Faster AP boot-up with out-of-band channel scanning offload

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for establishing a wireless connection between a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device. In some implementations, the first wireless communication device may establish a first connection with the second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol, perform a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels in response to establishing the first connection, the first channel scan being associated with a second wireless communication protocol, establish a second connection directly with the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the first channel scan, and receive one or more data streams directly from the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] cross reference This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 484,373 by NAIDU et al., entitled “QUICK ACCESS POINT START WITH OUT OF BAND CHANNEL SCAN OFFLOAD,” filed Sep. 24, 2021, which is assigned to the assignee of this application and is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more specifically to establishing wireless connections for streaming data to peripheral devices. [Background technology]

[0003] A wireless local area network (WLAN) may be formed by one or more wireless access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by several client devices or stations (STAs). Each AP, which may correspond to a basic service set (BSS), may periodically broadcast a beacon frame to enable any STA within wireless range of the AP to establish and maintain a communication link with the WLAN. WLANs that operate according to the IEEE 802.11 family of standards are commonly referred to as Wi-Fi networks. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Some wireless communication devices may receive data streams using wireless communication protocols, such as Wi-Fi protocols, LTE wireless protocols, and the like. Examples of such devices may be associated with a variety of applications, including, but not limited to, real-time gaming applications, video communications, and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications (collectively referred to as extended reality (XR) applications). For improved performance and consumer ease of use, it is desirable to configure such devices to be able to quickly receive such data streams. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The systems, methods, and devices of the present disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single aspect of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

[0006] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be implemented as a method of wireless communication. The method may be performed by a first wireless communication device and may include establishing a first connection with a second wireless device according to a first communication protocol, performing a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels in response to establishing the first connection, the first channel scan being associated with a second wireless communication protocol, establishing a second connection directly with the second wireless device according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the first channel scan, and receiving one or more data streams directly from the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol.

[0007] In some aspects, the first communication protocol is a relatively shorter range wireless protocol than the second wireless communication protocol, hi some aspects, the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol.

[0008] In some implementations, the method further includes transmitting results of the first channel scan to the second wireless communication device according to the first communication protocol.

[0009] In some implementations, establishing the second connection is further based on a second channel scan performed by the second wireless communication device, the second channel scan being associated with a second set of wireless channels. In some aspects, the first set of wireless channels is the same as the second set of wireless channels. In some other aspects, none of the wireless channels in the first set of wireless channels are in the second set of wireless channels.

[0010] In some implementations, the second wireless communication protocol is a wireless communication protocol according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards.

[0011] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be implemented in a first wireless communication device. The first wireless communication device may include at least one processor and at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code for execution by the at least one processor. Execution of the processor-readable code configures the first wireless communication device to establish a first connection with a second wireless device according to a first communication protocol, perform a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels in response to establishing the first connection, the first channel scan being associated with a second wireless communication protocol, establish a second connection directly with the second wireless device according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the first channel scan, and receive one or more data streams directly from the second wireless device according to the second wireless communication protocol.

[0012] In some aspects, the first communication protocol is a relatively shorter range wireless protocol than the second wireless communication protocol, hi some aspects, the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol.

[0013] In some implementations, execution of the instructions causes the first wireless communication device to transmit results of the first channel scan to the second wireless communication device according to the first communication protocol.

[0014] In some implementations, establishing the second connection is further based on a second channel scan performed by the second wireless communication device, the second channel scan being associated with a second set of wireless channels. In some aspects, the first set of wireless channels is the same as the second set of wireless channels. In some other aspects, none of the channels in the first set of wireless channels are in the second set of wireless channels.

[0015] In some implementations, the second wireless communication protocol is a wireless communication protocol according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards.

[0016] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be implemented as a method of wireless communication. The method may be performed by a first wireless communication device and may include establishing a first connection with a second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol, receiving results of a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels according to the first communication protocol from the second wireless communication device, where the first channel scan is associated with the second wireless communication protocol, configuring the first wireless communication device to operate as an access point associated with the second wireless communication protocol, establishing a second connection directly with the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the results of the first channel scan, and transmitting one or more data streams directly to the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol.

[0017] In some aspects, the first communication protocol is a relatively shorter range wireless protocol than the second wireless communication protocol, hi some aspects, the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol.

[0018] In some aspects, the method further includes performing a second channel scan of a second set of wireless channels, and establishing the second connection is further based on the second channel scan. In some aspects, the first set of wireless channels are the same as the second set of wireless channels. In some other aspects, none of the channels in the first set of wireless channels are in the second set of wireless channels.

[0019] In some implementations, the second wireless communication protocol is a wireless communication protocol according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards.

[0020] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be implemented in a first wireless communication device. The first wireless communication device may include at least one processor and at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code for execution by the at least one processor. Execution of the processor-readable code configures the first wireless communication device to establish a first connection with a second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol, receive results of a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels according to the first communication protocol from the second wireless communication device, where the first channel scan is associated with the second wireless communication protocol, configure the first wireless communication device to operate as an access point associated with the second wireless communication protocol, establish a second connection directly with the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the results of the first channel scan, and transmit one or more data streams directly to the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol.

[0021] In some aspects, the first communication protocol is a relatively shorter range wireless protocol than the second wireless communication protocol, hi some aspects, the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol.

[0022] In some aspects, execution of the instructions causes the first wireless communication device to perform a second channel scan of a second set of wireless channels, and establishing the second connection is further based on the second channel scan. In some aspects, the first set of wireless channels are the same as the second set of wireless channels. In some other aspects, none of the channels in the first set of wireless channels are in the second set of wireless channels.

[0023] In some implementations, the second wireless communication protocol is a wireless communication protocol according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards.

[0024] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. It should be noted that the relative dimensions of the following figures may not be drawn to scale. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a pictorial diagram of an example wireless communication network. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example wireless communication device. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary access point (AP). [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary station (STA). [Figure 3C] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary peripheral device. [Figure 4] 1 is a flow chart showing a process for establishing a wireless link between a STA and a peripheral device. [Figure 5A] 5 is a timing diagram illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between the STA of FIG. 4 and a peripheral device. [Figure 5B] 5 is a timing diagram illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between the STA of FIG. 4 and a peripheral device. [Figure 6] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between a STA and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 7A]7 is a timing diagram illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between the STA of FIG. 6 and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 7B] 7 is a timing diagram illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between the STA of FIG. 6 and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 8] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between a STA and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 9A] 9 is a timing diagram illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between the STA of FIG. 8 and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 9B] 9 is a timing diagram illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between the STA of FIG. 8 and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 10] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between a STA and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 11A] 11 is a timing diagram illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between the STA of FIG. 10 and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 11B] 11 is a timing diagram illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between the STA of FIG. 10 and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 12] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example process for supporting establishing a wireless link between a STA and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 13] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example process for supporting establishing a wireless link between a STA and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 14]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example wireless communication device that supports establishing a wireless link between a STA and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example wireless communication device that supports establishing a wireless link between a STA and a peripheral device, according to some implementations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

[0027] The following description is directed to some specific implementations for the purpose of describing the innovative aspects of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in many different ways. The described implementations can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to one or more of the Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G, or 5G (New Radio (NR)) standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the IEEE 802.15 standard, or the Bluetooth standard defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), among others. The described implementations may be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals according to one or more of the following technologies or techniques: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), Single User (SU) Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), and Multi-User (MU) MIMO. The described implementations may also be implemented using other wireless communications protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), or an Internet of Things (IOT) network.

[0028] The use of peripheral wireless communication devices is becoming increasingly common. A peripheral wireless communication device ("peripheral device") may refer to any wireless device configured to receive one or more data streams directly from a source wireless communication device ("source device"). One exemplary type of peripheral wireless communication device may be a headset (HMD) configured for augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), or other extended reality (XR) applications that may receive one or more data streams directly from a source wireless communication device, such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, or another suitable wireless communication device. Such data streams may communicate audio, video, and other data directly to the peripheral wireless communication device. Other peripheral wireless communication devices may include wireless speakers, headphones, headsets, and video display devices, among other examples.

