Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and method for retrieving a local map for a given area. One or more signals wirelessly transmitted from one or more wireless network elements may be received by a mobile device. The mobile device may identify an associated local map based at least in part on the received one or more signals. The associated local map and annotations associated with the associated local map may subsequently be obtained. The associated local map utilizes a predefined coordinate system.

Abstract: One method for wirelessly determining a position of a mobile station includes measuring a round trip time (RTT) to a plurality of wireless access points, estimating a first distance to each wireless access point based upon the round trip time delay and an initial processing time associated with each wireless access point, estimating a second distance to each wireless access point based upon supplemental information, combining the first and second distance estimates to each wireless access point, and calculating the position based upon the combined distance estimates. Another method includes measuring a distance to each wireless access point based upon a wireless signal model, calculating a position of the mobile station based upon the measured distance, determining a computed distance to each wireless access point based upon the calculated position of the mobile station, updating the wireless signal model, and determining whether the wireless signal model has converged.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are directed to calibrating a delay within a wireless access point for determining a position of a mobile station. One method includes receiving an initial packet at an eavesdropping device, receiving a response packet, sent by another entity, at the eavesdropping device, computing a time difference based upon the packet arrival times, and providing the time difference to a position determination entity. Another method includes providing a request to appropriate eavesdropping devices to send information, receiving, from each appropriate eavesdropping device, a time difference which represents a difference in a time of arrival of a packet transmitted by the wireless access point and a time of arrival of a packet transmitted by the mobile station, determining a processing delay estimate based upon the time differences, and determining a position of the mobile station based upon the processing delay estimate and the received time differences.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for adjusting wireless-derived positions of a mobile station using a motion sensor are presented. One method includes estimating a position of a mobile station based upon wireless signal measurements and measuring a movement of the mobile station using a relative motion sensor. The method further includes detecting a displacement of the mobile station based upon the measured movement, determining that the displacement is below a threshold and then adjusting the estimated position of the mobile station using information from the relative motion sensor. An apparatus includes a wireless transceiver, a relative motion sensor, a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the relative motion sensor, and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores executable instructions and data for causing the processor to execute methods for adjusting wireless-derived positions using a motion sensor.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for sector-based position determination of a mobile station are presented. One method includes determining an estimate of a distance between the mobile station and at least one wireless access point (WAP), receiving sector information which describes sectors associated with the at least one WAP, and combining the distance estimate and sector information to determine a position of the mobile station. One apparatus includes a wireless transceiver, a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver, and a memory coupled to the processor which stores executable instructions and data. The instructions cause the processor to determine an estimate of a distance between the mobile station and at least one wireless access point (WAP), receive sector information which describes sectors associated with the at least one WAP, and combine the distance estimate and sector information to determine a position of the mobile station.

Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and method for wirelessly receiving a first communication from a first mobile device. A processing delay may be measured. An acknowledgement communication indicating receipt of the first communication may be generated. A measurement of the processing delay may be broadcast in a broadcast packet, for example, or by transmitting a subsequent communication including the processing delay in response to receiving a second communication having a request for the measurement of the processing delay.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for communications by which a physical layer packet is generated for transmission to a node, or by which a physical layer packet is received from a node, the physical layer packet having a plurality of MAC packets, wherein the physical layer packet includes a transmission schedule associated with the plurality of MAC packets in the physical layer packet.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for communications by which a data packet is generated for transmission to a node, or by which a data packet is received from a node, the data packet including a header and data, wherein a channel designation for a node to send an acknowledgement to an apparatus or a transmitting node is embedded in the header of the data packet.

Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for controlling the transmit power of an uplink (UL) signal from a user terminal in a wireless communications system in an effort to achieve some target characteristic, such as a target carrier-to-interference (C/I) ratio, at an access point (AP) are provided. In this manner, such a user terminal may help avoid or compensate for imbalances in received radio frequency (RF) power between UL signals received from multiple user terminals by the AP. For example, the transmit power at each user terminal may be controlled in an effort to achieve a target post-processing C/I ratio of 28 dB per spatial stream in an effort to reduce large power imbalances and optimize throughput per user terminal. The user terminal and the AP may compose part of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system utilizing spatial-division multiple access (SDMA) techniques.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for using code-division multiple access (CDMA) to transmit information via orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) to convey information from user terminals to an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) are provided. By using CDMA to convey information, a propagation delay between an access point (AP) and a user terminal may be determined by the AP, and timing adjustment information based on the delay may be sent to the user terminal. In this manner, subsequent uplink (UL) transmissions from multiple user terminals may be received simultaneously by the AP, despite the multiple user terminals having potentially different propagation delays.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a method for scheduling packet transmissions in a wireless communications with stations that support spatial division multiple access (SDMA) transmissions. The method generally includes receiving channel state training signals from a plurality of wireless network nodes, constructing a schedule for uplink and downlink packet transmissions for the nodes based on the channel state training signals, and communicating the schedule to the nodes.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a method for scheduling simultaneous transmissions of data from multiple wireless nodes in a wireless communications system.

