Transitioning between wideband and narrowband communications
A wireless device sends, to an access point, an indication to the access point that the wireless device is to transition between a wideband communication and a narrowband communication.
1. An access point comprising:
communication interfaces to communicate over a wideband channel and a narrowband channel;
at least one processor configured to:
receive, from a wireless device, an indication that the wireless device is to transition between a wideband communication and a narrowband communication; and
send, to the wireless device, a first rate set including a plurality of supported rates for communication between the access point and the wireless device over the wideband channel, and a second rate set including a plurality of supported rates for communication between the access point and the wireless device over the narrowband channel, the first rate set including a supported rate not included in the second rate set.
2. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises an uplink frame from the wireless device transmitted using a wideband communication mode, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
store status information indicating that the wireless device is in a narrowband communication mode, and
in response to the uplink frame, update the status information to indicate that the wireless device is in the wideband communication mode.
3. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises an uplink frame from the wireless device transmitted using a narrowband communication mode, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
store status information indicating that the wireless device is in a wideband communication mode, and
in response to the uplink frame, update the status information to indicate that the wireless device is in the narrowband communication mode.
4. A wireless device comprising:
a wideband communication interface to communicate over a wideband channel, and a narrowband communication interface to communicate over a narrowband channel;
at least one processor configured to:
store a first rate set including a plurality of supported rates for communication over the wideband channel, and a second rate set including a plurality of supported rates for communication over the narrowband channel, the first rate set including a supported rate not included in the second rate set, and
send, to an access point, an indication to change between use of the first rate set for communication through the wideband communication interface over the wideband channel, and use of the second rate set for communication through the narrowband communication interface over the narrowband channel.
5. The wireless device of claim 4 , wherein the indication comprises a Traffic Specification (TSPEC) message or a Block ACK message.
6. The wireless device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the indication responsive to a decision by the wireless device to change between a wideband communication and a narrowband communication.
7. The wireless device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the first rate set and the second rate set from the access point.
8. A method comprising:
sending, by a wireless device to an access point, an indication to the access point that the wireless device is to transition between a wideband communication and a narrowband communication; and
receiving, by the wireless device from the access point, a first rate set including a plurality of supported rates for communication over a wideband channel, and a second rate set including a plurality of supported rates for communication over a narrowband channel, the first rate set including a supported rate not included in the second rate set.
9. The method of claim 8 , comprising:
communicating, through a wideband interface of the wireless device over the wideband channel, data with the access point using a rate of the first rate set during a time that the wireless device is performing the wideband communication; and
communicating, through a narrowband interface of the wireless device over the narrowband channel, data with the access point using a rate of the second rate set during a time that the wireless device is performing the narrowband communication.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein sending the indication comprises sending a request to transition between the wideband communication and the narrowband communication, and wherein the request comprises information relating to a narrowband communication mode or a wideband communication mode to which the wireless device is to transition.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, by the wireless device from the access point in response to the request, updated information relating to an operation of a network.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, by the wireless device from the access point, a response rejecting the request, the response containing a reason code for the rejecting.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wireless device is currently operating in a narrowband communication mode, the method further comprising:
sending an uplink frame in a wideband communication mode to indicate a transition from the narrowband communication to the wideband communication.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the uplink frame includes information settable to:
a first value indicating that the wireless device is to send a predetermined number of uplink frames in the wideband communication mode followed by a transition back to the narrowband communication mode, and
a second value indicating that the wireless device is to continue communicating in the wideband communication mode.
15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wireless device is currently operating in a wideband communication mode, the method further comprising:
sending an uplink frame in a narrowband communication mode to indicate a transition from the wideband communication to the narrowband communication.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the uplink frame includes information settable to:
a first value indicating that the wireless device is to send a predetermined number of uplink frames in the narrowband communication mode followed by a transition back to the wideband communication mode, and
a second value indicating that the wireless device is to continue communicating in the narrowband communication mode.
17. The method of claim 8 , wherein the indication comprises an indication to change between the first and second rate sets.
18. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
scanning, by the wireless device, wideband channels to detect the access point;
associating, by the wireless device, with the access point using a particular wideband channel of the wideband channels; and
after associating with the access point using the particular wideband channel, sending the indication that the wireless device is to transition from the wideband communication to the narrowband communication.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the scanning causes the wireless device to detect a plurality of access points, the method further comprising:
selecting, by the wireless device, the access point from the plurality of access points to associate with; and
determining, by the wireless device, which of the plurality of access points is capable of narrowband operation, wherein the selecting considers which of the plurality of access points is capable of narrowband operation.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the selecting excludes an access point that does not support narrowband communication.
21. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, by the wireless device from the access point, a full rate set,
wherein the first rate set is a subset of the full rate set, and the second rate set is a subset of the full rate set, the first rate set including a given supported rate of the full rate set, the given supported rate not part of the second rate set.
22. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
exchanging, between the wireless device and the access point, signaling to switch between the first rate set and the second rate set.