Abstract: Arrangements for controlling multiple media access control interfaces are disclosed. In one embodiment a method for controlling the interfaces can include setting up a transmission configuration for a first and a second media access control (MAC) interface, sending a transmission utilizing the first MAC interface and sending a transmission utilizing the second MAC interface. During subsequent communications communication performance parameters can be determined that are related the “multi”-MAC transmissions. Based on the communication performance parameters the transmission configuration of the first MAC interface and the second MAC interface can be modified to improve communication performance.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide devices, systems and methods of seamless layer 2 handover between heterogeneous networks for a hybrid wireless communication device. For example, an apparatus includes a first wireless transceiver able to operate in accordance with a first wireless communication protocol, a second, collocated, wireless transceiver able to operate in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol, and possibly shared radio frequency components. A method includes a fragmented handover procedure in which a network entry procedure is divided into atomic operations which may be performed during short, orderly, absences from the active network. The method further includes orderly switching back to the active network for any data or connection-management transactions, until the fragmented handover is completed and layer 2 connections are established at the second network. Other features are described and claimed.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a network device may transmit its desired proximity range in the form of a proximity information element (IE) in a beacon or a request frame. The IE may contain threshold values for a Receive Channel Power Indicator (RCPI) and a Receive Signal to Noise Indicator (RSNI). Only devices that receive the beacon or request frame with measured signal values at least as great as the RCPI and RSNI values will respond. Devices that receive the beacon or request frame with measured values less than the RCPI and/or the RSNI should not respond, thus reducing the volume of communications on the network at that time.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of dynamically handing over master functionality from a wireless station configured as a master station to another peer station in a wireless network, comprising, discovering the peer station's Master/AP capability, which may be, but is not required to be, via a (Re)Association request, selecting the peer station to be a new master station based on predetermined parameters, passing the basic service set (BSS) context from the master station to the new master station in a master station Role Request message before transitioning, notifying the new master station to activate its master station role via the master station Role Request message, and switching by the client station to the role of new master station upon receipt of an AP Role Activation message and starting to send Beacons with a BSSID that is the same as used in Beacons of the previous master station.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a network adapter configured for wireless communication using more than one technology, and wherein the network adapter is configured to share a plurality of shared hardware components by limiting access to the air to one comm only at given time by designating one comm that owns the shared hardware components as a primary comm and all other comms are secondary comms, wherein the primary comm allows the secondary comms to use the shared hardware components when it is in an idle-state but when the primary comm returns from the idle state, it claims ownership of the shared resources and the secondary comms release the shared resources.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a network adapter configured for wireless communication using more than one technology using distributed management and wherein the network adapter is configured to share a plurality of shared hardware components by automatically turning all other comms to OFF when one comm is turned to ON.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for heterogeneous secure associations in Wireless Fidelity Personal Area Networks (WiFi PAN), comprising designating as a regular mobile node (MN) a MN which establishes a security association with a PAN Master as it advertised by the PAN Master and designating as an outstanding MN as a MN which establishes a security association which differs from that advertised by the PAN Master; and differentiating by the PAN Master between subscribed and not subscribed multicast packets and if a currently processed frame is sent to a subscribed multicast address and both the Regular MN and the Outstanding MN are subscribed to the multicast address, then the PAN Master will convert the frame to unicast and will send to each subscribed Outstanding MN using its unicast security model and to regular MN as regular multicast frame.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of coordinating Time Division Multiple Access operation of wireless communication devices is disclosed. The method comprises an access point announcing a Quiet Period to one or more clients of the access point and transmitting as part of Target Beacons and probe responses an indication to the one or more clients that the access point will be absent from the communication channel for a period of time. The method also comprises the one or more clients establishing a connection with the access point after the Quiet Period when the access point is present on the communication channel on the basis of the indication.