[0029] The source device may be configured to transmit one or more data streams directly to the peripheral device using multiple communication protocols. For example, the source device and the peripheral device may initially communicate according to a first communication protocol. The first communication protocol may be a short-range wireless protocol (Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or Near Field Communication (NFC) wireless communication protocol) or a wired communication protocol (such as an Ethernet protocol). After a first connection between the source device and the peripheral device is established according to the first communication protocol, a second connection may be established directly between the source device and the peripheral device according to a second wireless communication protocol. For example, the second wireless communication protocol may be a wireless communication protocol according to the IEEE 802.11 standard, such as the LTE protocol, or another suitable wireless communication protocol. More specifically, the second wireless communication protocol may have a longer range or a higher throughput than the first communication protocol. Detailed information for establishing the second connection may be exchanged between the source device and the peripheral device using the first connection. In other words, the details may be exchanged "out-of-band" (OOB) according to the first communication protocol. For example, the source device may provide access point (AP) details (such as service set identifier (SSID), channel information, or encryption information) to the peripheral device using the first connection.

[0030] To identify a wireless channel that avoids interference and provides sufficient data throughput for one or more data streams, the source device may perform one or more channel scanning operations (such as one or more automatic channel selection (ACS) operations) when establishing a second connection with the peripheral device. In an exemplary ACS operation, the wireless communication device may scan each wireless channel in a list of wireless channels and rank each wireless channel in the list based on factors such as, for example, the number of basic service sets (BSSs) or service set identifiers (SSIDs) detected on the wireless channel, a minimum or maximum received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with the SSIDs detected on the wireless channel, a noise floor on the wireless channel, or a measure of the percentage of time the channel is occupied, among other examples. The ACS operation may then select the best channel based on the ranking. Establishing the first and second connections may consume a large amount of time (which may exceed 10 seconds). Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the time required to establish the first and second connections to improve the user experience of the user of the peripheral device.

[0031] Various aspects relate generally to offloading some or all of channel scanning operations from a source device to a peripheral device. In some implementations, a first wireless communication device, such as a peripheral device, may establish a first connection with a second wireless communication device, such as a source device, according to a first communication protocol. The first wireless communication device may perform a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels in response to establishing the first connection. The first channel scan may be associated with a second wireless communication protocol. The first wireless communication device may then establish a second connection directly with the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol. For example, the peripheral device may simultaneously establish a first connection with the source device while performing all or a portion of the channel scan. In some other aspects, each of the source device and the peripheral device may perform a channel scan to ensure that the channel selected for the second connection performs well at both the source device and the peripheral device, especially in a noisy environment.

[0032] Particular implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages: By offloading all or a portion of the channel scanning to the peripheral device, a second connection may be established directly between the source device and the peripheral device faster than using conventional techniques (such as the source device performing the entire channel scanning), which may result in an improved user experience. More specifically, because the source device may request channel scanning results before it begins to operate as an AP according to the second wireless communication protocol, offloading at least a portion of the channel scanning operation to the peripheral device may enable the source device to receive these channel scanning results sooner. In some examples where the first communication protocol is BLE and the second wireless communication protocol is a Wi-Fi protocol, offloading the entire channel scanning to the peripheral device may reduce the time required to establish a second connection by several seconds.

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication network 100. According to some aspects, the wireless communication network 100 may be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as a Wi-Fi network (hereinafter referred to as WLAN 100). For example, the WLAN 100 may be a network implementing at least one of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards (such as those defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or amendments thereto, including, but not limited to, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be). The WLAN 100 may include a number of wireless communication devices, such as an access point (AP) 102 and multiple stations (STAs) 104. Although only one AP 102 is shown, the WLAN network 100 may also include multiple APs 102.

[0034] Each of the STAs 104 may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), mobile device, mobile handset, wireless handset, access terminal (AT), user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), or subscriber unit, among other examples. The STAs 104 may represent a variety of devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptops, display devices (e.g., TVs, computer monitors, navigation systems, among other things), music or other audio or stereo devices, remote control devices ("remotes"), printers, kitchen or other appliances, key fobs (e.g., for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems), among other examples.

[0035] A single AP 102 and an associated set of STAs 104 may be referred to as a Basic Service Set (BSS), which is managed by each AP 102. In addition, FIG. 1 illustrates an example coverage area 106 of an AP 102, which may represent a Basic Service Area (BSA) of the WLAN 100. The BSS may be identified to users by a Service Set Identifier (SSID) and to other devices by a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID), which may be a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the AP 102. The AP 102 periodically broadcasts a beacon frame ("beacon") containing the BSSID to enable any STAs 104 within wireless range of the AP 102 to "associate" or reassociate with the AP 102 to establish or maintain a respective communication link 108 (hereinafter also referred to as a "Wi-Fi link"). For example, the beacons may include an identification of the primary channel used by each AP 102, as well as a timing synchronization function for establishing or maintaining timing synchronization with the AP 102. The APs 102 may provide access to external networks to various STAs 104 in the WLAN via their respective communication links 108.

[0036] To establish a communication link 108 with an AP 102, each of the STAs 104 is configured to perform passive or active scanning operations ("scans") on frequency channels in one or more frequency bands (e.g., the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, or 60 GHz bands). To perform passive scanning, the STAs 104 listen for beacons, which are transmitted by the respective APs 102 at regular time intervals called target beacon transmission times (TBTTs) (measured in time units (TUs), where one TU may equal 1024 microseconds (μs)). To perform active scanning, the STAs 104 generate probe requests, transmit them sequentially on each channel to be scanned, and listen for probe responses from the APs 102. Each STA 104 may be configured to perform authentication and association operations to identify or select an AP 102 to associate with and establish a communication link 108 with the selected AP 102 based on scanning information obtained through passive or active scanning. The AP 102 assigns an association identifier (AID) to the STA 104 at the end of the association operation, and the AP 102 tracks the STA 104 using the AID.

[0037] As a result of the increasing ubiquity of wireless networks, a STA 104 may have the opportunity to select one of many BSSs within range of the STA, or among multiple APs 102 that together form an extended service set (ESS) that includes multiple connected BSSs. The extended network station associated with the WLAN 100 may be connected to a wired or wireless distribution system that may allow multiple APs 102 to be connected in an ESS or the like. Thus, the STA 104 may be covered by more than one AP 102 and may associate with different APs 102 at different times for different transmissions. In addition, after association with an AP 102, the STA 104 may also be configured to periodically scan around it to find a more suitable AP 102 to associate with. For example, a STA 104 that is moving relative to an associated AP 102 may perform a "roaming" scan to find another AP 102 that has more desirable network characteristics, such as a greater received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or a lower traffic load.

[0038] In some cases, the STAs 104 may form a network without the AP 102 or any other device other than the STAs 104 themselves. One example of such a network is an ad-hoc network (or wireless ad-hoc network). Alternatively, an ad-hoc network may be referred to as a mesh network or a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. In some cases, the ad-hoc network may be implemented within a larger wireless network, such as the WLAN 100. In such an implementation, the STAs 104 may be able to communicate with each other through the AP 102 using the communication link 108, but the STAs 104 may also communicate with each other directly via a direct wireless link 110. In addition, two STAs 104 may communicate via the direct communication link 110 regardless of whether both STAs 104 are associated with and served by the same AP 102. In such an ad-hoc system, one or more of the STAs 104 may assume the role filled by the AP 102 in the BSS. Such STAs 104 may be referred to as group owners (GOs) and may coordinate transmissions within the ad-hoc network. Examples of direct wireless links 110 include Wi-Fi Direct connections, connections established by using Wi-Fi Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) links, and other P2P group connections.

