Methods and apparatus for switching between a base channel and a 60 GHz channel

1. A method for switching between channels on different bands, the method comprising:

communicating, by a subscriber station (STA), with a wireless device on a base channel;

sending a channel switch request to the wireless device;

receiving an acknowledgment from the wireless device;

sending a test frame on a 60 GHz channel to determine channel characteristics of the 60 GHz channel before switching to the 60 GHz channel; and

switching to the 60 GHz channel for communicating with the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device is an access point (AP).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device is a second subscriber station (STA).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein switching to communicating on the 60 GHz channel is triggered by an access point (AP).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein switching to communicating on the 60 GHz channel is triggered by the STA.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching back to the base channel if the 60 GHz channel fails.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching back to the base channel based on physical layer (PHY) metrics of the 60 GHz channel.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching back to the base channel if a successful frame exchange has not occurred on the 60 GHz channel within a predefined window.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending data to the wireless device on the 60 GHz channel.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base channel is an 802.11 WLAN operating at 2.4 GHz.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base channel is an 802.11 WLAN operating at 5 GHz.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channel switch request comprises a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) channel switch response.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channel switch request comprises a very high throughput (VHT) channel switch request.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving data from the wireless device on the 60 GHz channel.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a channel switch response from the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising sending an acknowledgment acknowledging receipt of the channel switch response to the wireless device.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising waiting at least a switch time before communicating with a subscriber station on the 60 GHz channel, wherein the switch time is a time period for switching to occur.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising switching back to the base channel when no communication starts on the 60 GHz channel within a second time period after the switch time.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising waiting at least a switch time before sending a hello frame to the subscriber station on the 60 GHz channel, wherein the switch time is a predefined time period for switching to occur.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising waiting a switch time, a probe time, and a backoff time before communicating with an access point (AP).

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a physical layer (PHY) signal when a bad connection is detected with the wireless device.

22. A method for switching between channels on different bands, the method comprising:

communicating with a wireless device on a base channel;

receiving a channel switch request from the wireless device;

sending an acknowledgment to the wireless device;

sending a channel switch response frame to the wireless device;

receiving an acknowledgment from the wireless device;

switching to a 60 GHz channel for communicating with the wireless device; and

waiting at least a switch time before sending a hello frame to the subscriber station on the 60 GHz channel, wherein the switch time is a predefined time period for switching to occur.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the wireless device is an access point (AP).

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the wireless device is a subscriber station (STA).

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the method is performed by an access point (AP).

26. The method of claim 22 , wherein the method is performed by a subscriber station (STA).

27. The method of claim 22 , wherein switching to communicating on the 60 GHz channel is triggered by an access point (AP).

28. The method of claim 22 , wherein switching to communicating on the 60 GHz channel is triggered by a subscriber station (STA).

29. The method of claim 22 , further comprising switching back to the base channel if the 60 GHz channel fails.

30. The method of claim 22 , further comprising switching back to the base channel based on physical layer (PHY) metrics of the 60 GHz channel.

31. The method of claim 22 , further comprising switching back to the base channel if a successful frame exchange has not occurred on the 60 GHz channel within a predefined window.

32. The method of claim 22 , further comprising sending data to the wireless device on the 60 GHz channel.

33. The method of claim 22 , wherein the base channel is an 802.11 WLAN operating at 2.4 GHz.

34. The method of claim 22 , wherein the base channel is an 802.11 WLAN operating at 5 GHz.

35. The method of claim 22 , wherein the channel switch request comprises a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) channel switch response.

36. The method of claim 22 , wherein the channel switch request comprises a very high throughput (VHT) channel switch request.

37. The method of claim 22 , further comprising receiving data from the wireless device on the 60 GHz channel.

38. The method of claim 22 , further comprising switching back to communicating with the wireless device on the base channel if a continuation frame is received from the wireless device on the base channel.

39. The method of claim 22 , further comprising sending a physical layer (PHY) signal when a bad connection is detected with the wireless device.

40. An apparatus configured to switch between channels on different bands in a wireless communications system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

circuitry coupled to the processor, the circuitry configured to:

communicate with a wireless device on a base channel, wherein the apparatus is a subscriber station (STA);

send a channel switch request to the wireless device;

receive an acknowledgment from the wireless device;

sending a test frame on a 60 GHz channel to determine channel characteristics of the 60 GHz channel before switching to the 60 GHz channel; and

switch to the 60 GHz channel for communicating with the wireless device.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 , wherein the wireless device is an access point (AP).

42. The apparatus of claim 40 , wherein the wireless device is a subscriber station (STA).

43. An apparatus configured to switch between channels on different bands in a wireless communications system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

circuitry coupled to the processor configured to:

communicate with a wireless device on a base channel;

receive a channel switch request from the wireless device;

send an acknowledgment to the wireless device;

send a channel switch response frame to the wireless device;

receive an acknowledgment from the wireless device;

switch to a 60 GHz channel for communicating with the wireless device; and

waiting at least a switch time before sending a hello frame to the subscriber station on the 60 GHz channel, wherein the switch time is a predefined time period for switching to occur.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the wireless device is an access point (AP).

45. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the wireless device is a subscriber station (STA).

46. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the apparatus is an access point (AP).

47. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the apparatus is a subscriber station (STA).

48. An apparatus configured to switch between channels on different bands in a wireless communications system, comprising:

means for communicating with a wireless device on a base channel, wherein the apparatus is a subscriber station (STA);

means for sending a channel switch request to the wireless device;

means for receiving an acknowledgment from the wireless device;

means for sending a test frame on a 60 GHz channel to determine channel characteristics of the 60 GHz channel before switching to the 60 GHz channel; and

means for switching to the 60 GHz channel for communicating with the wireless device.

49. The apparatus of claim 48 , wherein the channel switch request comprises a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) channel switch response.

50. The apparatus of claim 48 , further comprising means for waiting at least a switch time before sending a hello frame to the subscriber station on the 60 GHz channel, wherein the switch time is a time period for switching to occur.

51. An apparatus configured to switch between channels on different bands in a wireless communications system, comprising:

means for communicating with a wireless device on a base channel;

means for receiving a channel switch request from the wireless device;

means for sending an acknowledgment to the wireless device;

means for sending a channel switch response frame to the wireless device;

means for receiving an acknowledgment from the wireless device;

means for switching to a 60 GHz channel for communicating with the wireless device; and

means for waiting at least a switch time before sending a hello frame to the subscriber station on the 60 GHz channel, wherein the switch time is a predefined time period for switching to occur.

52. The apparatus of claim 51 , wherein switching to communicating on the 60 GHz channel is triggered by an access point (AP).

53. The apparatus of claim 51 , wherein switching to communicating on the 60 GHz channel is triggered by a subscriber station (STA).

54. A computer-program product for switching between channels on different bands in a wireless communications system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for communicating, by a subscriber station (STA), with a wireless device on a base channel;

code for sending a channel switch request to the wireless device;

code for receiving an acknowledgment from the wireless device;

code for sending a test frame on a 60 GHz channel to determine channel characteristics of the 60 GHz channel before switching to the 60 GHz channel; and

code for switching to the 60 GHz channel for communicating with the wireless device.

55. The computer-program product of claim 54 , wherein the channel switch request comprises a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) channel switch response.

56. The computer-program product of claim 54 , further comprising means for waiting at least a switch time before sending a hello frame to the subscriber station on the 60 GHz channel, wherein the switch time is a time period for switching to occur.

57. A computer-program product for switching between channels on different bands in a wireless communications system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for communicating with a wireless device on a base channel;

code for receiving a channel switch request from the wireless device;

code for sending an acknowledgment to the wireless device;

code for sending a channel switch response frame to the wireless device;

code for receiving an acknowledgment from the wireless device;

code for switching to a 60 GHz channel for communicating with the wireless device; and

code for waiting at least a switch time before sending a hello frame to the subscriber station on the 60 GHz channel, wherein the switch time is a predefined time period for switching to occur.

58. The computer-program product of claim 57 , wherein switching to communicating on the 60 GHz channel is triggered by an access point (AP).

59. The computer-program product of claim 57 , wherein switching to communicating on the 60 GHz channel is triggered by a subscriber station (STA).

60. A method for testing a 60 GHz band, the method comprising:

communicating with a wireless device on a base channel;

sending a signal indicating a power save mode;

switching to a 60 GHz channel; and

sending a test signal to the wireless device.

61. The method of claim 60 , wherein the wireless device is an access point (AP).

62. The method of claim 60 , wherein the test signal uses a robust physical layer (PHY) mode.

63. A method for switching between channels on different bands, the method comprising:

communicating with a wireless device on a 60 GHz channel over a direct link;

switching to a base channel in response to losing communication on the 60 GHz channel; and

sending a continuation frame to the wireless device.

64. The method of claim 63 , wherein the switching is based on performance metrics of the 60 GHz channel.

65. The method of claim 63 , wherein the communication is continued on the base channel.

66. An apparatus for testing a 60 GHz band, the apparatus comprising:

means for communicating with a wireless device on a base channel;

means for sending a signal indicating a power save mode;

means for switching to a 60 GHz channel; and

means for sending a test signal to the wireless device.

67. The apparatus of claim 66 , wherein the wireless device is an access point (AP).

68. The method of claim 66 , wherein the test signal uses a robust physical layer (PHY) mode.

69. A computer-program product for testing a 60 GHz band, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for communicating with a wireless device on a base channel;

code for sending a signal indicating a power save mode;

code for switching to a 60 GHz channel; and

code for sending a test signal to the wireless device.

70. The computer-program product of claim 69 , wherein the wireless device is an access point (AP).

71. The computer-program product of claim 69 , wherein the test signal uses a robust physical layer (PHY) mode.