Channel tracking in a wireless home network

A wireless access point (WAP) apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of antenna;
• a plurality of components coupled to one another to form a plurality of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmit and receive paths, wherein each of the MIMO transmit and receive paths are coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of antenna;
• wherein the WAP is configured to support wireless communications with a plurality of station nodes on a selected one of a plurality of communication channels of an associated wireless local area network (WLAN), including:
• a first set of receive path components supporting at least two MIMO receive paths dedicated exclusively for MIMO reception of WLAN communications on the selected one of the 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 one of the plurality of communication channels 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 components;
• wherein the WAP is further configured to:
• determine, via the channel tracker, a target channel for a prospective channel changeover among the remaining monitored ones of the plurality of communication channels while simultaneously monitoring communications on the remaining ones of the plurality of communication channels;
• and
• intermittently switch the single MIMO receive path without disruption of the WLAN communications between:
• monitoring the remaining ones of the plurality of communication channels, and
• receiving MIMO communications on the selected one of the plurality of communication channels.