[0039] The APs 102 and the STAs 104 may function and communicate (via their respective communication links 108) according to the IEEE 802.11 wireless communications protocol standards family (such as those defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or amendments thereto, including, but not limited to, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be). These standards define WLAN radios and baseband protocols for the PHY and medium access control (MAC) layers. The APs 102 and the STAs 104 send and receive wireless communications (hereinafter also referred to as “Wi-Fi communications”) to each other in the form of PHY Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) (or Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) PDUs). The AP 102 and the STAs 104 in the WLAN 100 may transmit PPDUs over an unlicensed spectrum, which may be a portion of a spectrum that includes frequency bands traditionally used by Wi-Fi technology, such as the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, the 60 GHz band, the 3.6 GHz band, and the 900 MHz band. Some implementations of the AP 102 and the STAs 104 described herein may also communicate in other frequency bands, such as the 6 GHz band, which may support both licensed and unlicensed communications. The AP 102 and the STAs 104 may also be configured to communicate over other frequency bands, such as shared licensed frequency bands, where multiple operators may have licenses to operate in the same or overlapping frequency band or bands.

[0040] Each of the frequency bands may include multiple sub-bands or frequency channels. For example, PPDUs conforming to the IEEE 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, and 802.11be standard amendments may be transmitted over the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz bands, each of which is divided into multiple 20 MHz channels. Thus, these PPDUs are transmitted over physical channels with a minimum bandwidth of 20 MHz, but larger channels can be formed through channel bonding. For example, PPDUs may be transmitted over physical channels with bandwidths of 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160, or CCC20 MHz by bonding multiple 20 MHz channels together.

[0041] Each PPDU is a composite structure that includes a PHY preamble and a payload in the form of a PHY Service Data Unit (PSDU). Information provided in the preamble may be used by a receiving device to decode subsequent data in the PSDU. In cases where the PPDU is transmitted over bonded channels, the preamble field may be replicated and transmitted in each of the multiple component channels. The PHY preamble may include both a legacy portion (or "legacy preamble") and a non-legacy portion (or "non-legacy preamble"). The legacy preamble may be used for packet detection, automatic gain control, and channel estimation, among other applications. The legacy preamble may also generally be used to maintain compatibility with legacy devices. The format of the non-legacy portion of the preamble, its coding, and the information provided therein are based on the particular IEEE 802.11 protocol to be used to transmit the payload.

[0042] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example wireless communication device 200. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 200 may be an example of a device for use in a STA, such as one of the STAs 104 described above with reference to FIG. 1. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 200 may be an example of a device for use in an AP, such as the AP 102 described above with reference to FIG. 1. The wireless communication device 200 may be capable of transmitting and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device may be configured to transmit and receive packets in the form of physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data units (PPDUs) and medium access control (MAC) protocol data units (MPDUs) that conform to IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards, such as those defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or amendments thereto, including, but not limited to, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be.

[0043] The wireless communication device 200 may be or may include a chip, a system on a chip (SoC), a chipset, a package or device that includes one or more modems 204, such as a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 compliant) modem. In some implementations, the one or more modems 204 (collectively “modems 204”) additionally include a WWAN modem (e.g., a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compliant modem). In some implementations, the wireless communication device 200 also includes one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements 202 (collectively “processors 202”) coupled with the modem 204. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 200 additionally includes one or more radios 206 (collectively “radios 206”) coupled with the modem 204. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 200 further includes one or more memory blocks or elements 208 (collectively “memory 208”) coupled with the processor 202 or modem 204.

[0044] The modem 204 may include an intelligent hardware block or device, such as, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), among other examples. The modem 204 is generally configured to implement a PHY layer, and in some implementations, a portion of the MAC layer as well (e.g., a hardware portion of the MAC layer). For example, the modem 204 is configured to modulate the packets and output the modulated packets to the radio 206 for transmission over a wireless medium. The modem 204 is also configured to obtain modulated packets received by the radio 206 and demodulate the packets to provide demodulated packets. In addition to the modulator and demodulator, the modem 204 may further include digital signal processing (DSP) circuitry, automatic gain control (AGC) circuitry, coders, decoders, multiplexers, and demultiplexers. For example, while in a transmit mode, data obtained from the processor 202 may be provided to an encoder, which encodes the data to provide coded bits. The coded bits are then divided into a number (N SS ) spatial streams or a certain number (N STS The coded bits in the streams may then be mapped to points in a modulation constellation (using a selected MCS) to provide modulated symbols. The modulated symbols in each spatial or space-time stream may be multiplexed and transformed via an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) block, and subsequently provided to a DSP circuit (e.g., for TX windowing and filtering). The digital signal may then be provided to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The resulting analog signal may then be provided to a frequency upconverter and ultimately to the radio 206. In an implementation involving beamforming, the modulated symbols in each spatial stream are precoded via a steering matrix prior to providing to the IFFT block.

[0045] While in the receive mode, the DSP circuit is configured to acquire a signal including modulated symbols received from the radio 206, for example, by detecting the presence of the signal and estimating an initial timing and frequency offset. The DSP circuit is further configured to digitally condition the signal, for example, by using channel (narrowband) filtering and analog impairment adjustment (such as correcting I / Q imbalance) and applying a digital gain to finally obtain a narrowband signal. The output of the DSP circuit may then be provided to an AGC, which is configured to use information extracted from the digital signal to determine an appropriate gain, for example, in one or more received training fields. The output of the DSP circuit is also coupled to a demultiplexer that demultiplexes the modulated symbols when multiple spatial or space-time streams are received. The demultiplexed symbols may be provided to a demodulator, which is configured to extract symbols from the signal and, for example, calculate a log-likelihood ratio (LLR) for each bit position of each subcarrier in each spatial stream. The demodulator is coupled to a decoder, which may be configured to process the LLR to provide decoded bits. The decoded bits may then be descrambled and provided to the MAC layer (processor 202) for processing, evaluation, or interpretation.

[0046] The radio 206 typically includes at least one radio frequency (RF) transmitter (or “transmitter chain”) and at least one RF receiver (or “receiver chain”), which may be combined into one or more transceivers. For example, each of the RF transmitters and receivers may include various analog circuits, including at least one power amplifier (PA) and at least one low noise amplifier (LNA), respectively. And the RF transmitters and receivers may be coupled to one or more antennas. For example, in some implementations, the wireless communication device 200 may include or be coupled to multiple transmit antennas (each with a corresponding transmit chain) and multiple receive antennas (each with a corresponding receive chain). Symbols output from the modem 204 are provided to the radio 206, which then transmits the symbols via the coupled antenna. Similarly, symbols received via the antennas are obtained by the radio 206, which then provides the symbols to the modem 204.

[0047] The processor 202 may include intelligent hardware blocks or devices, such as, for example, a processing core, a processing block, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD) such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The processor 202 processes information received through the radio 206 and the modem 204, and processes information to be output through the modem 204 and the radio 206 for transmission over a wireless medium. For example, the processor 202 may implement at least a portion of a control plane and a MAC layer, which are configured to perform various operations related to generating, transmitting, receiving, and processing MPDUs, frames, or packets. In some implementations, the MAC layer is configured to generate MPDUs to provide to the PHY layer for coding, and to receive decoded information bits from the PHY layer for processing as MPDUs. The MAC layer may further be configured to allocate time and frequency resources, for example, for OFDMA, among other operations or techniques. In some implementations, the processor 202 may generally control the modem 204 to cause the modem to perform the various operations described above.

[0048] The memory 208 may include a tangible storage medium, such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. The memory 208 may also store non-transitory processor or computer executable software (SW) code, including instructions that, when executed by the processor 202, cause the processor to perform various operations described herein for wireless communication, including generating, transmitting, receiving, and interpreting MPDUs, frames, or packets. For example, various functions of the components disclosed herein, or various blocks or steps of the methods, operations, processes, or algorithms disclosed herein, may be implemented as one or more modules of one or more computer programs.

[0049] FIG. 3A illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary AP 302. For example, the AP 302 may be an exemplary implementation of the AP 102 described with reference to FIG. 1. The AP 302 includes a wireless communication device (WCD) 310 (although the AP 302 itself may also be generally referred to as a wireless communication device as used herein). For example, the wireless communication device 310 may be an exemplary implementation of the wireless communication device 200 described with reference to FIG. 2. The AP 302 also includes a plurality of antennas 320 coupled with the wireless communication device 310 for transmitting and receiving wireless communications. In some implementations, the AP 302 additionally includes an application processor 330 coupled with the wireless communication device 310, and a memory 340 coupled with the application processor 330. The AP 302 further includes at least one external network interface 350 that enables the AP 302 to communicate with a core network or a backhaul network to gain access to external networks, including the Internet. For example, the external network interface 350 may include one or both of a wired (e.g., Ethernet) network interface and a wireless network interface (such as a WWAN interface). Some of the aforementioned components may communicate with others of the components directly or indirectly via at least one bus. The AP 302 further includes a housing that encloses the wireless communication device 310, the application processor 330, the memory 340, and at least a portion of the antenna 320 and the external network interface 350.

