Channel tracking in a wireless home network
View Patent ↗A wireless access point (WAP) configured to supporting wireless communications with station nodes on a selected communication channel of an associated wireless local area network (WLAN). The WAP includes multiple multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmit and receive paths. The WAP is to intermittently switch one of the multiple MIMO receive paths to concurrently process both communications on a selected communication channel together with monitoring communications on unselected channels of the multiple communication channels associated with the WLAN.
1. A method of operating a wireless access point (WAP) comprising:
supporting wireless communications with a plurality of station nodes on a selected communication channel of a plurality of communication channels of an associated wireless local area network (WLAN), the WAP comprising a plurality of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmit and receive paths; and
intermittently switching one of the plurality of MIMO receive paths to concurrently process both communications on the selected communication channel together with monitoring communications on unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels associated with the WLAN.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a target channel for a prospective channel changeover, wherein the target channel is one of the unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels associated with the WLAN being monitored.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
tracking performance metrics over time for at least the selected communication channel; and
predicting based on the tracked performance metrics at least one of:
a predicted time of an impending channel changeover requirement in which a projected demand for the selected communication channel exceeds a projected capacity, and
a predicted time of an impending monitoring interval for monitoring an unselected channel with relatively minimal disruption of communications on the selected communication channel.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining a target channel for a prospective channel changeover based on the tracked performance metrics, wherein the target channel is one of the unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels associated with the WLAN being monitored.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein intermittently switching comprises configuring receive path components to
receiving MIMO communications on the selected communication channel of the plurality of communication channels, and
monitoring communications on unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein intermittently switching to concurrently process communications comprises:
maintaining MIMO communications on the selected communication channel of the plurality of communication channels utilizing unselected channels of the MIMO transmit and receive paths while maintaining WLAN communications during the monitoring communications on the unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels; and
determining a target channel for a prospective channel changeover, wherein the target channel is one of the unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels associated with the WLAN being monitored.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein intermittently switching to concurrently process communications comprises maintaining MIMO WLAN communications during the monitoring of unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels independent of disruption of WLAN communications.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein intermittently switching to concurrently process communications further comprises:
downconverting received communications on the selected communication channel of the plurality of communication channels; and
downconverting received communications on the unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
determining, via a channel tracker, a target channel for a prospective channel changeover among the monitored channels of the plurality of communication channels while concurrently monitoring communications on the unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels.
10. A wireless access point (WAP) comprising:
a plurality of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmit and receive paths including:
a first set of receive path components supporting at least two MIMO receive paths dedicated exclusively for MIMO reception of wireless local area network (WLAN) communications on a selected communication channel of a plurality of communication channels;
a second set of receive path components supporting a single MIMO receive path and configured to switch the single MIMO receive path between MIMO reception of WLAN communications on the selected communication channel concurrently with the at least two MIMO receive paths of the first set of receive path components, and monitoring of communications on remaining ones of the plurality of communication channels; and
a channel tracker coupled to the plurality of transmit and receive paths configured to intermittently switch one of the plurality of MIMO receive paths to concurrently process both communications on the selected communication channel together with monitoring communications on unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels associated with the WLAN.
11. The WAP of claim 10 , wherein the channel tracker is further to:
determine a target channel for a prospective channel changeover, wherein the target channel is one of the unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels associated with the WLAN being monitored.
12. The WAP of claim 10 , wherein the channel tracker is further to:
track performance metrics over time for at least the selected communication channel; and
predict based on the tracked performance metrics at least one of: a predicted time of an impending channel changeover requirement in which a projected demand for the selected communication channel exceeds a projected capacity, and
a predicted time of an impending monitoring interval for monitoring an unselected channel with relatively minimal disruption of communications on the selected communication channel.
13. The WAP of claim 12 , wherein the channel tracker is further to:
determine a target channel for a prospective channel changeover based on the tracked performance metrics, wherein the target channel is one of the unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels associated with the WLAN being monitored.
14. The WAP of claim 10 , wherein the channel tracker to concurrently process communications by maintaining MIMO WLAN communications during the monitoring of unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels independent of disruption of WLAN communications.
15. The WAP of claim 10 , wherein the MIMO receive paths comprise:
a down converter to down convert a frequency of a received communication on the selected channel; and
tunable filters coupled to the down converter wherein a first set of tunable filters are to pass communications on the selected channel while substantially blocking communications on adjacent channels of the selected channel, and a second set of tunable filters are to pass communications on a monitored channel of the channels while substantially blocking communications on adjacent channels including the selected channel.
16. The WAP of claim 15 , the down converter to:
down convert received communications on the selected communication channel of the plurality of communication channels; and
down convert received communications on the unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels.
17. The WAP of claim 10 , wherein intermittently switching comprises configuring receive path components to receive MIMO communications on the selected communication channel of the plurality of communication channels, and monitor communications.
18. The WAP of claim 10 , wherein intermittently switching to concurrently process communications comprises:
maintaining MIMO communications on the selected communication channel of the plurality of communication channels utilizing unselected channels of the MIMO transmit and receive paths while maintaining WLAN communications during the monitoring communications on the unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels; and
determining a target channel for a prospective channel changeover, wherein the target channel is one of the unselected channels of the plurality of communication channels associated with the WLAN being monitored.
19. The WAP of claim 10 , wherein the MIMO receive paths comprise:
a down converter to down convert a frequency of a received communication on the selected channel, the down converter including a tunable oscillator and a mixer.
20. The WAP of claim 10 , wherein the MIMO receive paths comprise:
a down converter to down convert a frequency of a received communication on the selected channel, the down converter including two oscillator and mixer pairs, wherein an input of a particular mixer coupled to an output of a low noise amplifier (LNA), and wherein an output the particular mixer coupled to a monitor filter.