the radio chains are configured into 4 radio chains for a first radio 120 operating at 2.4 GHz, where the first radio 120 can include operations to serve a first BSS, and 8 radio chains for a second radio 122 at 5 GHz, where the second radio can include operations to serve a second BSS. The operations of the radios are not limited to serving different BSSs, but the separate radio bands allow for operation with minimal interference between the radios and thus provide a good opportunity for such use.

[0018] When transitioning from dual-radio mode 130 to tri-radio mode 135, the radio chains are divided into 4 radio chains for the first radio 120 operating at 2.4 GHz, 4 radio chains for a second radio 140 (which may be referred to as the primary radio) at 5 GHz, where the second radio 140 may include operations to operate the second BSS, and 4 radio chains for a third radio 142 (which may be referred to as the secondary radio) at 5 GHz, where the third radio 142 may include operations to operate a third BSS or perform another function, such as scanning channels in the frequency band.

[0019] However, operation in tri-radio mode 135 is complicated by the operation of the second radio 140 and the third radio 142 in the 5 GHz band, which creates the risk that the radio reception of one radio will be interfered with by the radio transmissions of the other radio. Furthermore, the access point 110 includes limited selectable hardware filtering, restricting the filtering options depending on the specific 5 GHz subband and channel on which each radio operates.In the particular implementation of the primary radio chains, which have a low-band filter and a full-band filter available, and the secondary radio chains, which have a high-band filter and a full-band filter available, the preferred case or arrangement is that the primary radio operates on a lower subband channel of the frequency band and the secondary radio operates on an upper subband channel of the frequency band, which allows the use of the low-band and high-band filters in the radio chains as a complementary set of filters (protected from each other) without requiring the use of full-band filtering (protected from radio in other bands, 120, but not from each other). However, this particular allocation of channels may not be available for the radios of the access point 110.

[0020] In some embodiments, access point 110 includes the ability to dynamically configure the access point's radios to enable enhanced radio operation with two radios within a frequency band, depending on the channel and frequency subband for each radio. More specifically, access point 110 may provide:

[0021] (1) For the primary radio on an upper subband channel and the secondary radio on a lower subband channel: Migration of the BSS from the primary radio to the secondary radio (moving data structures, retuning channels and rerouting frames) to reconfigure operation as the preferred case, enabling the use of the lower subband filter mode for the primary radio and the upper subband filter mode for the secondary radio.

[0022] (2) For primary and secondary radios on lower subband channels: Enable lower subband filtering mode for the primary radio chains and full-band filtering mode for the secondary radio chains. It also increases the dwell time for the secondary radio to improve reception and allow the secondary radio to be used for channel scanning. (As used herein, dwell time refers to a portion of the time a radio is available to receive signals.)

[0023] (3) For primary and secondary radios on upper sub-band channels: combination of (1) and (2), including migrating the BSS from the primary radio to the secondary radio, enabling the use of upper-band filtering mode for the secondary radio chains and full-band filtering mode for the primary radio chains, and increasing the dwell time for the primary radio to improve reception for scanning.

[0024] These processes are in the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5A-5D are shown and described in more detail.

[0025] Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B are illustrations of the dynamic configuration of multiple radio devices according to some embodiments. As in Fig. 2A, the radios of an access point 200 in a dual radio mode (a first radio mode) include a combined radio 205 for operation in the 5 GHz band and a radio 210 for 2.4 GHz operation.

[0026] The combined radio 205 is an 8 x 8 MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) radio that includes MAC (Media Access Control) 0 and MAC 1, PHY (Physical Layer) 0 and PHY 1, RF (Radio Frequency) 0 and RF 1 (each including 4 radio chains), a complete hardware filter 220 including a lower / full-band filter and an upper / full-band filter, and two sets of 4 antennas (i.e., 8 antennas for the combined radio). The radio 210 is a 4 x 4 MIMO radio with MAC 2, PHY 2, RF 2 (including 4 radio chains), a 2.4 GHz band filter 220, and 4 antennas. It should be noted that MAC 1 and PHY 1 are in Fig. 2A are shown grayed out to indicate that these elements (or alternatively MAC 0 and PHY 0) are present but may not be directly used in combined radio operation.