[0050] FIG. 3B illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary STA 304. For example, the STA 304 may be an exemplary implementation of the STA 104 described with reference to FIG. 1. The STA 304 includes a wireless communication device 315 (although the STA 304 itself may also be generally referred to as a wireless communication device as used herein). For example, the wireless communication device 315 may be an exemplary implementation of the wireless communication device JJJ00 described with reference to FIG. The STA 304 also includes one or more antennas 325 coupled with the wireless communication device 315 for transmitting and receiving wireless communications. The STA 304 additionally includes an application processor 335 coupled with the wireless communication device 315, and a memory 345 coupled with the application processor 335. In some implementations, the STA 304 further includes a user interface (UI) 355 (such as a touch screen or keypad) and a display 365, which may be integrated with the UI 355 to form a touch screen display. In some implementations, the STA 304 may further include one or more sensors 375, such as, for example, one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, barometric pressure sensors, or altitude sensors. Some of the aforementioned components may communicate with others of the components directly or indirectly via at least one bus. The STA 304 further includes a housing that encloses the wireless communication device 315, the application processor 335, the memory 345, and at least a portion of the antenna 325, the UI 355, and the display 365.

[0051] 3C illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary peripheral device 306. The peripheral device 306 may be a wireless device configured to receive one or more data streams from a STA using a device-to-device wireless communication protocol. For example, the peripheral device 306 may be a headset (HMD), wireless speaker, headphones, headset, video display device configured for AR, VR, or other XR applications, among other examples. The peripheral device 306 includes a wireless communication device 317 (although the peripheral device 306 itself may also be generally referred to as a wireless communication device as used herein). For example, the wireless communication device 317 may be an exemplary implementation of the wireless communication device 200 described with reference to FIG. 2. The peripheral device 306 also includes one or more antennas 327 coupled with the wireless communication device 317 for transmitting and receiving wireless communications. The peripheral device 306 additionally includes an application processor 337 coupled with the wireless communication device 317, and a memory 347 coupled with the application processor 337. In some implementations, the peripheral device 306 further includes a user interface (UI) 357 (such as a touch screen or keypad) and a display 367, which may be integrated with the UI 357 to form a touch screen display. In some implementations, the peripheral device 306 may further include one or more sensors 377, such as, for example, one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, barometric pressure sensors, or altitude sensors. Some of the aforementioned components may communicate with others of the components directly or indirectly via at least one bus. The peripheral device 306 further includes a housing that encloses the wireless communication device 317, the application processor 337, the memory 347, and at least a portion of the antenna 327, the UI 357, and the display 367.

[0052] FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram 400 illustrating a process for establishing a wireless link between a STA 402 and a peripheral device 404. In the example of FIG. 4, the STA 402 and the peripheral device 404 may establish a first connection according to a first communication protocol ("Protocol 1" in FIG. 4) and subsequently establish a second connection according to a second wireless communication protocol ("Protocol 2" in FIG. 4). The STA 402 may be an example of the STA 304 of FIG. 3B, and the peripheral device 404 may be an example of the peripheral device 306 of FIG. 3C. The STA 402 and the peripheral device 404 may exchange connection information for establishing the second connection using the first communication protocol. As shown in FIG. 4, establishing the first connection may first involve discovery regarding Protocol 1. For example, the STA 402 may advertise its availability to connect using Protocol 1, and the peripheral device 404 may perform one or more scanning operations in response to the advertisement. When the first communication protocol is a BLE protocol, the STA 402 may advertise its Universal Unique Identifier (UUID), one or more device IDs, or one or more capabilities, among other examples. The peripheral device 404 may receive this advertisement and establish a first connection with the STA 402 according to the first communication protocol. For example, when the first communication protocol is BLE, the peripheral device 404 may operate as a Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) server, and the STA 402 may connect to this GATT server. After the first connection is established according to the first communication protocol, the peripheral device 404 may request to establish a second connection according to a second wireless communication protocol. This request may be explicitly communicated or may be implied (such as when successful establishment of the first connection automatically prompts establishment of the second connection). In response to the request for establishment of the second connection, the STA 402 may perform a channel scan associated with the second wireless communication protocol. For example, the STA 402 may scan a set of wireless channels associated with one or more frequency bands, such as the 2 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz frequency bands.When the second wireless communication protocol is a Wi-Fi protocol, the channel may be an ACS channel scan.

[0053] After completing the channel scan, the STA 402 may transmit one or more results of the channel scan to the peripheral device 404 using the first connection. Thus, the results are transmitted according to the first communication protocol. Such results may indicate one or more best performing channels from the channel scan. After receiving the results of the channel scan, the STA 402 may operate as an AP associated with a second wireless communication protocol. For example, the STA 402 may operate as a SoftAP associated with the second wireless communication protocol. The results of the channel scan may also be transmitted along with configuration information for establishing a second connection. For example, when the second wireless communication protocol is a Wi-Fi protocol, the channel scan results may be transmitted along with information such as one or more SSIDs or other details used by the peripheral device 404 to connect to the STA 402 using Wi-Fi. After receiving the channel scan results and the configuration information, the STA 402 and the peripheral device 404 may establish a second connection according to the second wireless communication protocol. After establishing the second connection, the STA 402 may transmit one or more data streams to the peripheral device 404 over the second connection.

[0054] FIG. 5A shows a timing diagram illustrating an example process 500 for establishing a wireless link between a STA 402 and a peripheral device 404. The example process 500 may be performed by the STA 402 and the peripheral device 404, for example, as shown in the sequence diagram 400 of FIG. 4. Note that the relative time lengths of the operations in FIG. 5A (and the subsequent timing diagrams) are not shown to scale and may vary depending on a number of factors, for example, depending on the protocols used for the first and second connections. The STA 402 and the peripheral device 404 perform protocol 1 discovery between times t1 and t2. The STA 402 and the peripheral device 404 perform protocol 1 connection between times t2 and t3. The STA 304 performs protocol 2 channel scan between times t3 and t4. The STA 402 starts AP operation between times t4 and t5. The STA 402 and the peripheral device 404 establish a second connection according to Protocol 2 between times t5 and t6, after which the STA 402 may transmit one or more data streams to the peripheral device 404.

[0055] FIG. 5B illustrates a timing diagram illustrating an example process 550 for establishing a wireless link between the STA 402 and the peripheral device 404. More specifically, the example process 550 illustrates a typical timing of the operations illustrated in FIG. 4 when the first communication protocol is a BLE protocol and the second wireless communication protocol is a Wi-Fi protocol. The STA 402 and the peripheral device 404 may complete BLE discovery in approximately 3.6 seconds. The STA 402 and the peripheral device 404 may establish a BLE connection after BLE discovery in approximately 1.3 seconds. The STA 402 may complete a Wi-Fi channel scan in approximately 4 seconds. The STA 402 may start AP operation in approximately 200 ms. Finally, the STA 402 and the peripheral device 404 may establish a second connection according to the Wi-Fi protocol between 0.5 seconds and 2 seconds. Thus, the operations illustrated in FIG. 4 for establishing a first connection and a second connection using conventional techniques may take approximately 9.6 to 11.1 seconds.

[0056] Various aspects relate generally to offloading some or all of channel scanning operations from a source device to a peripheral device. In some implementations, a first wireless communication device, such as a peripheral device, may establish a first connection with a second wireless communication device, such as a source device, according to a first communication protocol. The first wireless communication device may perform a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels in response to establishing the first connection. The first channel scan may be associated with a second wireless communication protocol. The first wireless communication device may then establish a second connection directly with the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol. For example, the peripheral device may simultaneously establish a first connection with the source device while performing all or a portion of the channel scan. In some other aspects, each of the source device and the peripheral device may perform a channel scan to ensure that the channel selected for the second connection performs well at both the source device and the peripheral device, especially in a noisy environment.