Abstract: Techniques and apparatus for embedding one or more bits of 802.11 Very High Throughput (VHT) information in existing IEEE 802.11 preamble fields are provided. As will be described herein, because different combinations of modulation techniques, coding schemes, and transmission lengths result in the same transmit time (e.g., in terms of symbol length), a clever choice of modulation, coding, and length may allow some extra information to be embedded in a legacy field for use by VHT stations. In this manner, the total VHT preamble transmission time may potentially be reduced, thereby increasing the efficiency of the physical layer (PHY). Moreover, the embedded bits may most likely be invisible to legacy stations, since the transmission time that such stations compute will be independent of these bits by design.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining the quality of a communication link transmitting a specified packet type are disclosed. The methodology includes configuring first packets, which share transmission characteristics with a specific packet type, such as a Voice over IP packet, such that the first packets experience similar communication link treatment as the specific packet type. The first packets are then transmitted over the communication link to a quality monitoring server located near a termination equipment of the particular communication link. Second packets, which are transmitted by the server in response to the first packets, are received and evaluated to determine the quality of the communication link based on characteristics of the second packets. Corresponding apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reverse link acknowledgement in a wireless local area network. A method includes receiving, at a first node, a data communication over a common channel, the data communication being decodable by other nodes. The method also includes determining transmission resources from the data communication, wherein the transmission resources are different for each node, and transmitting a response over the common channel using the determined transmission resources. An apparatus includes a transmitter configured to transmit to a plurality of nodes a data communication over the common channel, and a receiver configured to receive responses from the plurality of nodes, wherein each response was sent using different transmission resources determined from the data communication.

Abstract: An electronic coupon, an electronic commerce system, and a method for the honoring of electronic coupons utilizing computing equipment are disclosed. In the method, an issuing party issues an electronic coupon to a customer. The customer presents the coupon for redemption to a redemption party. The redemption party transmits the coupon to an authentication party for authentication. If authentic, the authentication party charges the redemption party a fee and passes that fee to the issuing party. The redemption party honors the coupon for the customer and seeking reimbursement of the fee from the issuing party. The electronic coupon has a plurality of data fields, including: a coupon identifier, x, a first one-way hash function field, f(x), and a secure signature field.

Abstract: A method and system generates, distributes, stores, redeems, validates and clears electronic manufacturer coupons and electronic store coupons. A coupon mint generates unforgable blank digital coupons. The promoter of the offer then writes the terms and conditions and other details of the offer, on blank coupons to customize these. These customized coupons are digitally signed by the promoter and distributed to potential customers. A customer may either present these coupons electronically for redemption to an online store, or print these coupons and present them to a conventional offline store. The store may check the authenticity of a coupon by verifying the digital signature and also verifying if the coupon has not been used earlier by contacting a verification center. The store collects all redeemed coupons and sends these to manufacturer for clearing. The verification center verifies that the coupon is authentic and has not already been used before.

Abstract: An e-commerce mechanism tries to dynamically estimate or refine a profile of a buyer and hence change their negotiation strategy in a dynamic and an on-line manner. An e-commerce site can negotiate with a customer based on his or her profile. The e-commerce site may sell one or more types of items to various customers. These customers may be brokers, other intermediaries, businesses or consumers. Similarly, the e-commerce site may be a broker, an auctioneer, an intermediary, a seller, or even a manufacturer. In one specific case of this invention, the existing data on various customers' past purchases, buying behavior, demographics and other parameters is studied to arrive at attributes which are then used to segment customers into various profiles. The profiles depend not only on the demographic factors but also on factors like the season, the time of day, the geographical area and the cultural upbringing.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for organizing a set of nodes into a minimum number of connected clusters of bounded size in a wireless transmission system, wherein the method comprises using of bits in packets used in the initial stages of the device discovery procedure, to include information relating to a state of device discovery to achieve the separation of the nodes into those in the transmit-state and the receive-state; defining a Master-designate among the nodes through a statistical procedure and defining remaining nodes as a Slave-designate; defining a cluster including the Master-designate and at least one the Slave-designate, wherein the Slave-designate continuously scans for the inquiry message transmitted from the Master-designate and the Slave-designate transmits the inquiry response to the Master-designate.

Abstract: A method and system offer confidential purchase of electronic data which can be used without any need of knowledge in cryptography nor mastery of computer use beyond usual usage of the World Wide Web (WWW). The method and system which guarantee confidentiality as long as there is no collusion between agents working for a large number of reputable companies whose references can be easily checked on the Internet before proceeding to the order. In addition, the method and system allow for guaranteed payment and offer recourse in case of improper delivery.