Beacon and probe-response frame type information for out-of-band discovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12289671-B2
Application number	US-202217841064-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2022
Priority date	Jun 17, 2021
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device that performs a scan is described. During operation, the electronic device may perform, using a scanning radio, the scan of a band of frequencies, where the scanning radio only receives frames. Then, the electronic device may receive, using the scanning radio, a beacon associated with a second electronic device, where the beacon includes information associated with operation of a third electronic device in a second band of frequencies. Next, the electronic device may perform, using a data radio, a second scan of the second band of frequencies based at least in part on the information, where the data radio transmits and/or receives second frames, and where the second scan is performed, at least in part, while the scan is performed. Note that the electronic device may not be associated with (or may not have a connection with) the second electronic device and/or the third electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
an antenna node configured to communicatively couple to an antenna;
a second antenna node configured to communicatively couple to a second antenna;
a scanning radio communicatively coupled to the antenna node; and
a data radio communicatively coupled to the second antenna node, wherein the electronic device is configured to:
perform, using the scanning radio, a scan of a band of frequencies, wherein the scanning radio is configured to only receive frames and the scanning radio is configured as a receive-only radio;
receive, using the scanning radio, a beacon associated with a second electronic device, wherein the beacon comprises information associated with operation of a third electronic device in a second band of frequencies; and
perform, using the data radio, a second scan of the second band of frequencies based at least in part on the information, wherein the data radio is configured to transmit and receive second frames, and
wherein the second scan is performed, at least in part, while the scan is performed.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is not associated with the second electronic device or the third electronic device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device and the third electronic device comprises access points that are cohosted or co-located in or affiliated with an access point multi-link device (AP MLD).

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the beacon comprises a reduced neighbor report (RNR) and the RNR comprises the information.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the beacon comprises a multi-link (ML) element and the ML comprises the information.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is configured to associate with the third electronic device after the scan and the second scan are completed.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises: a primary channel of the third electronic device, a bandwidth of the beacon, or whether the third electronic device receives 80 MHz wide non-high-throughput duplicate physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU).

8. An integrated circuit, comprising:
an antenna node configured to communicatively couple to an antenna;
a second antenna node configured to communicatively couple to a second antenna;
a scanning radio communicatively coupled to the antenna node; and
a data radio communicatively coupled to the second antenna node, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to:
perform, using the scanning radio, a scan of a band of frequencies, wherein the scanning radio is configured to only receive frames and the scanning radio is configured as a receive-only radio;
receive, using the scanning radio, a beacon associated with an electronic device, wherein the beacon comprises information associated with operation of a second electronic device in a second band of frequencies; and
perform, using the data radio, a second scan of the second band of frequencies based at least in part on the information, wherein the data radio is configured to transmit and receive second frames, and
wherein the second scan is performed, at least in part, while the scan is performed.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 8 , wherein the integrated circuit is not associated with the electronic device or the second electronic device.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 8 , wherein the electronic device and the second electronic device comprises access points that are cohosted or co-located in or affiliated with an access point multi-link device (AP MLD).

11. The integrated circuit of claim 8 , wherein the beacon comprises a reduced neighbor report (RNR) and the RNR comprises the information.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 8 , wherein the beacon comprises a multi-link (ML) element and the ML comprises the information.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 8 , wherein the integrated circuit is configured to associate with the second electronic device after the scan and the second scan are completed.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 8 , wherein the information comprises: a primary channel of the second electronic device, a bandwidth of the beacon, or whether the second electronic device receives 80 MHz wide non-high-throughput duplicate physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU).

15. A method for performing a scan, the method comprising:
by an electronic device:
performing, using a scanning radio in the electronic device, the scan of a band of frequencies, wherein the scanning radio is configured to only receive frames and the scanning radio is configured as a receive-only radio;
receiving, using the scanning radio, a beacon associated with a second electronic device, wherein the beacon comprises information associated with operation of a third electronic device in a second band of frequencies; and
performing, using a data radio in the electronic device, a second scan of the second band of frequencies based at least in part on the information, wherein the data radio is configured to transmit and receive second frames, and
wherein the second scan is performed, at least in part, while the scan is performed.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electronic device is not associated with the second electronic device or the third electronic device.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second electronic device and the third electronic device comprises access points that are cohosted or co-located in or affiliated with an access point multi-link device (AP MLD).

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the beacon comprises a reduced neighbor report (RNR) and the RNR comprises the information.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the beacon comprises a multi-link (ML) element and the ML comprises the information.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method comprises associating with the third electronic device after the scan and the second scan are completed.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Kneckt Jarkko L
• Boodannavar Veerendra
• Dominguez Charles F
• Liu Yong
• Yong Su Khiong
• Wu Tianyu
• Borges Daniel R
• Sriram Sundar
• Shani Oren
• Boger Yoel
• Batra Anuj
• Dash Debashis
• Semersky Matthew L
• Cepni Ahmet G
• Ginsburg Noam

Classifications

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W76/19

  Connection re-establishment · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title