Abstract: Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE) and Electric Vehicle (EV) are disclosed n. In an example embodiment, a modem is coupled to the pilot wire that couples the EVSE and the EV. The modem transmits both pulse width modulation (PWM) command signals and power line communication (PLC) signals to a remote device via the pilot wire. The modem interleaves the PWM and PLC signals on the pilot wire so that latency requirements for the PWM signals are maintained. The modem supports parallel protocol stacks in which PLC signals are processed in a first path and PWM signals are processed in a second path that bypasses the first path and provides the PWM signals directly to a MAC layer. The modem may create a modified frame for the PLC signals to maintain the latency requirements.

Abstract: Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE) and Electric Vehicle (EV) are disclosed n. In an example embodiment, a modem is coupled to the pilot wire that couples the EVSE and the EV. The modem transmits both pulse width modulation (PWM) command signals and power line communication (PLC) signals to a remote device via the pilot wire. The modem interleaves the PWM and PLC signals on the pilot wire so that latency requirements for the PWM signals are maintained. The modem supports parallel protocol stacks in which PLC signals are processed in a first path and PWM signals are processed in a second path that bypasses the first path and provides the PWM signals directly to a MAC layer. The modem may create a modified frame for the PLC signals to maintain the latency requirements.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating on a pilot wire between Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE) and an Electric Vehicle (EV). In an example embodiment, a modem is coupled to the pilot wire that couples the EVSE and the EV. The modem transmits both pulse width modulation (PWM) command signals and power line communication (PLC) signals to a remote device via the pilot wire. The modem interleaves the PWM and PLC signals on the pilot wire so that latency requirements for the PWM signals are maintained. The modem supports parallel protocol stacks in which PLC signals are processed in a first path and PWM signals are processed in a second path that bypasses the first path and provides the PWM signals directly to a MAC layer. The modem may create a modified frame for the PLC signals to maintain the latency requirements.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods implement aggregation frames and allocation frames. The aggregation frames include a plurality of MSDUs or fragments thereof aggregated or otherwise combined together. An aggregation frame makes more efficient use of the wireless communication resources. The allocation frame defines a plurality of time intervals. The allocation frame specifies a pair of stations that are permitted to communicate with each other during each time interval as well as the antenna configuration to be used for the communication. This permits stations to know ahead of time when they are to communicate, with which other stations and the antenna configuration that should be used. A buffered traffic field can also be added to the frames to specify how much data remains to be transmitted following the current frame. This enables network traffic to be scheduled more effectively.

Abstract: Communication devices, such as base nodes and modems, that comply with two or more different standards operate on a shared communication channel. To avoid mutual interference, a base node operating under a first standard reserves time using a contention free period designation. The base node allows devices operating under a second standard to communicate during the reserved time by not assigning the contention free period to another device operating under the first standard. Alternatively, a device using the first standard may avoid interference from transmissions generated under the second standard by modifying data packets prior to transmission. A prefix corresponding to a preamble in the second standard is added to the beginning of the data packet created under the first standard. Devices operating under the second standard observe the prefix and recognize that the channel is active. The second-standard devices backoff from transmission thereby minimizing interference.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods implement aggregation frames and allocation frames. The aggregation frames include a plurality of MSDUs or fragments thereof aggregated or otherwise combined together. An aggregation frame makes more efficient use of the wireless communication resources. The allocation frame defines a plurality of time intervals. The allocation frame specifies a pair of stations that are permitted to communicate with each other during each time interval as well as the antenna configuration to be used for the communication. This permits stations to know ahead of time when they are to communicate, with which other stations and the antenna configuration that should be used. A buffered traffic field can also be added to the frames to specify how much data remains to be transmitted following the current frame. This enables network traffic to be scheduled more effectively.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods implement aggregation frames and allocation frames. The aggregation frames include a plurality of MSDUs or fragments thereof aggregated or otherwise combined together. An aggregation frame makes more efficient use of the wireless communication resources. The allocation frame defines a plurality of time intervals. The allocation frame specifies a pair of stations that are permitted to communicate with each other during each time interval as well as the antenna configuration to be used for the communication. This permits stations to know ahead of time when they are to communicate, with which other stations and the antenna configuration that should be used. A buffered traffic field can also be added to the frames to specify how much data remains to be transmitted following the current frame. This enables network traffic to be scheduled more effectively.

Abstract: Communication devices, such as base nodes and modems, that comply with two or more different standards operate on a shared communication channel. To avoid mutual interference, a base node operating under a first standard reserves time using a contention free period designation. The base node allows devices operating under a second standard to communicate during the reserved time by not assigning the contention free period to another device operating under the first standard. Alternatively, a device using the first standard may avoid interference from transmissions generated under the second standard by modifying data packets prior to transmission. A prefix corresponding to a preamble in the second standard is added to the beginning of the data packet created under the first standard. Devices operating under the second standard observe the prefix and recognize that the channel is active. The second-standard devices backoff from transmission thereby minimizing interference.

Abstract: A system comprises a wireless device that communicates across a spectrum having a plurality of sub-channels. The wireless device comprises a plurality of antennas through which the wireless device communicates with another wireless device, wherein each antenna communicates with the other wireless device via an associated communication pathway. The wireless device further comprises sub-channel power analysis logic coupled to the antennas and adapted to determine which communication pathway has the highest communication quality on a sub-channel by sub-channel basis. The wireless device still further comprises diversity selection logic coupled to the sub-channel power analysis logic and adapted to determine a weighting vector for an associated antenna based on the communication quality, wherein the weighting vector specifies a relative transmission power for each sub-channel for the associated antenna.

