Patent ID: 8630255
Filing Date: 2014-01-14
Classification: H04B,H04W

Abstract:
1. A wireless device, comprising: a first radio channel including transmit capabilities and receive capabilities respectively configured for transmission and reception of data, with a first access point in a wireless local area network, over a first channel associated with the first access point, wherein the transmission and reception of data over the first channel is implemented pursuant to a protocol for data transmission and reception as defined by a wireless standard, and wherein the wireless standard further defines a scanning protocol for searching for access points within the wireless local area network; a second radio channel including only receive capabilities configured to scan, pursuant to the scanning protocol defined by the wireless standard, for a second access point over a second channel associated with the second access point, wherein the second radio channel (i) is separate from the first radio channel and (ii) does not include a transmitter due to the second radio channel including only receive capabilities, wherein the second radio channel is further configured to scan for the second access point pursuant to a configurable channel list, wherein the configurable channel list indicates (i) a first group of channels that are enabled to be scanned by the second radio channel, (ii) a second group of channels that are not enabled to be scanned by the second radio channel, and (iii) for each channel in the first group of channels, an indication of a corresponding time period for scanning the corresponding channel in the first group of channels, and wherein the second channel is included in the first group of channels; and a controller configured to facilitate a handoff procedure to switch the transmission and reception of data over the first channel associated with the first access point to the second channel associated with the second access point.