[0057] Particular implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages: By offloading all or a portion of the channel scanning to the peripheral device, a second connection may be established directly between the source device and the peripheral device faster than using conventional techniques such as the source device performing the entire channel scan. By offloading at least a portion of the channel scanning to the peripheral device, the wireless communication device may establish the second connection faster, resulting in more efficient operation and an improved user experience. More specifically, because the source device may request channel scan results before beginning to operate as an AP according to the second wireless communication protocol, offloading at least a portion of the channel scanning operation to the peripheral device may enable the source device to receive these channel scan results sooner. For example, when the first communication protocol is BLE and the second wireless communication protocol is Wi-Fi, offloading the entire channel scanning to the peripheral device may reduce the time required to establish the second connection by several seconds.

[0058] As discussed above, aspects of the present disclosure allow the establishment of the first and second connections between the source device and the peripheral device to be completed faster and more efficiently by offloading at least a portion of the channel scan associated with the second wireless communication protocol to the peripheral device. In some implementations, the entire channel scan may be performed by the peripheral device. Such implementations may allow for a significant reduction in the time required to establish the first and second connections. However, such implementations require the peripheral device to have computational and network resources to perform a complete channel scan. In some other implementations, the peripheral device may perform only a first portion of the channel scan, such as by scanning only a portion of the set of wireless channels associated with the channel scan, while the source device may scan a second portion including the remainder of the wireless channels in the set of wireless channels.

[0059] In some aspects, the first portion may include all wireless channels in the set of wireless channels associated with a particular frequency band. For example, the first portion may include all wireless channels in the 2 GHz frequency band, the 5 GHz frequency band, or the 6 GHz frequency band. In some other implementations, when a more robust channel scan is desired, e.g., in a crowded or noisy environment, the peripheral device and the source device may perform channel scanning collectively. In some aspects, the peripheral device and the source device may each scan all wireless channels in the set of wireless channels. In some other aspects, both the peripheral device and the source device may scan some but not all wireless channels in the set of wireless channels, and the source device or the peripheral device scans the remainder of the wireless channels in the set. In other words, in some aspects, each of the source device and the peripheral device may scan all wireless channels in the first portion of the set of wireless channels, while the remainder of the wireless channels in the set of wireless channels may be scanned by either the source device or the peripheral device. Duplicating all or a portion of the channel scan between the peripheral device and the source device may enable selection of channels that perform well in both the source device and the peripheral device.

[0060] FIG. 6 illustrates an example flow diagram 600 illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between a STA 304 and a peripheral device 306, according to some implementations. Similar to FIG. 4, the operations illustrated in FIG. 6 include protocol 1 discovery and protocol 1 connection, but in FIG. 6, the peripheral device 306 performs a channel scan associated with a second wireless communication protocol. In other words, in FIG. 6, this channel scan is completely offloaded to the peripheral device. For example, the peripheral device 306 may scan a set of wireless channels associated with one or more frequency bands, such as the 2 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz frequency bands. When the second wireless communication protocol is a Wi-Fi protocol, this channel may be an ACS channel scan.

[0061] After completing the channel scan and establishing the first connection according to the first communication protocol, the peripheral device 306 requests the establishment of a second connection according to the second wireless communication protocol. Similar to FIG. 4, this request may be explicitly communicated or may be implied (such as where successful establishment of the first connection automatically prompts the establishment of the second connection). The peripheral device 306 may also transmit one or more results of the completed channel scan to the STA 304. Thus, the results are transmitted according to the first communication protocol via the first connection. The STA 304 may begin to operate as an AP after receiving one or more results of the completed channel scan. Additionally, the STA 304 may transmit connection information related to the second wireless communication protocol to the peripheral device (not shown for simplicity). The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may then establish a second connection according to the second wireless communication protocol. The STA 304 may subsequently transmit one or more data streams (according to the second wireless communication protocol) to the peripheral device 306 via the second connection.

[0062] FIG. 7A illustrates an example timing diagram illustrating an example process 700 for establishing a wireless link between a STA 304 and a peripheral device 306 according to some implementations. The example process 700 may correspond to the sequence diagram 600 of FIG. 6. It should be noted that the relative time lengths of the operations of FIG. 7A are not shown to scale and may vary due to a number of factors depending, for example, on the protocols used for the first and second connections. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may perform Protocol 1 discovery between times t1 and t2. Concurrent with Protocol 1 discovery, the peripheral device 306 may perform a channel scan associated with a second wireless communication protocol. It should be noted that while FIG. 7A illustrates that Protocol 1 discovery and Protocol 2 channel scanning require the same amount of time, in some aspects, either Protocol 1 discovery or Protocol 2 channel scanning may take longer to complete. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may perform Protocol 1 connection between times t2 and t3. The STA 304 may perform AP startup between times t3 and t4. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish a second connection according to Protocol 2 between times t4 and t5. The STA 304 may then transmit one or more data streams to the peripheral device 306 over the second connection.

[0063] FIG. 7B illustrates a timing diagram illustrating an example process 750 for establishing a wireless link between the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 according to some implementations. More specifically, the example process 750 illustrates a typical timing of the operations illustrated in FIG. 6 when the first communication protocol is a BLE protocol and the second wireless communication protocol is a Wi-Fi protocol. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may complete BLE discovery in approximately 3.6 seconds. The peripheral device 306 may complete Wi-Fi channel scanning in approximately 4 seconds. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish a BLE connection after BLE discovery in approximately 1.3 seconds. The STA 304 may start operating as an AP in approximately 200 ms. Finally, the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish a second connection according to the Wi-Fi protocol between 0.5 and 2 seconds. Thus, the operations shown in FIG. 7B for establishing the first and second connections can take approximately 5.6 to 7.1 seconds when channel scanning is fully offloaded to the peripheral device, which represents a time savings of approximately 4 seconds compared to the conventional technique as shown in FIG. 5B.

[0064] As discussed above, in some implementations, rather than completely offloading channel scanning to the peripheral device, the STA may offload only a portion of the channel scanning to the peripheral device. FIG. 8 illustrates an example flow diagram 800 illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 according to some implementations. Similar to FIG. 6, the operation illustrated in FIG. 8 offloads a portion of the channel scanning to the peripheral device 306. However, in FIG. 8, the peripheral device 306 performs only a portion of the channel scanning while the STA 304 performs another portion of the channel scanning. In other words, in FIG. 8, the channel scanning is partially offloaded to the peripheral device 306. Similar to FIG. 6, concurrent with protocol 1 discovery, the peripheral device 306 performs a first partial channel scan associated with a second wireless communication protocol. For example, the peripheral device 306 may scan a first set of wireless channels associated with one or more frequency bands, such as the 2 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz frequency bands. When the second wireless communication protocol is a Wi-Fi protocol, this first partial channel scan may be an ACS channel scan.

[0065] After the peripheral device 306 completes the first partial channel scan and the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 establish a first connection according to the first communication protocol, the peripheral device 306 requests establishment of a second connection according to a second wireless communication protocol. As with FIG. 6, this request may be explicitly communicated or may be implied (such as where successful establishment of the first connection automatically prompts establishment of the second connection). In some examples, the peripheral device 306 may then transmit one or more results of the completed channel scan to the STA 304 (via the first connection) according to the first communication protocol. Note that while FIG. 8 shows the peripheral device 306 transmitting the channel scan results after the peripheral device 306 requests establishment of the second connection, the peripheral device may transmit the channel scan results at any time after completion of the first partial channel scan and before the STA 304 begins operating as an AP. The STA 304 then performs a second partial channel scan associated with the second wireless communication protocol. For example, the STA may scan a second set of wireless channels associated with one or more frequency bands, such as the 2 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz frequency bands. In some aspects, none of the wireless channels in the first set of wireless channels are in the second set of wireless channels. In other words, the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may scan completely different channels.

[0066] The STA 304 then begins to operate as an AP. In some aspects, the STA 304 also transmits connection information related to a second wireless communication protocol to the peripheral device. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may then establish a second connection according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the results of the first partial channel scan and the second partial channel scan. The STA 304 may then transmit one or more data streams to the peripheral device 306 according to the second wireless communication protocol.