[0027] As in Fig. 2B, in a tri-radio mode (a second radio mode), the radios of access point 200 include a primary radio 230 for operation in the 5 GHz band, a secondary radio 235 for operation in the 5 GHz band, and the radio 210 for 2.4 GHz operation.

[0028] The primary radio 230 is a 4 x 4 MIMO radio with MAC 0, PHY 0, RF 0 (including 4 radio chains), a limited hardware filter including a lower / full-band filter, and 4 antennas. The secondary radio 235 is a 4 x 4 MIMO radio with MAC 1, PHY 1, RF 1 (including 4 radio chains), a limited hardware filter including an upper / full-band filter, and 4 antennas. Radio 210 is unchanged, with a 4 x 4 MIMO radio including MAC 2, PHY 2, RF 2 (including 4 radio chains), a 2.4 GHz band filter 220, and 4 antennas.

[0029]

[0024] Thus, the access point 200 provides when transitioning from dual radio mode to Fig. 2A (the first radio mode) to Tri-Radio mode in Fig. 2B (the second radio mode) provides the versatility of two independent 5 GHz radios, but with limited hardware filtering to address interference between the radios. In some embodiments, the access point includes the ability to reconfigure the primary and secondary radios and leverage the hardware filters to improve the operation of the radios. In particular, the access point 200 is intended to avoid radio configurations where the primary and secondary radios generate excessive interference during operation and thus would be unable to practically operate both radios in the 5 GHz band.

[0030] Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B illustrate primary and secondary radio operation in an access point according to some embodiments. An access point may include a radio mode in which a first radio (primary radio) and a second radio (secondary radio) operate in the same frequency band, such as access point 200 in Fig. 2B, which is configured to include a primary radio 230 and a secondary radio 235 in the Wi-Fi 5 GHz band.

[0031] As in Fig. 3A, the operation of the primary radio 310 on Wi-Fi 5 GHz channel 36 and the secondary radio 315 on Wi-Fi 5 GHz channel 149 provides good case operation because the transmissions of the primary and secondary radios are in separate (lower and upper) subbands and because the channel frequencies are compatible with the lower band filter of the primary radio 310 and the upper band filter of the secondary radio 315. (Note that the Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B and the channel numbers indicated in the other figures are merely examples, and the embodiments are not limited to any particular channels or combinations of channels.) This avoids the use of a full-band filter for either the primary radio 310 or the secondary radio 315, allowing effective complementary and non-overlapping use of both radios without excessive interference.

[0032] However, best-case channel assignment may not be possible in a particular implementation due to the previous operation of the radios in the access point and the channel usage of neighboring access points. In an example, as shown in Fig. 3B, the operation of the primary radio 320 on Wi-Fi 5 GHz channel 149 (e.g., as the channel supporting a BSS prior to transitioning to tri-radio mode) and the secondary radio 325 on Wi-Fi 5 GHz channel 36 (i.e., the reverse channel case Fig. 3A) provides bad-case operation because, although the primary and secondary radio transmissions are in separate (upper and lower) subbands, the reversed channel frequencies are incompatible with the use of the primary radio's 320 lower-band filter or the secondary radio's 325 upper-band filter. Although both the lower and upper subband filters must be switched to full-band filters to achieve passband compatibility, the resulting interference between the two subbands due to the overlapping filter range will severely limit operation on both radios.

[0033] In some embodiments, the access point comprising the primary radio and the secondary radio enables dynamic configuration of the multiple radios, including operations as in Fig. 4 shown.

