# US 11,910,302 B2 · Multi-band channel discovery for WLAN > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,910,302 B2 - Document ID: US11910302B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/194,742 - Filed: 2023-04-03 - Published: 2023-08-10 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-10 - Assignees: BlackBerry Limited - Applicants: BlackBerry Limited - Inventors: Stephen McCann; Michael Peter Montemurro; James Randolph Winter Lepp - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910302B2 ## CPC - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 16/14: Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} - H04W 24/10: Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports} - H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA - H04W 72/542: using measured or perceived quality - H04W 74/0808: using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA] - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract In some examples, in response to determining that a new communication channel is required, a wireless device retrieves information provided from a network node of availability of alternative communication channels for the wireless device. In response to retrieving information that a second communication channel is available for a location within which the wireless device is located, the wireless device removes wireless device specific information and initiates a request to connect to the second communication channel, where the second communication channel is in a frequency range different from a frequency range of the first communication channel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wireless device comprising: a communication interface to communicate using a first communication channel within a wireless network; a processor; and a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on the processor to: determine whether a new communication channel is required; in response to determining that the new communication channel is required, retrieve information provided from a network node of availability of alternative communication channels for the wireless device; and in response to retrieving information that a second communication channel is available for a location within which the wireless device is located, remove wireless device specific information and initiate a request to connect to the second communication channel, wherein the second communication channel is in a frequency range different from a frequency range of the first communication channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to: in response to receiving a confirmation that the request to connect is granted, switch, by the wireless device, from the first communication channel to the second communication channel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the first communication channel is a cellular network communication channel or a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication channel within one of a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) band or a 5 GHz band. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the second communication channel is within a 6 GHz band. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the determining that the new communication channel is required comprises comparing a first connectivity characteristic against a threshold for the first connectivity characteristic. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The wireless device of claim 5, wherein the first connectivity characteristic is based on a performance characteristic of an application executing on the wireless device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the retrieving of the information provided from the network node comprises initiating a query at the network node of the availability of the alternative communication channels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the initiating of the query at the network node of the availability of the alternative communication channels comprises sending a query to a remote database, the remote database having location specific information about availability of communication channels for respective geographic locations. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the query to the remote database is an indirect query originated at the wireless device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the retrieving of the information provided from the network node comprises receiving information in a broadcast communication from the network node. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the removing of the wireless device specific information comprises randomizing a media access control (MAC) address of the wireless device. ### Claim 12 A method at a wireless device operating using a first communication channel within a wireless network, the method comprising: determining, by the wireless device, whether a new communication channel is required; in response to determining that the new communication channel is required, retrieving, by the wireless device, information provided from a network node of availability of alternative communication channels for the wireless device; and in response to retrieving information that a second communication channel is available for a location within which the wireless device is located, removing, at the wireless device, wireless device specific information and initiating, by the wireless device, a request to connect to the second communication channel, wherein the second communication channel is in a frequency range different from a frequency range of the first communication channel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising: in response to receiving confirmation that the request to connect is granted, switching, by the wireless device, from the first communication channel to the second communication channel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first communication channel is a cellular network communication channel or a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication channel within one of a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) band or a 5 GHz band. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second communication channel is within a 6 GHz band. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the determining that the new communication channel is required comprises comparing a first connectivity characteristic against a threshold for the first connectivity characteristic. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first connectivity characteristic is based on a performance characteristic of an application executing on the wireless device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the retrieving of the information provided from the network node comprises initiating a query at the network node of the availability of the alternative communication channels. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the retrieving of the information provided from the network node comprises receiving information in a broadcast communication from a network node. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the removing of the wireless device specific information comprises randomizing a media access control (MAC) address of the wireless device.