Multiple frequency band operation in wireless networks

In a Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance system, supporting transmission on a plurality of shared channels, each shared channel comprising at least a primary channel and a secondary channel, a method comprising:

• establishing a first basic service set on a primary channel and a secondary channel of a first shared channel;
• detecting interference on at least one of the primary channel and the secondary channel of the first shared channel, wherein detecting interference comprises:
• accumulating energy for one or more tones of the primary channel to produce an energy measurement for the primary channel,
• accumulating energy for one or more tones of the secondary channel to produce an energy measurement for the secondary channel,
• computing an energy difference between the energy measurement of the primary channel and the energy measurement of the secondary channel, and
• determining interference based on whether the computed energy difference is above an energy difference threshold;
• locating a second shared channel when interference is detected on at least one of the primary channel and the secondary channel of the first shared channel;
• and
• establishing a second basic service set on the second shared channel, wherein establishing the second basic service set on the second shared channel comprises:
• establishing the second basic service set on a secondary channel of the second shared channel when a primary channel of the second shared channel is occupied, and
• establishing the second basic service set on both the primary channel of the second shared channel and the secondary channel of the second shared channel when the primary channel of the second shared channel and the secondary channel of the second shared channel are unoccupied.

An apparatus, operable with a plurality of shared channels, each shared channel comprising at least a primary channel and a secondary channel, comprising:

• memory;
• and
• a processor, coupled with the memory, configured to:
• establish a first basic service set on a primary channel and a secondary channel of a first shared channel;
• detect interference on at least one of the primary channel and the secondary channel of the first shared channel, wherein detecting interference comprises:
• accumulating energy for one or more tones of the primary channel to produce an energy measurement for the primary channel,
• accumulating energy for one or more tones of the secondary channel to produce an energy measurement for the secondary channel,
• computing an energy difference between the energy measurement of the primary channel and the energy measurement of the secondary channel, and
• determining interference based on whether the computed energy difference is above an energy difference threshold;
• locate a second shared channel when interference is detected on at least one of the primary channel and the secondary channel of the first shared channel;
• and
• establish a second basic service set on the second shared channel, wherein establishing the second basic service set on the second shared channel comprises:
• establishing the second basic service set on a secondary channel of the second shared channel when a primary channel of the second shared channel is occupied, and
• establishing the second basic service set on both the primary channel of the second shared channel and the secondary channel of the second shared channel when the primary channel of the second shared channel and the secondary channel of the second shared channel are unoccupied.

A non-transitory processor-readable memory having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

• instructions for establishing a first basic service set on a primary channel and a secondary channel of a first shared channel;
• instructions for detecting interference on at least one of a primary channel and a secondary channel of the first shared channel, wherein the instructions for detecting interference comprise:
• instructions for accumulating energy for one or more tones of the primary channel to produce an energy measurement for the primary channel,
• instructions for accumulating energy for one or more tones of the secondary channel to produce an energy measurement for the secondary channel,
• instructions for computing an energy difference between the energy measurement of the primary channel and the energy measurement of the secondary channel, and
• instructions for determining interference based on whether the computed energy difference is above an energy difference threshold;
• instructions for locating a second shared channel when interference is detected on at least one of the primary channel and the secondary channel of the first shared channel;
• and
• instructions for establishing a second basic service set on the second shared channel, wherein the instructions for establishing the second basic service set on the second shared channel comprise:
• instructions for establishing the second basic service set on a secondary channel of the second shared channel when a primary channel of the second shared channel is occupied, and
• instructions for establishing the second basic service set on both the primary channel of the second shared channel and the secondary channel of the second shared channel when the primary channel of the second shared channel and the secondary channel of the second shared channel are unoccupied.