[0034] Fig. 4 is an illustration of several radio adaptation cases for access point operation, according to some embodiments. Fig. 5A to Fig. 5D are illustrations of signal operations for radio adaptation cases, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, an access point supporting multiple radios, including the separation of a radio operating in a radio band into a first (primary) radio and a second (secondary) radio operating in the frequency band, is intended to enable dynamic adaptation of the multiple radios to mitigate interference cases. The radios have limited hardware filtering, with the first radio limited to a first subband filter (a low-band filter) and a full-band filter, and the second radio limited to a second subband filter (a high-band filter) and a full-band filter.

[0035] The adaptations provided by the access point may include, but are not limited to, the following four cases: Case 1 (410) - In this case, the primary radio serves a BSS on a channel in the lower subband (e.g., channel 36) and switches to operate with the secondary radio on a channel in the upper subband (e.g., channel 149). The resulting condition allows simultaneous transmission and / or reception on both channels, with this channel arrangement representing a best-case scenario. As described in Fig. 5A, no interference control operation is required, and the primary radio and the secondary radio can both operate effectively by each effectively utilizing the subband filter (the lower band filter for the primary radio and the upper band filter for the secondary radio) in a complementary manner to reduce interference. The primary radio can thus continue to serve the BSS, and the secondary radio can serve a different BSS or perform a different function. Case 2 (420) - In this case, the primary radio is serving a BSS on a channel in the upper subband (e.g., 149) and switches to operation with the secondary radio on a channel in the lower subband (e.g., channel 36). The resulting condition causes the transmission on one channel to cause interference on the other channel.To apply filtering to the primary and secondary radios, it would be necessary to apply full hardware filtering to both the primary and secondary radios, as the available subband filters (the lower band filter for the primary radio and the upper band filter for the secondary radio) are incompatible with the channel assignment. Even if both the lower and upper subband filters must be switched to full-band filters to achieve passband compatibility, the resulting interference between both subbands due to the overlapping filter range will severely limit operation on both radios.

[0036] However, this channel assignment is the opposite of Case 1. In some embodiments, the access point is intended to mitigate the interference by migrating the BSS served by the primary radio (moving data structures, retuning channels, and rerouting frames) from the primary radio to the secondary radio. After migrating the BSS operation, the primary radio is on the channel in the lower subband (channel 36 in this example) and the secondary radio is on the channel in the upper subband (channel 149 in this example). As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 5B, after the switchover, both the primary radio and the secondary radio can operate effectively, each using the subband filter (the lower band filter for the primary radio and the upper band filter for the secondary radio) to reduce interference. The secondary radio is intended to serve the BSS, and the primary radio can serve a different BSS or perform a different function.

[0037] Case 3 (430) - In this case, the primary radio is operating a BSS on a lower subband channel (e.g., channel 36) and switches to operate with the secondary radio also on a lower subband channel (e.g., channel 52). The resulting condition causes transmission on one channel to cause interference on the other channel. Channel selection allows continued use of the primary channel using the lower subband filter, but requires use of the full-band filter on the secondary radio, which limits the reception and usability of the secondary radio.

[0038] In some embodiments, the access point is intended to provide mitigation by increasing the dwell time for the secondary radio, improving the ability of that radio to receive signals by increasing the time a signal can be detected, and thus improving the probability of scanning the neighboring devices. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5C, the primary radio can continue to operate the BSS and after increasing the dwell time for the secondary radio, the secondary radio can be used for scanning purposes.

[0039] Case 4 (440) - In this case, the primary radio is operating a BSS on a channel in the upper subband (e.g., channel 100) and switches to operation with the secondary radio, which is also operating on a channel in the upper subband (e.g., channel 149). The resulting condition causes transmission on one channel to cause interference on the other channel. Additionally, channel selection requires the use of the full-band filter on the primary channel, reducing the effectiveness of the primary radio but allowing the secondary radio to operate with the filter in the upper band.

[0040] In some embodiments, the access point is to mitigate the interference with a combination of the operations for Case 2 and Case 3 by migrating the BSS served by the primary radio (moving data structures, retuning channels, and rerouting frames) from the primary radio to the secondary radio and increasing the dwell time for the primary radio, thereby improving the ability of that radio to receive signals. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5D, after the BSS migration, the secondary radio shall serve the BSS, and after increasing the dwell time for the primary radio, the primary radio can be used for scanning purposes.

