# US 8,787,338 B2 · Determining a communication channel from a plurality of possible channel bandwidths > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,338 B2 - Document ID: US8787338B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/246,351 - Filed: 2011-09-27 - Published: 2012-04-05 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-10-04 - Assignees: Marvell World Trade Ltd. - Applicants: Yong Liu; Hongyuan Zhang; Raja Banerjea - Inventors: Yong Liu; Hongyuan Zhang; Raja Banerjea - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787338B2 ## CPC - H04L 5/001: {the frequencies being arranged in component carriers} - H04L 5/0007: {the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A) or DMT} - H04L 5/00: Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path - H04L 25/0204: {of multiple channels} - H04L 25/0224: {using sounding signals} - H04L 27/2601: {Multicarrier modulation systems} - H04W 72/00: Local resource management - H04W 88/08: Access point devices - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract In a method of determining an available channel bandwidth in a communication system, wherein the communication system utilizes i) a set of component channels for transmitting data streams and ii) a set of access control channels, and wherein each of at least some of the access control channels partially overlaps, in frequency, at least one of the component channels, whether a primary channel of the access control channels is idle is determined. The primary channel partially overlaps, in frequency, at least a first one of the component channels. That a composite channel includes one or more of the component channels is determined based at least on a determination of whether the primary channel is idle. A signal is caused to be transmitted via the composite channel after determining that the composite channel includes one or more of the component channels. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, implemented in a communication device, of determining an available channel bandwidth in a communication system, wherein the communication system utilizes i) a set of component channels for transmitting data streams and ii) a set of access control channels, and wherein each of at least some of the access control channels partially overlaps, in frequency, at least one of the component channels, the method comprising: determining, at the communication device, whether a primary channel of the access control channels is idle, wherein the primary channel partially overlaps, in frequency, at least a first one of the component channels; determining, at the communication device, that a composite channel includes one or more of the component channels based at least on a determination of whether the primary channel is idle; and causing, at the communication device, the communication device to transmit a signal via the composite channel after determining that the composite channel includes one or more of the component channels. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, at the communication device, whether a secondary channel of the access control channels is idle, wherein determining that the composite channel includes the one or more component channels is further based on a determination of whether the secondary channel is idle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein: the secondary channel partially overlaps at least the first component channel, and determining that the composite channel includes the one or more component channels includes determining that the composite channel includes the first component channel when it is determined that i) the primary channel is idle, and ii) the secondary channel is idle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, further comprising receiving i) a first acknowledgement on the primary channel, and ii) a second acknowledgement on the secondary channel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein: the secondary channel partially overlaps at least the first component channel, determining that the composite channel includes the one or more component channels includes determining that the composite channel does not include the first component channel when it is determined that at least one of i) the primary channel, and ii) the secondary channel, is busy. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein no two of the component channels overlap, and wherein no two of the access control channels overlap. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein each of the component channels has a first bandwidth and each of the access control channels has a second bandwidth, and wherein the first bandwidth is the same as the second bandwidth. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a combined bandwidth of all of the component channels is greater than a combined bandwidth of all of the access control channels. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, at the communication device, which remaining channels of the access control channels are idle, wherein: the remaining channels consist of access control channels other than the primary channel, and determining that the composite channel includes the one or more component channels is further based on a determination of which of the remaining channels are idle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein causing the signal to be transmitted via the composite channel includes: causing a first portion of a data unit to be transmitted via a channel consisting of one or more access control channels that are determined to be idle; and causing a second portion of the data unit to be transmitted via the composite channel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the first portion of the data unit is at least a portion of a preamble. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the primary channel is idle includes at least one of i) detecting whether a threshold level of signal energy is received on the primary channel, or ii) detecting whether a valid signal is received on the primary channel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the primary channel is idle includes: transmitting a first control frame on the primary channel; and detecting whether a first response frame is received on the primary channel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising determining, at the communication device, whether a secondary channel of the access control channels is idle, wherein determining whether the secondary channel is idle includes: transmitting a second control frame on the secondary channel; and detecting whether a second response frame is received on the secondary channel. ### Claim 15 A communication device, comprising: a network interface configured to determine whether a primary channel of a set of access control channels is idle, wherein each of the access control channels partially overlaps, in frequency, at least one channel of a set of component channels, determine that a composite channel includes one or more of the component channels based at least on a determination of whether the primary channel is idle, and cause a signal to be transmitted via the composite channel after determining that the composite channel includes one or more of the component channels. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The communication device according to claim 15, wherein the network interface is configured to determine whether a secondary channel of the access control channels is idle, and determine that the composite channel includes the one or more component channels based on a determination of whether the secondary channel is idle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The communication device according to claim 15, wherein no two of the component channels overlap, and wherein no two of the access control channels overlap. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The communication device according to claim 15, wherein each of the component channels has a first bandwidth and each of the access control channels has a second bandwidth, and wherein the first bandwidth is the same as the second bandwidth. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The communication device according to claim 15, wherein a combined bandwidth of all of the component channels is greater than a combined bandwidth of all of the access control channels. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The communication device according to claim 15, wherein the network interface is configured to determine whether the primary channel is idle based on at least one of i) detecting whether a threshold level of signal energy is received on the primary channel or ii) detecting whether a valid signal is received on the primary channel. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The communication device according to claim 15, wherein the network interface is configured to determine whether the primary channel is idle at least in part by i) transmitting a control frame on the primary channel, and ii) detecting whether a response frame is received on the primary channel. ### Claim 22 A method, implemented in a communication device, of determining an available channel bandwidth in a communication system, wherein the communication system utilizes i) a set of component channels and ii) at least one channel of a set of access control channels for transmitting data streams, the method comprising: determining, at the communication device, which channels of the set of access control channels are idle, wherein each of the access control channels partially overlaps, in frequency, at least one of the component channels; determining, at the communication device, that a composite channel includes one or more channels of a set of channels, wherein the set of channels is chosen from i) the set of component channels and ii) the set of access control channels based at least on a determination of which of the access control channels are idle; and causing, at the communication device, the communication device to transmit a signal via the composite channel after determining that the composite channel includes one or more channels of a set of channels. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method according to claim 22, wherein determining that the composite channel includes the one or more channels includes not permitting the composite channel to be coextensive with a first subset of one or more of the component channels. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method according to claim 23, wherein: determining that the composite channel includes the one or more channels further includes i) not permitting the composite channel to be coextensive with a second subset of one or more of the component channels, and ii) not permitting the composite channel to be coextensive with a third subset of one or more of the component channels, and the first subset of component channels includes the second subset of component channels and the third subset of component channels. ### Claim 25 A communication device, comprising: a network interface configured to determine which channels of a set of access control channels are idle, wherein each of the access control channels partially overlaps, in frequency, at least one channel of a set of component channels; determine that a composite channel includes one or more channels of a set of channels, wherein the set of channels is chosen from i) the set of component channels and ii) the set of access control channels based at least on a determination of which of the access control channels are idle; and cause a signal to be transmitted via the composite channel after determining that the composite channel includes one or more channels of a set of channels. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The communication device according to claim 25, wherein the network interface is configured to determine that the composite channel includes the one or more channels at least by not permitting the composite channel to be coextensive with a first subset of one or more of the component channels. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The communication device according to claim 26, wherein: the network interface is configured to determine that the composite channel includes the one or more channels at least by further i) not permitting the composite channel to be coextensive with a second subset of one or more of the component channels, and ii) not permitting the composite channel to be coextensive with a third subset of one or more of the component channels, and the first subset of component channels includes the second subset of component channels and the third subset of component channels.