[0067] FIG. 9A illustrates an example timing diagram illustrating an example process 900 for establishing a wireless link between a STA 304 and a peripheral device 306, according to some implementations. The example process 900 may correspond to the sequence diagram 800 of FIG. 8. It should be noted that the relative time lengths of the operations of FIG. 9A are not shown to scale and may vary due to a number of factors depending, for example, on the protocols used for the first and second connections. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may complete Protocol 1 discovery between times t1 and t2. Concurrent with Protocol 1 discovery, the peripheral device 306 may perform a first partial channel scan associated with a second wireless communication protocol. It should be noted that while FIG. 9A illustrates that these two operations require the same amount of time, in some aspects, either the Protocol 1 discovery or the Protocol 2 channel scan may take longer to complete. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish a Protocol 1 connection between times t2 and t3. The STA 304 may complete a second partial Protocol 2 channel scan between times t3 and t4. The STA 304 may begin operating as an AP between times t4 and t5. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish a second connection according to Protocol 2 between times t5 and t6. The STA 304 may then transmit one or more data streams to the peripheral device 306 over the second connection.

[0068] FIG. 9B illustrates a timing diagram illustrating an example process 950 for establishing a wireless link between a STA 304 and a peripheral device 306 according to some implementations. More specifically, the example process 950 illustrates an exemplary timing of the operations illustrated in FIG. 8 when BLE and Wi-Fi are the respective first and second wireless communication protocols. The times illustrated in FIG. 9B correspond to an implementation when the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 each scan approximately half of the wireless channels in a set of wireless channels associated with a full channel scan. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may complete BLE discovery in approximately 3.6 seconds. The peripheral device 306 may complete a first partial Wi-Fi channel scan in approximately 2 seconds. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish a BLE connection in approximately 1.3 seconds. The STA 304 may perform a second partial Wi-Fi channel scan in approximately 2 seconds. The STA 304 may require approximately 200 ms to start operating as an AP. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish the second connection according to the Wi-Fi protocol in between 0.5 and 2 seconds. Thus, the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish the first and second connections in approximately 7.6 to 9.1 seconds when the channel scanning is half offloaded to the peripheral device, which represents a time savings of approximately 2 seconds compared to the conventional technique as shown in FIG. 5B.

[0069] 6-9B enable faster establishment of the first and second connections than conventional techniques, in some other aspects it may be preferable for the STAs 304 and the peripheral devices 306 to each perform a full channel scan. For example, in the presence of noise or localized interference near one or both of the STAs 304 and the peripheral devices 306, it may be desirable for the STAs 304 and the peripheral devices 306 to each scan every single wireless channel in the set of wireless channels to ensure that a channel that is relatively free of interference or congestion for both the STAs 304 and the peripheral devices 306 is selected for the second connection.

[0070] FIG. 10 illustrates an example flow diagram 1000 illustrating an example process for establishing a wireless link between a STA 304 and a peripheral device 306 according to some implementations. Similar to FIG. 8, in FIG. 10, each of the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 performs a channel scanning operation. However, in FIG. 10, each of the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 performs a full channel scan. That is, each of the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 scans all wireless channels in a set of wireless channels. Concurrent with the protocol 1 discovery, the peripheral device 306 may perform a first full channel scan associated with a second wireless communication protocol. For example, the peripheral device 306 may scan a first set of wireless channels associated with one or more frequency bands, such as the 2 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz frequency bands. When the second wireless communication protocol is a Wi-Fi protocol, this first full channel scan may be an ACS channel scan.

[0071] After the peripheral device 306 completes the first full channel scan and the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 establish a first connection according to the first communication protocol, the peripheral device 306 transmits one or more results of the first full channel scan to the STA 304. Similar to FIG. 8, the peripheral device 306 may transmit one or more results of the first full channel scan to the STA 304 any time after the completion of the first full channel scan and before the STA 304 begins to operate as an AP. The peripheral device 306 may also request the establishment of a second connection according to a second wireless communication protocol. Similar to FIG. 6, this request may be explicitly communicated or may be implied (such as where successful establishment of the first connection automatically prompts the establishment of the second connection). The STA 304 may then begin to operate as an AP and perform a second full channel scan associated with the second wireless communication protocol. For example, the STA 304 may scan a first set of wireless channels associated with one or more frequency bands. In other words, the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may each scan each of the wireless channels in the first set of wireless channels.

[0072] The STA 304 may then transmit connection information related to the second wireless communication protocol to the peripheral device 306. The STA 304 may transmit such information using the first connection according to the first communication protocol. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may then establish a second connection according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the results of the first and second full channel scans. The STA 304 may subsequently transmit one or more data streams to the peripheral device 306 according to the second wireless communication protocol.

[0073] FIG. 11A illustrates an example timing diagram illustrating an example process 1100 for establishing a wireless link between a STA 304 and a peripheral device 306 according to some implementations. The example process 1100 may correspond to the sequence diagram 1000 of FIG. 10. It should be noted that the relative time lengths of the operations of FIG. 11A are not shown to scale and may vary due to a number of factors depending, for example, on the protocols used for the first and second connections. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may complete Protocol 1 discovery between times t1 and t2. Concurrent with the Protocol 1 discovery, the peripheral device 306 may perform a first complete channel scan associated with a second wireless communication protocol. It should be noted that while FIG. 11A illustrates that these two operations require the same amount of time, in some aspects, either the Protocol 1 discovery or the Protocol 2 channel scan may take longer to complete. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish a Protocol 1 connection between times t2 and t3. The STA 304 may complete a second full protocol 2 channel scan between times t3 and t4. The STA 304 may begin operating as an AP between times t4 and t5. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish a second connection between times t5 and t6. The STA 304 may then transmit one or more data streams to the peripheral device 306 over the second connection.

[0074] FIG. 11B illustrates a timing diagram illustrating an example process 1150 for establishing a wireless link between a STA 304 and a peripheral device 306 according to some implementations. More specifically, the example process 1150 illustrates an exemplary timing of the operations illustrated in FIG. 10 when BLE and Wi-Fi are the respective first and second wireless communication protocols. The times illustrated in FIG. 11B correspond to implementations when the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 each scan all of the wireless channels in a set of wireless channels associated with a full channel scan. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may complete BLE discovery in approximately 3.6 seconds. The peripheral device 306 may complete a first full Wi-Fi channel scan in approximately 4 seconds. The STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish a BLE connection in approximately 1.3 seconds. The STA 304 may complete a second full Wi-Fi channel scan in approximately 4 seconds. The STA 304 may start operating as an AP in approximately 200 ms. Finally, the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 may establish the second connection according to the Wi-Fi protocol in between 0.5 seconds and 2 seconds. Thus, the operations shown in FIG. 11B for establishing the first and second connections may take approximately 9.6 to 11.1 seconds when each of the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 performs a full channel scan. Although this does not result in a time savings, each of the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306 performing a full channel scan may result in better channel selection in the presence of interference or congestion at one or both of the STA 304 and the peripheral device 306.

[0075] 12 shows a flowchart illustrating an example process 1200 for supporting establishing a wireless link between a STA 304 and a peripheral device 306 according to some implementations. The process 1200 may be performed by a first wireless communication device, such as the wireless communication device 200 described above with respect to FIG. 2. In some implementations, the process 1200 may be performed by a wireless communication device operating as or within a peripheral device, such as the peripheral device 306 of FIG.

[0076] In some implementations, the first wireless communication device establishes a first connection with a second wireless device according to a first communication protocol at block 1202. In some aspects, the second wireless communication device may be the STA 304 of FIG.

[0077] In some implementations, at block 1204, the first wireless communication device performs a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels in response to establishing the first connection, the first channel scan being associated with a second wireless communication protocol.

[0078] In some implementations, at block 1206, the first wireless communication device establishes a second connection directly with the second wireless device according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the first channel scan.

[0079] In some implementations, at block 1208, the first wireless communication device receives one or more data streams directly from the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol.