[0041] The Fig. 6A to Fig. 6C show a flowchart illustrating operations for dynamically configuring multiple radio devices according to some embodiments. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 6A, a process may include operating a radio of an AP, such as access point 200, on a first channel of a frequency band (e.g., 5 GHz Wi-Fi) 600. The AP may include, but is not limited to, an AP capable of transitioning from a dual-radio mode (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios) to a tri-radio mode (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 5 GHz radios), and the 5 GHz radio may serve a BSS. The AP includes a sub-band and full-band filter for each of the primary and secondary radios, such as the primary radio with a lower-band filter and the secondary radio with an upper-band filter.

[0042] In some embodiments, upon receiving a trigger to transition the AP from dual-radio mode to tri-radio mode 602 (or from single-radio mode to dual-radio mode) to convert the radio on the first channel to multiple radios (including a primary radio and a secondary radio) in the frequency band, it is determined whether the current channel can be supported by the primary radio using the subband (e.g., subband) hardware filter (i.e., where the subband filter is compatible with the channel assignment). If the current channel can be supported by the primary radio using the subband hardware filter, there is no need for BSS migration from the primary radio to the secondary radio, with the primary radio serving the BSS (using the subband filter for the primary radio) and the secondary radio being used for another purpose 606.The process is then as in . Fig. 6B, and after completion of the tri-radio operations, the AP is transitioned back to dual-radio mode and the hardware filter is reset to the low / high / full band for the 5 GHz radio 610.

[0043] If the current channel cannot be supported by the primary radio using the lower band hardware filter 604, the BSS is migrated from the primary radio to the secondary radio, with the secondary radio (using the upper band filter for the secondary radio) serving the BSS and the primary radio being used for another purpose 608. The process is then as in Fig. 6C, and after completion of the tri-radio operations and migration of the original BSS back to the primary radio (according to the procedure described in Fig. 6C), the AP is returned to dual-radio mode and the hardware filter for the 5 GHz radio 610 is reset to the lower / upper / full band.

[0044] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 6B, it is determined whether the channel on the secondary radio can be supported using the high-band filter 620. If the channel can be supported on the secondary radio, then the high-band filter on the secondary radio 622 is enabled. If the channel cannot be supported on the secondary radio, then the full-band filter on the secondary radio 632 is used, and the dwell time is increased to perform a scan on the secondary radio 634. Both radios can then be used for operations, e.g., for BSS maintenance and the scan operation 624.

[0045] In some embodiments, if one of the operations is scanning 626 and the scanning operation has not yet completed all channels to be scanned on the frequency band 636, a new channel is selected 638, and the process returns to determining whether the channel can be supported on the secondary radio with the upper band filter 620. When the scanning operation of all channels 636 is completed, the process continues with the AP transitioning back to dual-radio mode and setting the hardware filter for the 5 GHz radio 610 back to lower / upper / full band.

[0046] If none of the operations is scanning 626, then a determination is made as to whether the process is complete with the new BSS operation for the secondary radio 628. If not, the process waits for a trigger 630 for such a determination. If the process for the new BSS operation 628 is complete, then the process proceeds with the AP transitioning back to dual-radio mode, with the hardware filter for the 5 GHz radio 610 being set back to lower / upper / full band operation.

[0047] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 6C, it is determined whether the primary radio's channel can be supported using the subband filter 650. If the channel can be supported on the primary radio, then the subband filter on the primary radio 652 is enabled. If the channel cannot be supported on the primary radio, the full-band filter on the primary radio 662 is used, and the dwell time is increased to perform a scan operation on the primary radio 664. Both radios can then be used for operations, e.g., BSS maintenance and the scan operation 654.

