Abstract: A method in a communications device includes: maintaining an association between the communications device and a basic service set identifier; detecting a message at a wireless interface of the communications device; determining whether the message is associated with the basic service set identifier; and when the message is not associated with the basic service set identifier, determining whether to update a timer corresponding to transmission medium availability based on a received signal strength of the message.

Abstract: A method includes: at a repeater device, implementing a network bridge between a first interface and a second interface of the repeater device; establishing a connection between the first interface and another communications controller of another computing device; establishing a further connection between the second interface and a further communications controller of a further computing device; and in response to establishing the further connection, initializing a virtual interface corresponding to the further communications controller.

Abstract: A radio frequency module includes: a primary board including: an upper surface carrying a radio controller; and a lower surface carrying antenna control elements; a plurality of spacing elements affixed to the lower surface and having a predetermined height extending away from the lower surface; and a secondary board affixed to the primary board by the plurality of spacing elements, separated from the lower surface of the primary board by an air gap with the predetermined height; the secondary board supporting a phased array of antenna elements electromagnetically coupled with the antenna control elements.

Abstract: A method in a communication system including an access point and a plurality of stations, includes: selecting, at the access point, a quasi-omni-directional beam for use in transmitting and receiving control frames to and from the stations; selecting, at each station, one of a plurality of directional beams for use in transmitting and receiving control frames to and from the access point; at each of the stations, pausing transmission of Request To Send (RTS) control frames responsive to detecting (i) a RTS control frame from the access point to any one of the stations, or (ii) a Clear to Send (CTS) control frame from the access point to any one of the stations; wherein pausing transmission of RTS control frames is for a duration of time provided in the detected RTS control frame or CTS frame.

Abstract: A host controller for a distributed wireless local area network (WLAN) includes: a communications interface connected to each of a set of wireless access points (APs); a memory storing (i) identifiers of each of the wireless access points, and (ii) a master identifier of the host controller; and a processor configured to: receive a notification, from a first one of the APs, that the first AP has completed an association with a client device; in response to receiving the notification: deploy association data, including an identifier of the client device, to each of the APs; initiate a handshake mechanism with the client device, via a selected one of the APs, to generate an encryption key; and provide the encryption key to each or the APs to enable data exchange between the client device and each of the APs.

Abstract: A computing system for recovery of lost access points in a distributed wireless local area network, including: (a) a host controller, (b) a plurality of access point, and (c) a plurality of stations. When setting up the network, the host controller is configured to register the plurality of access points, instruct the access points to send beacons to the plurality of stations, and perform a handshake to generate a unique encryption key for each of the plurality of stations. When the host controller detects that a physical access point has been lost and then recovered, it can optionally perform a handshake to generate a new encryption key and transmit this new encryption key to the other access points in the network before data communication commences to any of the stations through the recovered physical access point.

Abstract: A host controller for a distributed wireless local area network (WLAN) includes: a communications interface connected to each of a set of wireless access points (APs); a memory storing (i) identifiers of each of the wireless access points, and (ii) a master identifier of the host controller; and a processor configured to: receive a notification, from a first one of the APs, that the first AP has completed an association with a client device; in response to receiving the notification: deploy association data, including an identifier of the client device, to each of the APs; initiate a handshake mechanism with the client device, via a selected one of the APs, to generate an encryption key; and provide the encryption key to each or the APs to enable data exchange between the client device and each of the APs.

Abstract: A method in a wireless access point (AP) having an antenna controllable to transmit and receive using a set of AP sectors, includes: transmitting a plurality of beacon instances using each of the AP sectors, each beacon instance associated rotation schedule data defining a plurality of listening time slots corresponding to respective AP sectors; activating a rotating listening mode using the AP sectors in sequence according to the rotation schedule data; in response to detecting a sector sweep initiation message from a client device using an active one of the AP sectors, communicating with the client device to select an AP sector to use in establishing a link with the client device.

Abstract: A method in a first wireless station of establishing a connection with a second wireless station includes: generating a frame including a capabilities element having: a core capabilities field containing a predefined sequence of core subfields having respective predefined lengths; the core subfields containing respective first core values defining core capabilities of the first wireless station; and at least one extended capability field containing: an extended capability identifier subfield containing an identifier of one of a plurality of predefined extended capabilities; an extended capability length subfield containing an extended capability length value; and an extended capability payload subfield having a length equal to the extended capability length value; the payload subfield containing a first extended value defining an extended capability of the first wireless station; and responsive to generating the frame, transmitting the frame.

Abstract: A method in a wireless access point (AP) for controlling medium access includes: transmitting a beacon frame defining (i) a beacon header interval (BHI), and (ii) a data transmission interval (DTI) divided into a predetermined number of scheduled periods, each scheduled period containing a set of uplink allocation request sub-periods; sending, to a client device, an uplink allocation request assignment indicating an assigned uplink allocation request sub-period from the set, that corresponds to the client device; during a current one of the scheduled periods, receiving an uplink allocation request from the client device during the assigned uplink allocation request sub-period; determining an uplink allocation sub-period for the client device based on the uplink allocation request; and during a next one of the scheduled periods, sending an indication of the uplink allocation sub-period to the client device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for establishing unsolicited block acknowledgements is provided. During a process, at a first wireless device, to associate with a basic service set that includes a second wireless communication device, the first wireless device transmits, via a controller and using a radio: an indication that the first wireless communication device supports block acknowledgements; and at least one common block acknowledgement parameter defining unsolicited block acknowledgement. Thereafter, the first wireless communication device exchanges data with the second wireless communication device according to the at least one common block acknowledgement parameter defining the unsolicited block acknowledgement.