[0080] In some aspects, the first communication protocol is a relatively shorter range wireless protocol than the second wireless communication protocol, hi some aspects, the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol.

[0081] In some implementations, process 1200 further includes transmitting results of the first channel scan to the second wireless communication device according to the first communication protocol.

[0082] In some implementations, establishing the second connection at block 1206 is further based on a second channel scan performed by the second wireless communication device, the second channel scan being associated with a second set of wireless channels. In some aspects, the first set of wireless channels is the same as the second set of wireless channels. In some other aspects, none of the channels in the first set of wireless channels are in the second set of wireless channels.

[0083] 13 shows a flowchart illustrating an example process 1300 for supporting establishing a wireless link between a STA 304 and a peripheral device 306 according to some implementations. The process 1300 may be performed by a first wireless communication device, such as the wireless communication device 200 described above with respect to FIG. 2. In some implementations, the process 1300 may be performed by a wireless communication device operating as or within a STA, such as the STA 304 of FIG.

[0084] In some implementations, the first wireless communication device establishes a first connection with a second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol at block 1302. In some aspects, the second wireless communication device may be the peripheral device 306 of FIG.

[0085] In some implementations, at block 1304, the first wireless communication device receives results of a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels according to a first communication protocol from the second wireless communication device, the first channel scan being associated with the second wireless communication protocol.

[0086] In some implementations, at block 1306, the first wireless communication device is configured to operate as an access point associated with the second wireless communication protocol.

[0087] In some implementations, at block 1308, the first wireless communication device establishes a second connection directly with the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol based on results of the first channel scan.

[0088] In some implementations, at block 1310, the first wireless communication device transmits one or more data streams directly to the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol.

[0089] In some aspects, the first communication protocol is a relatively shorter range wireless protocol than the second wireless communication protocol, hi some aspects, the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol.

[0090] In some aspects, the process 1300 further includes performing a second channel scan of a second set of wireless channels, and establishing the second connection is further based on the second channel scan. In some aspects, the first set of wireless channels are the same as the second set of wireless channels. In some other aspects, none of the channels in the first set of wireless channels are in the second set of wireless channels.

[0091] FIG. 14 illustrates a block diagram of an example wireless communication device 1400 supporting establishing a wireless link between a STA 304 and a peripheral device 306 according to some implementations. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1400 is configured to perform one or more of the processes 1200 and 1300 described above with reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, respectively. The wireless communication device 1400 may be an example implementation of the wireless communication device 200 described above with reference to FIG. 2. For example, the wireless communication device 1400 may be a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device including at least one processor (such as the processor 202), at least one modem (e.g., a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem such as the modem 204), at least one memory (such as the memory 208), and at least one radio (such as the radio 206). In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1400 may be a device for use in a peripheral device, such as the peripheral device 306 described above with reference to FIG. 3C. In some other implementations, the wireless communication device 1400 may be a chip, SoC, chipset, package or device, as well as a peripheral device including at least one antenna (such as antenna 327).

[0092] The wireless communication device 1400 includes a receiving component 1410, a communications manager 1420, and a transmitting component 1430. The communications manager 1420 further includes a first connection establishment component 1422 and a second connection establishment component 1424. One or more portions of the components 1422 and 1424 may be implemented at least in part in hardware or firmware. In some implementations, at least some of the components 1422 and 1424 are implemented at least in part as software stored in a memory (such as the memory 208). For example, one or more portions of the components 1422 and 1424 may be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or "code") executable by a processor (such as the processor 202) to perform the functions or operations of the respective modules.

[0093] The receiving component 1410 is configured to receive RX signals from one or more wireless communication devices over a wireless channel. In some implementations, the receiving component 1410 may receive RX signals according to at least a first communication protocol and a second wireless communication protocol. The communication manager 1420 is configured to establish a connection with one or more wireless communication devices according to at least the first communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol. In some implementations, the first connection establishment component 1422 may establish a first connection with one or more wireless communication devices according to the first communication protocol. In some implementations, the second connection establishment component 1424 may establish a second connection directly with one or more wireless communication devices according to the second wireless communication protocol and may perform one or more wireless scanning operations associated with the second wireless communication protocol. The transmitting component 1430 is configured to transmit TX signals over a wired channel or a wireless channel to one or more other wireless communication devices.

[0094] FIG. 15 shows a block diagram of an example wireless communication device 1500 that supports establishing a wireless link between a STA 304 and a peripheral device 306 according to some implementations. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1500 is configured to perform one or more of the processes 1200 and 1300 described above with reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, respectively. The wireless communication device 1500 may be an example implementation of the wireless communication device 200 described above with reference to FIG. 2. For example, the wireless communication device 1500 may be a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device including at least one processor (such as the processor 202), at least one modem (e.g., a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem such as the modem 204), at least one memory (such as the memory 208), and at least one radio (such as the radio 206). In some implementations, the wireless communication device 1500 may be a device for use in a STA, such as one of the STAs 104 and 304 described above with reference to Figures 1 and 3B, respectively. In some other implementations, the wireless communication device 1500 may be a chip, SoC, chipset, package or device, as well as a peripheral device including at least one antenna (such as antenna 327).

[0095] The wireless communication device 1500 includes a receiving component 1510, a communications manager 1520, and a transmitting component 1530. The communications manager 1520 further includes a first connection establishment component 1522 and a second connection establishment component 1524. One or more portions of the components 1522 and 1524 may be implemented at least in part in hardware or firmware. In some implementations, at least some of the components 1522 and 1524 are implemented at least in part as software stored in a memory (such as the memory 208). For example, one or more portions of the components 1522 and 1524 may be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or "code") executable by a processor (such as the processor 202) to perform the functions or operations of the respective modules.

[0096] The receiving component 1510 is configured to receive RX signals from one or more wireless communication devices over a wireless channel. In some implementations, the receiving component 1510 may receive RX signals according to at least a first communication protocol and a second wireless communication protocol. The communication manager 1520 is configured to establish a connection with one or more wireless communication devices according to at least the first communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol. In some implementations, the first connection establishment component 1522 may establish a first connection with one or more wireless communication devices according to the first communication protocol. In some implementations, the second connection establishment component 1524 may establish a second connection directly with one or more wireless communication devices according to the second wireless communication protocol, may operate as a SoftAP associated with the second wireless communication protocol, and may perform one or more wireless scanning operations associated with the second wireless communication protocol. The transmitting component 1530 is configured to transmit TX signals over a wired channel or a wireless channel to one or more other wireless communication devices.