[0048] In some embodiments, if one of the operations is scanning 656 and the scanning operation has not yet finished scanning all channels to be scanned on the frequency band 666, a new channel is selected 668, and the process returns to determining whether the channel can be supported on the primary radio with the low-band filter 650. If the scanning operation has scanned all channels 666, the process continues by switching the AP back to dual-radio mode and setting the hardware filter for the 5 GHz radio 610 back to the low / high / full band.

[0049] If none of the operations are scanning 656, then a determination is made as to whether the process is complete with the new BSS operation for the primary radio 658. If not, the process waits for a trigger 660 for such a determination. If the process for the new BSS operation 658 is complete, then the process proceeds by migrating the original BSS back to the primary radio 680 and transitioning the AP back to dual-radio mode, with the hardware filter reset to low / high / full band operation for the 5 GHz radio 610.

[0050] Fig. Figure 7 is an illustration of an access point with dynamic configuration of multiple radios, according to some embodiments. The access point 700 includes multiple radio chains 735 and antennas (such as the multiple radio chains and antennas described for an access point in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B) for wireless signal communication and one or more ports 745 for network connections or other connections. The multiple radio chains include the ability to transition between a first radio mode with at least one radio operating in a radio band and a second radio mode operating multiple radios in the radio band.

[0051] The radio modes may include, but are not limited to, dual-radio mode and tri-radio mode, as described in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B. In one example, the access point 700 may include a dual-radio mode in which a 2.4 GHz radio is associated with a first group of stations, such as devices 750 and 755, in a first BSS, and a 5 GHz radio is associated with a second group of stations, such as devices 760 and 765, in a second BSS. The access point 700 may further have the capability to transition to a tri-radio mode in which the 2.4 GHz radio is associated with the first BSS, a first (primary) 5 GHz radio is associated with the second BSS, and a second (secondary) 5 GHz radio provides a different function, such as a second BSS. B. Assignment to a third BSS (e.g. including devices 770 and 775) or provision of scan operations for scanning channels in the frequency band.

[0052] The access point 700 further includes a processing unit 705 for processing data; memory and registers 710 for storing data, which may include volatile and non-volatile memory (including flash memory and similar elements), registers, and other storage technologies; and power control 715. The access point further includes hardware filters 720 for operation of the multiple radios, wherein the hardware filters are a set of hardware filters with limited capabilities due to cost and size, such that not all possible filters are assigned to multiple radios. In a particular example, a first radio may have access to a first subband filter (e.g., a low-band filter) and a full-band filter, and a second radio may have access to a second subband filter (e.g., a high-band filter) and a full-band filter.

[0053] In some embodiments, the access point 700 includes the capability to dynamically configure the multiple radios to mitigate interference between radios operating in a frequency band. In some embodiments, the access point 700 further includes firmware or hardware 730 that includes support for multiple radio modes 732, such as transitioning between a first radio mode and a second radio mode by modifying the operation of the radio chains 735 and antennas 740, and support for a dynamic multiple radio configuration 734 to mitigate interference between multiple radios operating in a frequency band. In some embodiments, the interference mitigation operations include the operations for handling the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5A-5D, and the process for dynamically configuring multiple radios can be performed as shown in Fig. 6A to Fig. 6C.

[0054] Fig. Figure 8 is an illustration of intelligent channel allocation for access points, according to some embodiments. In addition to the Fig. 1-7 for the dynamic configuration of multiple radios of an access point, the operation of multiple radios can be further improved if multiple access points in an enhanced service set (ESS) are controlled to assign channels to them so that at any given time there is a preference for cases 1 and 2, as in Fig. 4 shown.

[0055] In some embodiments, an algorithm is executed at the ESS level to identify the channels assigned to APs in the network. In some embodiments, the algorithm performs channel allocation to provide or favor a uniform spatial distribution of channels from lower and upper subbands among the APs.

[0056] In some embodiments, if at some point an AP needs to transition to dual 5 GHz mode for BSS operations, the algorithm is to assign the new channel from the subband to which the current channel does not belong. This process would thus provide optimal isolation between the two 5 GHz MACs.

