Handoff apparatus, systems, and methods

An article for use in wireless communication comprising a machine-accessible medium having associated data, wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing:

• receiving a request associated with a specification defining a traffic stream quality of service at a first access point to locate a second access point to support the specification;
• constructing a list of candidate access points including the second access point;
• determining, by the second access point, that the second access point will support the specification, wherein the specification includes a traffic specification selected in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard;
• and
• communicating the request to the second access point.

A wireless communication apparatus within a first access point, comprising:

• a transceiver to receive a request, the request being associated with a specification defining a traffic stream quality of service, at the first access point to locate a second access point to support the specification, and to communicate the request to the second access point;
• a memory coupled to the transceiver to store a list of candidate access points including the second access point;
• and
• a determination module to determine a capability of a candidate access point to support the specification, wherein the specification includes a traffic specification selected in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.

A wireless communication system, comprising:

• a first transceiver included in a first access point to receive a request associated with a specification defining a traffic stream quality of service from a client unit, wherein the first access point is to locate a second access point to support the specification;
• and
• a second transceiver included in the second access point to receive the request associated with the specification, wherein the second access point is to determine support of the specification,
• wherein the specification includes a traffic specification selected in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.

A user wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

• a transmitter to send a request associated with a specification defining a traffic stream quality of service to a first access point to locate a second access point to support the specification;
• a memory coupled to the transmitter to store a list of candidate access points including the second access point;
• and
• a determination module to determine a capability of a candidate access point to support the specification comprising a traffic specification selected in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.

A wireless communication method, comprising:

• receiving a request, at a first access point, associated with a traffic specification defining a traffic stream quality of service and selected in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard and a list of candidate access points including a second access point to support the traffic specification;
• sending the request to at least one of the candidate access points including the second access point;
• determining, by the second access point, that the second access point will support the specification;
• and
• handing off a communication between the first access point and a device to the second access point upon receiving an indication that the second access point is to support the specification.