Method and apparatus for dynamic frequency selection in wireless local area network system

Abstract

A method of transmitting channel management information by an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network and configured to communicate via a primary subchannel and a secondary subchannel is provided. The method includes: transmitting a frame including a quiet channel element, the quiet channel element including a quiet mode field indicating whether a communication to the AP is allowed via part or all of the primary subchannel during a quiet interval, the quiet interval being an interval during which no transmission occurs in the secondary channel; and performing communications using the part or all of the primary subchannel, if the quiet mode field is set to a value that indicates the communication to the AP is allowed to communicate via the part or all of the primary subchannel during the quiet interval.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of dynamic frequency selection by a station among a plurality of stations that are members of a basic service set (BSS) in a wireless local area network, the station configured to communicate over a primary 80 MHz subchannel and a secondary 80 MHz subchannel with an access point (AP), the method comprising:
 receiving a frame including a quiet channel element from the AP if an operating bandwidth of the BSS is equal to 160 MHz,
 wherein the quiet channel element indicates whether the secondary 80 MHz subchannel is to be quieted during a quiet interval in which the AP tests the secondary 80 MHz subchannel for a presence of radar transmissions and the station does not send any frame to the AP, and 
 wherein the quiet channel element includes an AP quiet mode field having a single bit and indicating whether a communication to the AP is allowed within the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval; and, 
 
 quieting the secondary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval and communicating with the AP via the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval, if the AP quiet mode field indicates that the communication to the AP is allowed within the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval, 
 wherein the primary 80 MHz subchannel is used to transmit an 80 MHz physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) in the BSS having a bandwidth of 160 MHz and includes a primary 20 MHz subchannel that is a common channel of operation for all of the plurality of stations, 
 wherein the secondary 80 MHz subchannel is used to form a 160 MHz channel together with the primary 80 MHz subchannel and does not include the primary 20 MHz subchannel, and 
 wherein the quiet channel element further includes information about the quiet interval for the secondary 80 MHz subchannel only if the AP quiet mode field indicates that the communication to the AP is allowed within the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the value of the AP quiet mode field is set to 1 to indicate the communication to the AP is allowed within the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval, and
 wherein the value of the AP quiet mode field is set to 0 to indicate the communication to the AP is not allowed within the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the primary 80 MHz subchannel and the secondary 80 MHz subchannel are non-contiguous. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the frame containing the quiet channel element is periodically transmitted. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the frame containing the quiet channel element is a beacon frame. 
     
     
       6. A first station among a plurality of stations that are members of a basic service set (BSS) in a wireless local area network, the first station configured to communicate over a primary 80 MHz subchannel and a secondary 80 MHz subchannel with an access point (AP), the first station comprising:
 a transceiver; and 
 a controller operatively connected to the transceiver and configured to: 
 receive a frame including a quiet channel element from the AP if an operating bandwidth of the BSS is equal to 160 MHz,
 wherein the quiet channel element indicates whether the secondary 80 MHz subchannel is to be quieted during a quiet interval in which the AP tests the secondary 80 MHz subchannel for a presence of radar transmissions and the first station does not send any frame to the AP, and 
 wherein the quiet channel element includes an AP quiet mode field having a single bit and indicating whether a communication to the AP is allowed within the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval; and, 
 
 quiet the secondary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval and communicating with the AP via the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval, if the AP quiet mode field indicates that the communication to the AP is allowed within the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval, 
 wherein the primary 80 MHz subchannel is used to transmit an 80 MHz physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) in the BSS having a bandwidth of 160 MHz and includes a primary 20 MHz subchannel that is a common channel of operation for all of the plurality of stations, 
 wherein the secondary 80 MHz subchannel is used to form a 160 MHz channel together with the primary 80 MHz subchannel and does not include the primary 20 MHz subchannel, and 
 wherein the quiet channel element further includes information about the quiet interval for the secondary 80 MHz subchannel only if the AP quiet mode field indicates that the communication to the AP is allowed within the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval. 
 
     
     
       7. The first station of  claim 6 , wherein the value of the AP quiet mode field is set to 1 to indicate the communication to the AP is allowed within the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval, and
 wherein the value of the AP quiet mode field is set to 0 to indicate the communication to the AP is not allowed within the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval. 
 
     
     
       8. The first station of  claim 6 , wherein the primary 80 MHz subchannel and the secondary 80 MHz subchannel are non-contiguous. 
     
     
       9. The first station of  claim 6 , wherein the quiet channel element is periodically transmitted in a frame. 
     
     
       10. The first station of  claim 9 , wherein the frame containing the quiet channel element is a beacon frame. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quiet channel element does not include any information about the quiet interval for the secondary 80 MHz subchannel if the AP quiet mode field indicates that the communication to the AP is not allowed within the primary 80 MHz subchannel during the quiet interval.