[0057] Fig. Figure 8, for example, contains a representation of APs in a single 5 GHz mode 800, where the APs are staggered so that an AP with a radio channel in one subband is located next to APs with radio channels in the other subband. While such an assignment is not possible in all cases, preferring such an assignment increases the likelihood of good results for multi-frequency operation. Fig.Figure 8 also shows second radio channels for APs in DualGHz mode 850. As shown, staggering the channel assignments in the upper and lower subband generally allows for the assignment of a channel in the opposite subband when transitioning to Dual 5GHz mode.

[0058] In some embodiments, instead of assigning all channels to be scanned to a specific AP, the scanning algorithm selects a pair of co-located APs whose home channel for the BSS each belongs to different subbands. For example, a first AP may support a BSS on channel 36 and a second AP may support a BSS on channel 149. In this case, the first AP with a BSS in the lower subband receives a scan list with channels from the upper subband, and the second AP with a BSS in the upper subband receives a scan list with channels from the lower subband. This process thus helps favor cases 1 and 2 in the network, and thus the most optimal scanning performance. If channel assignment to provide for these cases is not possible, the other cases can still be optimized as best as possible under the circumstances.

[0059] The following clauses and / or examples relate to further embodiments or examples. Specific features in the examples may be applied throughout one or more embodiments. The various features of the different embodiments or examples may be combined in different ways, including certain features and excluding others, to enable a variety of different applications. Examples may include subject matter such as a method, means for performing acts of the method, at least one machine-readable medium, such as a non-transitory machine-readable medium, including instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform acts of the method, or an apparatus or system for facilitating operations according to the embodiments and examples described herein.

[0060] In some embodiments, an access point comprises a processor; a memory for storing data; hardware filters for radio operation; and a first set of radio chains and antennas for operation on a frequency band, wherein the access point comprises at least a first radio mode for operating the first set of radio chains and antennas as a single radio on a first channel to serve a first basic service set (BSS), and a second radio mode for operating the first set of radio chains and antennas as a first radio on the first channel to serve the first BSS and a second radio on a second channel to perform an additional service, wherein the first radio has a first hardware filter set and the second radio has a second hardware filter set, and wherein the access point is to provide a dynamic configuration of the first radio and the second radio,to mitigate interference, wherein the dynamic configuration comprises, upon determining that the operation of the first channel for serving the first BSS is incompatible with the first hardware filter set of the first radio, migrating the first BSS from the first radio to the second radio to be served by the second radio on the second channel, and providing the additional service by the first radio on the first channel.

[0061] In some embodiments, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media have executable computer program instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising operating an access point having at least one radio on a first frequency band, the radio to operate on a first channel of the first band to serve a first basic service set (BSS);Splitting the radio on the first frequency band into a first radio and a second radio, the first radio to operate on the first channel to serve the first BSS and the second radio to operate on a second channel of the first band to perform an additional service, the first radio including a first hardware filter set and the second radio including a second hardware filter set, and upon determining that operation of the first channel to serve the first BSS is incompatible with the first hardware filter set of the first radio, migrating the first BSS from the first radio to the second radio to be served by the second radio on the second channel, and providing the additional service by the first radio on the first channel;

[0062] In some embodiments, a method comprises operating an access point having at least one radio on a first frequency band in a first radio mode, wherein the radio is to operate on a first channel of the first band to serve a first basic service set (BSS); switching the access point to a second radio mode including splitting the radio on the first frequency band into a first radio and a second radio, wherein the first radio is to operate on the first channel to serve the first BSS and the second radio is to operate on a second channel of the first band to perform an additional service, wherein the first radio includes a first hardware filter set and the second radio includes a second hardware filter set;and upon determining that the operation of the first channel for serving the first BSS is incompatible with the first hardware filter set of the first radio, migrating the first BSS from the first radio to the second radio to be served by the second radio on the second channel, and providing the additional service by the first radio on the first channel;

[0063] In the above description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form. Intermediate structures may exist between the illustrated components. The components described or depicted herein may have additional inputs or outputs not shown or described.