Abstract: A host controller for a distributed wireless local area network (WLAN) includes: a communications interface connected to each of a set of wireless access points (APs); a memory storing (i) identifiers of each of the wireless access points, and (ii) a master identifier of the host controller; and a processor configured to: receive a notification, from a first one of the APs, that the first AP has completed an association with a client device; in response to receiving the notification: deploy association data, including an identifier of the client device, to each of the APs; initiate a handshake mechanism with the client device, via a selected one of the APs, to generate an encryption key; and provide the encryption key to each or the APs to enable data exchange between the client device and each of the APs.

Abstract: A system is provided comprising: a host computing device including: a wireless transceiver; and a processor configured to generate multimedia data for transmission via the wireless transceiver; and a movably-mounted client device including: a first set of wireless transceivers; a controller connected to the output assembly and each of the wireless transceivers; the controller configured to: assess respective performance attributes for each of the first set of transceivers; and based on the performance attributes, select a transceiver from the first set to receive the multimedia data from the host computing device; and an output assembly for presenting the multimedia data.

Abstract: A host computing device for a multimedia system includes: a processor configured to generate multimedia data for transmission to a client device; a compression/decompression device connected to the processor, the compression/decompression device configured to receive the multimedia data and generated compressed multimedia data; a communications assembly connected to the processor and including (i) a wireless transceiver and (ii) a controller configured to receive the multimedia data from the processor and the compressed multimedia data from the compression/decompression device; the controller further configured to select one of the multimedia data and the compressed multimedia data for transmission to the client device via the wireless transceiver.

Abstract: A method in a first wireless station of establishing a connection with a second wireless station includes: generating a frame including a capabilities element having: a core capabilities field containing a predefined sequence of core subfields having respective predefined lengths; the core subfields containing respective first core values defining core capabilities of the first wireless station; and at least one extended capability field containing: an extended capability identifier subfield containing an identifier of one of a plurality of predefined extended capabilities; an extended capability length subfield containing an extended capability length value; and an extended capability payload subfield having a length equal to the extended capability length value; the payload subfield containing a first extended value defining an extended capability of the first wireless station; and responsive to generating the frame, transmitting the frame.

Abstract: A method for spatial re-use in a first wireless communications assembly of a first service set, comprising: establishing data transfer communications within the first service set; detecting wireless interference generated by a second wireless communications assembly of a second service set distinct from the first service set; responsive to the detecting, sending a notice of interference indicator to the second wireless communications assembly; receiving a response to the notice of interference indicator from the second wireless communications assembly; based on the response, selecting an interference-reducing corrective action to perform within the first service set; and initiating the selected corrective action within the first service set.

Abstract: A wireless communications assembly and method for encoding and modulating data for transmission is provided. The method includes receiving primary data to be transmitted to a receiving station; selecting a data rate at which to transmit the primary data; selecting a mode associated with the data rate, the mode defining a modulation scheme and a target code rate; generating encoded data, including modifying an error correcting block format having a predefined code rate to generate the encoded data at the target code rate; and extracting at least a portion of the encoded data for modulation of a carrier signal and transmission to a receiving station.

Abstract: A method in a transmitter station includes: generating payload data for transmission to a receiver station via a plurality of antennae of the transmitter station; selecting a number of transmit streams for transmission of the payload data; selecting respective modulation schemes for each of the transmit streams; according to the modulation schemes and to an active one of (i) a single-encoder mode and (ii) a per-stream encoder mode, generating the number of coded, modulated transmit streams; wherein each coded, modulated transmit stream contains a portion of the payload data; and providing the coded, modulated transmit streams to respective ones of the antennae for transmission to the receiver station.

Abstract: A method in a first wireless station of establishing a connection with a second wireless station includes: generating a frame including a capabilities element having: a core capabilities field containing a predefined sequence of core subfields having respective predefined lengths; the core subfields containing respective first core values defining core capabilities of the first wireless station; and at least one extended capability field containing: an extended capability identifier subfield containing an identifier of one of a plurality of predefined extended capabilities; an extended capability length subfield containing an extended capability length value; and an extended capability payload subfield having a length equal to the extended capability length value; the payload subfield containing a first extended value defining an extended capability of the first wireless station; and responsive to generating the frame, transmitting the frame.

Abstract: A method in a wireless access point (AP) for controlling medium access includes: transmitting a beacon frame defining (i) a beacon header interval (BHI), and (ii) a data transmission interval (DTI) divided into a predetermined number of scheduled periods, each scheduled period containing a set of uplink allocation request sub-periods; sending, to a client device, an uplink allocation request assignment indicating an assigned uplink allocation request sub-period from the set, that corresponds to the client device; during a current one of the scheduled periods, receiving an uplink allocation request from the client device during the assigned uplink allocation request sub-period; determining an uplink allocation sub-period for the client device based on the uplink allocation request; and during a next one of the scheduled periods, sending an indication of the uplink allocation sub-period to the client device.