Abstract: Contention communications often requires a station to wait an inordinate amount of time before the station is able to transmit its data successfully. In many applications, an extended delay is not acceptable. Contention-free communications in a contention period allows a hybrid coordinator (HC) to schedule contention-free access to a communications medium so that extended delays may be eliminated, and to coordinate contention access to the medium so that better throughput and delay performance is achieved. A method for creating contention-free communications within a contention communications period is presented, along with adaptive algorithms for contention access during the same contention period.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for controlling isochronous data admission, within a WLAN system (102) that transports both isochronous and asynchronous data. The system includes an apparatus (300), functioning as an access point within a WLAN system. The apparatus comprises a memory (306) and a transceiver (312) communicatively coupled to the memory. The apparatus further comprises an access coordinator (302), communicatively coupled to the memory, and adapted to: evaluate actual access times of previous isochronous data streams, to determine projected access times needed by a new isochronous data stream, and to decide to admit or reject the new isochronous data stream based on an evaluation of the actual and projected access times.

Abstract: Contention for a shared communications medium in a communications network involves a fine balancing act between wasting much network bandwidth sitting idle or recovering from collisions and transmitting data. Contention adaptation concepts are introduced for access to a shared medium, and adaptive algorithms for contention access using probabilities and backoffs are presented.

Abstract: Contention communications often requires a station to wait an inordinate amount of time before the station is able to transmit its data successfully. In many applications, an extended delay is not acceptable. Contention-free communications in a contention period allows a hybrid coordinator (HC) to schedule contention-free access to a communications medium so that extended delays may be eliminated, and to coordinate contention access to the medium so that better throughput and delay performance is achieved. A method for creating contention-free communications within a contention communications period is presented, along with adaptive algorithms for contention access during the same contention period.

Abstract: A method of providing an automatic repeat request (ARQ) that employs a selective repeat, enabling a transmitting medium access control (MAC) entity at a transmitting station to retransmit those MAC data whose previous transmissions have failed is described. The MAC data is organized into fixed-sized ARQ blocks, with said ARQ blocks being the building blocks of MAC service data units (MSDUs) or MSDU fragments; The transmitting MAC entity assigns a local number and a global number to each ARQ block to be transmitted and identifies ARQ blocks contained in a transmitted MAC protocol data unit (MPDU) by including into the MPDU the local and global numbers of the first ARQ block in that MPDU. A receiving MAC entity at a receiving station determines and acknowledges the reception status of the ARQ blocks received or anticipated.

Abstract: The present home networking method and system is based on the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standard expanded to encompass home phone line media communication and/or home power line media communication operation seamlessly. For each station in home network (i.e., wireless, phone line and power line), the protocol stack at the PHY layer and above, QoS, and network security are all based on the 802.11 standard. Chipset implementations differ in an applied analog interface that is specific to the respective medium. Station-to-station transmission between wireless and wired terminals is enabled via an intelligent access point which includes an analog interface for each of the medium types. Further, each station can be configured with the appropriate analog interface to communicate directly with any wireless station. The access point is also expandable to form extended service sets.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system and apparatus for managing data flow over an open system interconnection type network (10) which includes a physical layer (12) and a media access control layer (146). The invention implements a plurality of operating modules (315) each enabling a respective media access control layer operating function in which at least a portion of the operating modules are implemented in software. The invention further implements a host interface module (305) for communication between a host processor and the media access control layer, a physical layer interface module (310) for communication between the physical layer and media access control layer, and an inter-module programming interface for communications between respective operating modules. The physical layer interface includes an enhanced media independent interface in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for controlling isochronous data admission, within a WLAN system (102) that transports both isochronous and asynchronous data. The system includes an apparatus (300), functioning as an access point within a WLAN system. The apparatus comprises a memory (306) and a transceiver (312) communicatively coupled to the memory. The apparatus further comprises an access coordinator (302), communicatively coupled to the memory, and adapted to: evaluate actual access times of previous isochronous data streams, to determine projected access times needed by a new isochronous data stream, and to decide to admit or reject the new isochronous data stream based on an evaluation of the actual and projected access times.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system and apparatus for managing data flow over an open system interconnection type network (10) which includes a physical layer (12) and a media access control layer (146). The invention implements a plurality of operating modules (315) each enabling a respective media access control layer operating function in which at least a portion of the operating modules are implemented in software. The invention further implements a host interface module (305) for communication between a host processor and the media access control layer, a physical layer interface module (310) for communication between the physical layer and media access control layer, and an inter-module programming interface for communications between respective operating modules.

Abstract: The present home networking method and system is based on the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standard expanded to encompass home phone line media communication and/or home power line media communication operation seamlessly. For each station in home network (i.e., wireless, phone line and power line), the protocol stack at the PHY layer and above, QoS, and network security are all based on the 802.11 standard. Chipset implementations differ in an applied analog interface that is specific to the respective medium. Station-to-station transmission between wireless and wired terminals is enabled via an intelligent access point which includes an analog interface for each of the medium types. Further, each station can be configured with the appropriate analog interface to communicate directly with any wireless station. The access point is also expandable to form extended service sets.

Abstract: A method of providing an automatic repeat request (ARQ) that employs a selective repeat, enabling a transmitting medium access control (MAC) entity at a transmitting station to retransmit those MAC data whose previous transmissions have failed is described. The MAC data is organized into fixed-sized ARQ blocks, with said ARQ blocks being the building blocks of MAC service data units (MSDUs) or MSDU fragments; The transmitting MAC entity assigns a local number and a global number to each ARQ block to be transmitted and identifies ARQ blocks contained in a transmitted MAC protocol data unit (MPDU) by including into the MPDU the local and global numbers of the first ARQ block in that MPDU. A receiving MAC entity at a receiving station determines and acknowledges the reception status of the ARQ blocks received or anticipated.