[0064] Different embodiments may include various processes. These processes may be executed by hardware components or embodied in computer programs or machine-executable instructions that can be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor, or logic circuits programmed with the instructions, to execute the processes. Alternatively, the processes may be executed by a combination of hardware and software.

[0065]

[0060] Portions of various embodiments may be provided as a computer program product, which may include a computer-readable medium having computer program instructions stored thereon that may be used to program a computer (or other electronic device) for execution by one or more processors to perform a process according to certain embodiments. The computer-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, magnetic disks, optical disks, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or any other type of computer-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.Furthermore, embodiments may also be downloaded as a computer program product, where the program may be transferred from a remote computer to a requesting computer. In some embodiments, data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform specific operations is stored on a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium.

[0066] Many of the methods are described in their most basic form, but processes may be added to or deleted from any of the methods, and information may be added to or subtracted from any of the described messages without departing from the basic scope of the present embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other modifications and adaptations may be made. The individual embodiments are not intended to limit the concept, but rather to illustrate it. The scope of the embodiments is to be determined not by the specific examples listed above, but only by the following claims.

[0067] When it says that an element "A" is coupled to element "B," element A may be coupled to element B directly or indirectly, e.g., via element C. When the specification or claims state that a component, feature, structure, process, or property A "causes" a component, feature, structure, process, or property B, it means that "A" is at least a partial cause of "B," but that there may also be at least one other component, feature, structure, process, or property that helps cause "B." When the specification indicates that a component, feature, structure, process, or property "may," "could," or "might" be included, that particular component, feature, structure, process, or property need not be included.If the specification or claim refers to “a” or “an” element, this does not mean that there is only one of the elements described.

[0068] An embodiment is an implementation or example. References throughout the specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "some embodiments," or "other embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least some embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments. The various aspects of "an embodiment," "an embodiment," or "some embodiments" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments.It should be noted that in the foregoing description of example embodiments, various features are sometimes grouped into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof in order to streamline the disclosure and facilitate understanding of one or more of the various novel aspects. However, this manner of disclosure should not be interpreted to imply that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in the individual claims. Rather, as the following claims reflect, novel aspects lie in fewer than all features of a single previously disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims are hereby expressly incorporated into this description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