Abstract: Communication bandwidth on a single physical interface (PHY) in a wireless device is allocated among multiple virtual media access control layers (MACs) based on need. Excess bandwidth may be aggregated in a single virtual. MAC for power savings.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of coordinating operation of two or more subsystems implementing different wireless communication protocols is disclosed. The method comprises coordinating operation of a first subsystem implementing a first wireless communication protocol and at least one other subsystem implementing at least one other wireless communication protocol by merging requests from the first subsystem for pre-scheduled access and real time access into a single request for access for the first subsystem. The method comprises merging requests from the at least one other subsystem for pre-scheduled access and real time access into a single request for access for the at least one other subsystem and arbitrating between the single requests for access for each subsystem to allocate access to the first subsystem and/or the at least one other subsystem.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of coordinating operation of subsystems implementing different wireless communication protocols is disclosed. The method comprises coordinating operation of a first subsystem implementing a first wireless communication protocol and at least other subsystem implementing at least one other wireless communication protocol by arbitrating between conflicting real time requests for access from the first subsystem and the at least one other subsystem based on a respective type and priority of the requests.

Abstract: Arrangements for controlling multiple media access control interfaces are disclosed. In one embodiment a method for controlling the interfaces can include setting up a transmission configuration for a first and a second media access control (MAC) interface, sending a transmission utilizing the first MAC interface and sending a transmission utilizing the second MAC interface. During subsequent communications communication performance parameters can be determined that are related the “multi”-MAC transmissions. Based on the communication performance parameters the transmission configuration of the first MAC interface and the second MAC interface can be modified to improve communication performance.

Abstract: An access point and a method to discover an associated station in a wireless network is presented. The access point scans the wireless network in order to discover one or more associated stations and establishes a connection with the discovered station.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a wireless station (STA) capable of communicating with an access point (AP), wherein the STA is capable of representing itself to the AP as a Group-of-Stations. The Group-of-Stations may be a plurality of networking devices (such as virtual stations) in an embodiment of the present invention and the Group-of-Stations may be defined by adding an Information Element (IE) to an Association/Reassociation request; or the Group of Stations may be defined by using masking operations on a MAC address.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide devices, systems and methods of coordination among multiple transceivers. For example, an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes: a first wireless transceiver able to operate in accordance with a first, non-scheduled, wireless communication protocol; a second wireless transceiver able to operate in accordance with a second, scheduled, wireless communication protocol; and a communication coordinator to allocate one or more first time slots for communication by said first transceiver, and to allocate one or more second time slots, which do not overlap said first time slots, for communication by said second transceiver.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide devices, systems and methods of selecting one or more power save parameters of a wireless device according to an expected traffic pattern. For example, a method according to embodiments of the invention includes selecting either an automatic power save delivery mechanism or a legacy power save delivery mechanism for transmitting a frame based on an access category of the frame to be transmitted. A method according to embodiments of the invention may include switching the delivery mechanism from an automatic power save delivery mechanism to a legacy power save delivery mechanism for access categories that are both trigger- and delivery-enabled if the access category indicates that burst-type traffic is expected. Other features are described and claimed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide devices, systems and methods of seamless layer 2 handover between heterogeneous networks for a hybrid wireless communication device. For example, an apparatus includes a first wireless transceiver able to operate in accordance with a first wireless communication protocol, a second, collocated, wireless transceiver able to operate in accordance with a second wireless communication protocol, and possibly shared radio frequency components. A method includes a fragmented handover procedure in which a network entry procedure is divided into atomic operations which may be performed during short, orderly, absences from the active network. The method further includes orderly switching back to the active network for any data or connection-management transactions, until the fragmented handover is completed and layer 2 connections are established at the second network. Other features are described and claimed.

Abstract: Embodiments of a wireless communication device and a method for the communication of voice or video within a wireless network are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, aggregated traffic is transmitted to multiple mobile stations as part of a multiple destination burst, and acknowledgment frames are transmitted amongst a sequence of uplink frames received from the mobile stations as part of the multiple destination burst.

Abstract: There are presented a method, device and system for selecting channels to be scanned by a wireless device that seeks to associate with a network. A wireless device such as for example a station 20 may determine the area in which it is located, identify channels used for association in such area and select such identified channels for scanning. The invention may order the identified channels for scanning based on prior associations of the station or based on characteristics of such channels or of access points transmitting on such channels. Such criteria may be collected and stored in an associative history of a station, which may include, for example, the time of past associations on a channel, the performance of an access point in prior associations or other criteria.

Abstract: A device, system and method for scanning channels on a wireless network. A device receives packets or other information for a channel and determines, from the received packets information regarding the channel. If the information indicates the channel is not desirable, before an informational packet (e.g., a beacon frame) is received, the device switches to a different channel for scanning.