Beacon and probe-response frame type information for out-of-band discovery
During operation, an electronic device may perform, using a scanning radio, a 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 frame associated with a second electronic device, where the beacon frame 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.
1. An electronic device, comprising:
an antenna node configured to communicatively couple to an antenna;
a data radio communicatively coupled to the antenna node;
a second antenna node configured to communicatively couple to a second antenna; and
a second data radio communicatively coupled to the second antenna node, wherein the electronic device is configured to:
communicate, using the data radio, frames in a band of frequencies that are associated with a second electronic device, wherein the data radio is configured to transmit the frames, receive the frames, or both;
interrupt the communication of the frames;
perform, using the second data radio, a scan of a second band of frequencies, wherein the second data radio is configured to transmit second frames, receive the second frames, or both;
receive, using the second data radio, a beacon frame associated with a third electronic device in the second band of frequencies; and
after the beacon frame is received, resume communication of third frames in the band of frequencies using the data radio.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is not associated with 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 co-hosted or co-located in, or affiliated with, an access point multi-link device (AP MLD).
4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the frames comprise a frame that comprises information associated with operation of the third electronic device in the second band of frequencies and the scan is based at least in part on the information.
5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the frame comprises a group-addressed frame.
6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the frame comprises a reduced neighbor report (RNR) and the RNR comprises the information, or the frame comprises a multi-link (ML) element and the ML comprises the information.
7. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the information comprises: a primary channel of the third electronic device, a bandwidth of the beacon frame, or an indication of whether the third electronic device receives an 80 MHz wide non-high-throughput duplicate PPDU.
8. An integrated circuit, comprising:
an antenna node configured to communicatively couple to an antenna;
a data radio communicatively coupled to the antenna node;
a second antenna node configured to communicatively couple to a second antenna; and
a second data radio communicatively coupled to the second antenna node, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to:
communicate, using the data radio, frames in a band of frequencies that are associated with an electronic device, wherein the data radio is configured to transmit the frames, receive the frames, or both;
interrupt the communication of the frames;
perform, using the second data radio, a scan of a second band of frequencies, wherein the second data radio is configured to transmit second frames, receive the second frames, or both;
receive, using the second data radio, a beacon frame associated with a second electronic device in the second band of frequencies; and
after the beacon frame is received, resume communication of third frames in the band of frequencies using the data radio.
9. The integrated circuit of claim 8 , wherein the integrated circuit is not associated with 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 co-hosted or co-located in, or affiliated with, an access point multi-link device (AP MLD).
11. The integrated circuit of claim 8 , wherein the frames comprise a frame that comprises information associated with operation of the second electronic device in the second band of frequencies and the scan is based at least in part on the information.
12. The integrated circuit of claim 11 , wherein the frame comprises a group-addressed frame.
13. The integrated circuit of claim 11 , wherein the frame comprises a reduced neighbor report (RNR) and the RNR comprises the information, or the frame comprises a multi-link (ML) element and the ML comprises the information.
14. The integrated circuit of claim 11 , wherein the information comprises: a primary channel of the second electronic device, a bandwidth of the beacon frame, or an indication of whether the second electronic device receives an 80 MHz wide non-high-throughput duplicate PPDU.
15. A method for performing a scan, the method comprising:
by an electronic device:
communicating, using a data radio, frames in a band of frequencies that are associated with a second electronic device, wherein the data radio transmits the frames, receives the frames, or both;
interrupting the communication of the frames;
performing, using a second data radio, the scan of a second band of frequencies, wherein the second data radio transmits second frames, receives the second frames, or both;
receiving, using the second data radio, a beacon frame associated with a third electronic device in the second band of frequencies; and
after the beacon frame is received, resuming communication of third frames in the band of frequencies using the data radio.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electronic device is not associated with 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 co-hosted or co-located in, or affiliated with, an access point multi-link device (AP MLD).
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the frames comprise a frame that comprises information associated with operation of the third electronic device in the second band of frequencies and the scan is based at least in part on the information.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the frame comprises a group-addressed frame.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the frame comprises a reduced neighbor report (RNR) and the RNR comprises the information, or the frame comprises a multi-link (ML) element and the ML comprises the information.