[0097] Example implementations are described in the following numbered clauses. 1. A method for wireless communication by a first wireless communication device, comprising: establishing a first connection with a second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol; performing a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels in response to establishing the first connection, the first channel scan being associated with a second wireless communications protocol; establishing a second connection directly with a second wireless communication device according to a second wireless communication protocol based on the first channel scan; and receiving one or more data streams directly from the second wireless communication device according to a second wireless communication protocol. 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the second connection is established further based on a second channel scan performed by the second wireless communications device, the second channel scan being associated with a second set of wireless channels. 3. The method of clause 2, wherein the first set of wireless channels is the same as the second set of wireless channels. 4. The method of clause 2, wherein the first set of wireless channels and the second set of wireless channels do not share any wireless channels. 5. The method of any of clauses 1 to 4, further comprising transmitting results of the first channel scan to the second wireless communications device according to the first communications protocol. 6. Any of the methods of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the first communications protocol is a relatively shorter range wireless protocol than the second wireless communications protocol. 7. The method of clause 6, wherein the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol. 8. The method of any of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the second wireless communications protocol is a wireless communications protocol conforming to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards. 9. At least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code, the processor-readable code, when executed by the at least one processor, Establishing a first connection with a second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol; performing a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels in response to establishing the first connection, the first channel scan being associated with a second wireless communications protocol; establishing a second connection with the second wireless communication device directly in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol based on the first channel scan; receiving one or more data streams directly from a second wireless communication device according to a second wireless communication protocol A first wireless communication device configured to: 10. The first wireless communication device of clause 9, wherein the second connection is established based on a second channel scan performed by the second wireless communication device, the second channel scan being associated with a second set of wireless channels. 11. The first wireless communications device of clause 10, wherein the first set of wireless channels is the same as the second set of wireless channels. 12. The first wireless communications device of clause 10, wherein none of the wireless channels in the first set of wireless channels are in the second set of wireless channels. 13. The first wireless communications device of any of clauses 9 to 12, wherein execution of the processor-readable code causes the first wireless communications device to perform operations further including transmitting results of the first channel scan to the second wireless communications device according to the first communications protocol. 14. The first wireless communications device of any of clauses 9 to 13, wherein the first communications protocol is a relatively shorter range wireless protocol than the second wireless communications protocol. 15. The first wireless communication device of clause 14, wherein the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol. 16. The first wireless communications device of any of clauses 9 to 15, wherein the second wireless communications protocol is a wireless communications protocol in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards. 17. A method for wireless communication by a first wireless communication device, comprising: establishing a first connection with a second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol; receiving results of a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels according to a first communication protocol from a second wireless communication device, the first channel scan being associated with the second wireless communication protocol; configuring the first wireless communication device to operate as an access point associated with a second wireless communication protocol; establishing a second connection directly with a second wireless communication device according to a second wireless communication protocol based on results of the first channel scan; and transmitting one or more data streams directly to a second wireless communication device according to a second wireless communication protocol. 18. The method further comprising the step of performing a second channel scan of a second set of wireless channels; The method of clause 17, wherein establishing the second connection is further based on a second channel scan. 19. The method of clause 18, wherein the first set of wireless channels is the same as the second set of wireless channels. 20. The method of clause 18, wherein none of the wireless channels in the first set of wireless channels is in the second set of wireless channels. 21. The method of any of clauses 17 to 20, wherein the first communications protocol is a relatively shorter range wireless protocol than the second wireless communications protocol. 22. The method of clause 21, wherein the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol. 23. The method of any of clauses 17 to 22, wherein the second wireless communications protocol is a wireless communications protocol conforming to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards. 24. At least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code, the processor-readable code, when executed by the at least one processor, Establishing a first connection with a second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol; receiving results of a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels according to a first communication protocol from a second wireless communication device, the first channel scan being associated with the second wireless communication protocol; Configuring the first wireless communication device to operate as an access point associated with a second wireless communication protocol; establishing a second connection directly with a second wireless communication device according to a second wireless communication protocol based on results of the first channel scan; Transmitting one or more data streams directly to a second wireless communication device according to a second wireless communication protocol. A first wireless communication device configured to: 25. The first wireless communications device of clause 24, wherein execution of the processor readable code further causes the first wireless communications device to perform a second channel scan of a second set of wireless channels, and establishing a second connection is further based on the second channel scan. 26. The first wireless communications device of clause 25, wherein the first set of wireless channels is the same as the second set of wireless channels. 27. The first wireless communications device of clause 25, wherein none of the channels in the first set of wireless channels are in the second set of wireless channels. 28. The first wireless communications device of any of clauses 24 to 27, wherein the first communications protocol is a relatively shorter range wireless protocol than the second wireless communications protocol. 29. The first wireless communication device of clause 28, wherein the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol. 30. The first wireless communications device of any of clauses 24 to 29, wherein the second wireless communications protocol is a wireless communications protocol in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards.

[0098] As used herein, a phrase referring to "at least one of" or "one or more of" a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. For example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to encompass the possibilities of a only, b only, c only, a combination of a and b, a combination of a and c, a combination of b and c, and a combination of a, b, and c.

[0099] The various example components, logic, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described with respect to the implementations disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or combinations of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents. Interoperability of hardware, firmware, and software has been described generally in terms of functionality and is illustrated in the various example components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0100] Various modifications of the implementations described in this disclosure may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0101] In addition, various features described herein in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented separately in multiple implementations or in any suitable subcombination. Thus, although features may be described above as working in a particular combination and may even initially be claimed as such, one or more features from the claimed combination may, in some cases, be deleted from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of the subcombination.

[0102] Similarly, although operations are shown in the figures in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order or sequential order shown, or that all of the operations shown be performed, to achieve desirable results. Additionally, the figures may generally depict one or more exemplary processes in the form of a flowchart or flow diagram. However, other operations not shown may be incorporated into the generally depicted exemplary process. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the depicted operations. In some situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Additionally, it should be understood that the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and that the described program components and systems may generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged in multiple software products. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 100 Wireless Communication Networks (WLAN) 102 Access Point (AP) 104 stations (STA) 106 Coverage Area 108 Communication Links 110 Wireless links, communication links 200 Wireless Communication Devices 202 Processing element, processor 204 Modem 206 Wireless 208 Memory, memory blocks or elements 302 AP 304STA 306 Peripheral Devices 310 Wireless Communication Devices (WCD) 315 Wireless Communication Devices (WCD) 317 Wireless Communication Devices (WCD) 320 Antenna 325 Antenna 327 Antenna 330 Application Processor 335 Application Processor 337 Application Processor 340 Memory 345 Memory 347 Memory 350 External Network Interface 355 User Interface 357 User Interface 365 Display 367 Display 375 Sensors 377 Sensors 402 STA 404 Peripheral Devices 1400 Wireless Communication Devices 1410 Receiving Component 1420 Communications Manager 1422 First Connection Establishment Component 1424 Secondary Connection Establishment Component 1430 Transmission Component 1500 Wireless Communication Devices 1510 Receive Component 1520 Communications Manager 1522 First Connection Establishment Component 1524 Secondary Connection Establishment Component 1530 Transmission Component

Claims

1. 1. A method for wireless communication by a first wireless communication device, comprising: establishing a first connection with a second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol; performing a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels in response to establishing the first connection, the first channel scan being associated with a second wireless communication protocol; establishing a second connection directly with the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the first channel scan; receiving one or more data streams directly from the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol; A method comprising:

2. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second connection is established based on a second channel scan performed by the second wireless communication device, the second channel scan being associated with a second set of wireless channels.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first set of wireless channels is the same as the second set of wireless channels.

4. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein none of the wireless channels in the first set of wireless channels is in the second set of wireless channels.

5. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting results of the first channel scan to the second wireless communication device according to the first communication protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication protocol is a relatively shorter range wireless protocol than the second wireless communication protocol.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol.

8. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication protocol is a wireless communication protocol according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards.

9. at least one processor; at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code; wherein the processor-readable code, when executed by the at least one processor, establishing a first connection with a second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol; performing a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels in response to establishing the first connection, the first channel scan being associated with a second wireless communication protocol; establishing a direct second connection with the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the first channel scan; receiving one or more data streams directly from the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol; a first wireless communication device configured to:

10. 1. A method for wireless communication by a first wireless communication device, comprising: establishing a first connection with a second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol; receiving results of a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels according to the first communication protocol from the second wireless communication device, the first channel scan being associated with the second wireless communication protocol; configuring the first wireless communication device to operate as an access point associated with the second wireless communication protocol; establishing a second connection directly with the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the results of the first channel scan; transmitting one or more data streams directly to the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol; A method comprising:

11. performing a second channel scan of a second set of wireless channels; The method of claim 10 , wherein establishing the second connection is further based on the second channel scan.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first set of wireless channels is the same as the second set of wireless channels.

13. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein none of the wireless channels in the first set of wireless channels is in the second set of wireless channels.

14. a first wireless communication device, at least one processor; at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code; wherein the processor-readable code, when executed by the at least one processor, establishing a first connection with a second wireless communication device according to a first communication protocol; receiving results of a first channel scan of a first set of wireless channels according to the first communication protocol from the second wireless communication device, the first channel scan being associated with the second wireless communication protocol; configuring the first wireless communication device to operate as an access point associated with the second wireless communication protocol; establishing a second connection directly with the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol based on the results of the first channel scan; transmitting one or more data streams directly to the second wireless communication device according to the second wireless communication protocol; a first wireless communication device configured to:

15. A computer program comprising program executable instructions, The program executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor of a wireless communication device according to claim 9, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 8; 15. A computer program product comprising the program executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor of a wireless communication device according to claim 14, causing the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 10 to 13.

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