Claims

[1] An access point (110; 200; 700) consisting of: a processor (705); a memory (710) for storing data; Hardware filters (220; 720) for radio operation; and a first set of radio chains and antennas for operation on a frequency band, wherein the access point (110; 200; 700) comprises at least a first radio mode for operating the first set of radio chains and antennas as a single radio on a first channel to serve a first basic service set (BSS), and a second radio mode for operating the first set of radio chains and antennas as a first radio (120) on the first channel to serve the first BSS and a second radio (122) on a second channel to perform a supplementary service, wherein the first radio has a first hardware filter set and the second radio (122) has a second hardware filter set, wherein the first hardware filter set includes a low-band filter and a full-band filter, and the second hardware filter set includes a high-band filter and a full-band filter; and wherein the access point (110; 200; 700) is to provide a dynamic configuration of the first radio (120) and the second radio (122) to mitigate interference, the dynamic configuration comprising: in response to the first radio (120) and the second radio (122) channels in an upper subband of the frequency band, migrating the BSS from the first radio (120) to the second radio (122) and operating the high-band filter of the second radio (122) and the full-band filter of the first radio (120) and increasing a dwell time for the first radio (120) to perform the additional service comprising a search service on the first radio (120); in response to the first radio (120) on a channel in the upper subband and the second radio (122) on a channel in the lower subband of the frequency band, migrating the BSS from the first radio (120) to the second radio (122) and operating the low-band filter of the first radio (120) and the high-band filter of the second radio (122); and in response to the first radio (120) and the second radio (122) on channels in the lower subband, increasing a dwell time for the second radio (122) to perform the additional service comprising a scanning service on the second radio (122). [2] The access point (110; 200; 700) of claim 1, further comprising a second set of radio chains and antennas for operation on a second frequency band. [3] The access point (110; 200; 700) of claim 2, wherein: the frequency band is a 5 GHz frequency band and the second frequency band is a 2.4 GHz frequency band; or the frequency band comprises 5 and 6 GHz frequency bands (UNII-1 to UNII-8) which are treated as a single contiguous band, and the second frequency band is a 2.4 GHz frequency band, whereby frequency subbands in a larger contiguous 5 to 7 GHz frequency range (UNII-1 to UNII-8) can be divided into any number of non-overlapping sections with filtering appropriate for each subband. [4] One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media (710) having stored thereon executable computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors (705), cause the one or more processors (705) to perform operations comprising: Operating an access point (110; 200; 700) including at least one radio on a first frequency band, wherein the radio is to operate on a first channel of the first frequency band to serve a first basic service set (BSS); Splitting the radio on the first frequency band into a first radio (120) and a second radio (122), wherein the first radio (120) is to operate on the first channel to serve the first BSS, and the second radio (122) is to operate on a second channel of the first frequency band to serve an additional service, wherein the first radio (120) includes a first hardware filter set and the second radio (122) includes a second hardware filter set, wherein the first hardware filter set includes a low-band filter and a full-band filter and the second hardware filter set includes a high-band filter and a full-band filter; and in response to the first channel and the second channel being in an upper subband of the first frequency band, migrating the BSS from the first radio (120) to the second radio (122) and operating the high-band filter of the second radio and the full-band filter of the first radio (120) and increasing a dwell time for the first radio (120) to perform the additional service comprising a scanning service on the first radio (120); in response to the first channel being in the upper subband and the second channel being in a lower subband of the first frequency band, migrating the BSS from the first radio (120) to the second radio (122) and operating the lower band filter of the first radio (120) and the upper band filter of the second radio; and in response to the first channel and the second channel being in the lower subband, increasing a dwell time for the second radio (122) to perform the additional service comprising a scanning service on the second radio (122). [5] The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media (710) of claim 4, wherein the first radio (120) is a primary radio and the second radio (122) is a secondary radio. [6] A procedure comprising: Operating an access point (110; 200; 700) comprising at least one radio on a first frequency band in a first radio mode, wherein the radio is to be operated on a first channel of the first frequency band to serve a first basic service set (BSS); Switching the access point (110; 200; 700) to a second radio mode, including splitting the radio on the first frequency band into a first radio (120) and a second radio (122), wherein the first radio (120) is to operate on the first channel to serve the first BSS, and the second radio (122) is to operate on a second channel of the first frequency band to perform an additional service, wherein the first radio (120) includes a first hardware filter set and the second radio (122) includes a second hardware filter set, wherein the first hardware filter set includes a low-band filter and a full-band filter, and the second hardware filter set includes a high-band filter and a full-band filter; and in response to the first channel and the second channel being in an upper subband of the first frequency band, migrating the BSS from the first radio (120) to the second radio (122) and operating the high-band filter of the second radio (122) and the full-band filter of the first radio (120) and increasing a dwell time for the first radio (120) to perform the additional service comprising a scanning service on the first radio (120); in response to the first channel being in the upper subband and the second channel being in a lower subband of the first frequency band, migrating the BSS from the first radio (120) to the second radio (122) and operating the lower band filter of the first radio (120) and the upper band filter of the second radio (122); and in response to the first channel and the second channel being in the lower subband, increasing a dwell time for the second radio (122) to perform the additional service comprising a scanning service on the second radio (122). [7] The method of claim 6, wherein the first channel is selected according to an Extended Service Set (ESS) algorithm including the access point (110; 200; 700), the algorithm staggering the channels between the upper subband of the first frequency band and the lower subband of the first frequency band. [8] The method of claim 7, wherein when the first channel is in the upper subband and the second channel is in the lower subband, the additional service comprises scanning a first set of channels in either the upper subband or the lower subband, wherein a second set of channels in the other of the upper subband or the lower subband is to be scanned by a second access point (110; 200; 700).

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