Fast channel switching scheme for IEEE 802.11 WLANs

A method for switching at least one wireless node located within the coverage area of a basic-service set (BSSI) or infrastructure-basic-service set (IBSS) in a wireless-local-area network (WLAN) from a first communication channel to a second communication channel, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining whether said second communication channel to be used by said at least one wireless node is needed;
• (b) broadcasting by a source node a first management frame including a channel switch announcement element (CSAE) to said at least one wireless node when it is determined in step (a) that said second communication channel is needed, said first management frame including said CSAE including a channel-switch time and a second communication channel identifier;
• and,
• (c) upon receiving said broadcasted first management frame including said CSAE at said at least one wireless node, halting all further frame exchanges in said first communication channel to quiet said first communication channel.

A system for switching at least one wireless node (WLAN) located within the coverage area of a basic-service set (BSS1) or infrastructure-basic-service set (IBSS) in a wireless-local-area network (WLAN) from a first communication channel to a second communication channel, the system comprising:

• means for determining whether said second communication channel to be used by said at least one wireless node is needed;
• means for broadcasting by a source node a management frame including a channel switch announcement element (CSAE) to said at least one wireless node when it is determined that said second communication channel is needed, said management frame including said CSAE including a channel-switch time and a second communication channel identifier;
• and,
• means for switching at said at least one wireless node receiving said management frame including said CSAE from said first communication channel to said second. communication channel within a countdown time corresponding to said channel-switch time, wherein said channel switch time is independent of the beacon interval.

A system for switching at least one wireless node (WLAN) located within the coverage area of a basic-service set (BSS) or infrastructure-basic-service set (IBSS) in a wireless-local-area network (WLAN) from a first communication channel to a second communication channel, the system comprising:

• means for determining whether said second communication channel to be used by said at least one wireless node is needed;
• means for broadcasting, by a source node, a first management frame including a channel switch announcement element (CSAE) to said at least one wireless node when it is determined that said second communication channel is needed, said CSAE including a channel-switch time and a second communication channel identifier;
• and,
• means for halting all further frame exchanges in said first communication channel to quiet said first communication channel upon receiving said broadcasted first management frame including said CSAE at said at least one wireless node.