Abstract: A secure wireless local or metropolitan area network and data communications device therefor are provided, where the device transmits plain text in an encrypted message including cipher text and an initialization vector. The device may include a seed generator for performing a one-way algorithm using a secret key, a device address, and a changing reference value for generating a seed. Further, a random initialization vector (IV) generator may be included for generating a random IV, and a key encrypter may generate a key sequence based upon the seed and the random IV. Additionally, a logic circuit may be included for generating cipher text based upon the key sequence and plain text, and a wireless communications device may be connected to the logic circuit and the random IV generator for wirelessly transmitting the encrypted message.

Abstract: A method and system for achieving synchronization at a local site to a wireless communication system transmitting data in a plurality of data packets distributed among a plurality of frequencies alternating in a sequence determined in accordance with at least two characteristics of said remote site by blindly determining at least one of said two characteristics are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of recording a plurality of occurrences of a selected one of the plurality of frequencies, determining the at least one first characteristic from at least one of the data packets, determining locally the at least one second characteristic wherein the determined at least one first characteristic and the at least one second characteristic match the selected frequency at each of the recorded detected occurrences, determining a time period for determining the first and second characteristics; and adjusting the at least one second characteristic by the time period.

Abstract: The wireless communications system includes a plurality of wireless communications devices, with each device type having a known latency profile associated therewith. A wireless device detector includes a controller for cooperating with a transceiver for transmitting a plurality of device finding signals to a target wireless communications device. The target wireless communications device transmits a respective reply signal for each of the device finding signals. Also, the controller generates an observed latency profile for the target wireless communications device based upon the transmission of device finding signals and the received reply signals therefor, determines a propagation delay based upon the observed latency profile and the known latency profile, and estimates a range to the target wireless communications device based upon the determined propagation delay.

Abstract: A method is provided for communicating between a source node and a destination node in a mobile ad-hoc network. The method may include transmitting a quality-of-service (QoS) route request from the source node to the destination node via a plurality of intermediate nodes therebetween to discover routing to the destination node based upon a plurality of QoS parameters. Responsive to the QoS route request, a plurality of potential routes between the source node and the destination node may be determined along with a QoS metric corresponding to each of the QoS parameters for each potential route. Further, the QoS parameters may be ranked in an order of importance, and each of the QoS metrics weighted based upon the ranking of QoS parameters. As such, the weighted QoS metrics may be compared, and one of the potential routes may be selected based thereon for the transmission of message data.

Abstract: A method and system for achieving synchronization at a local site to a wireless communication system transmitting data in a plurality of data packets distributed among a plurality of frequencies alternating in a sequence determined in accordance with at least two characteristics of said remote site by blindly determining at least one of said two characteristics are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of recording a plurality of occurrences of a selected one of the plurality of frequencies, determining the at least one first characteristic from at least one of the data packets, determining locally the at least one second characteristic wherein the determined at least one first characteristic and the at least one second characteristic match the selected frequency at each of the recorded detected occurrences, determining a time period for determining the first and second characteristics; and adjusting the at least one second characteristic by the time period.

Abstract: A mobile ad-hoc network may include a first node having a first public key and a first private key associated therewith for generating an authentication request. The network may also include a second node having a second public key and a second private key associated therewith for receiving the authentication request and returning a certificate of authenticity including the second public key to the first node. Upon verifying that the second public key belongs to the second node, the first node may send challenge data to the second node, and the second node may encrypt the challenge data using the second private key and return the encrypted challenge data back to the first node. The first node may thus decrypt the encrypted challenge data using the verified second public key and authenticate the second node if the decryption of the encrypted challenge data yields the original challenge data.

Abstract: A method and system for achieving synchronization at a local site to a wireless communication system transmitting data in a plurality of data packets distributed among a plurality of frequencies alternating in a sequence determined in accordance with at least two characteristics of said remote site by blindly determining at least one of said two characteristics are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of recording a plurality of occurrences of a selected one of the plurality of frequencies, determining the at least one first characteristic from at least one of the data packets, determining locally the at least one second characteristic wherein the determined at least one first characteristic and the at least one second characteristic match the selected frequency at each of the recorded detected occurrences, determining a time period for determining the first and second characteristics; and adjusting the at least one second characteristic by the time period.

Abstract: A mobile ad-hoc network may include a plurality of nodes including a source node and at least one adjacent node. The source node may include a wireless communications device for establishing a wireless communications link with the at least one adjacent node, a plain text source, and a seed generator for performing a one-way algorithm using a secret key for generating a seed. Furthermore, the source node may also include a key encryptor for receiving the seed and generating a key sequence based thereon, and a logic circuit for generating cipher text for transmission over the wireless communications link and based upon the key sequence and the plain text.

Abstract: A wireless local or metropolitan area network may include a plurality of stations for transmitting data therebetween and a policing station. The policing station may detect intrusions into the wireless network by monitoring transmissions among the plurality of stations to detect transmissions during an unauthorized period and generate an intrusion alert based thereon. The policing station may also detect intrusions based upon one or more of integrity check values which do not correspond with respective data packets, usage of non-consecutive media access control (MAC) sequence numbers by a station, and collisions of packet types and/or MAC addresses.

Abstract: A wireless communications system may include a plurality of wireless communications devices and a wireless device locator. More particularly, the wireless device locator may include at least one antenna and a transceiver connected thereto, and a controller for cooperating with the transceiver for transmitting a plurality of location finding signals to a target wireless communications device from among the plurality thereof. The target device may transmit a respective reply signal for each of the location finding signals. Additionally, the controller may also cooperate with the transceiver for receiving the reply signals, and it may determine a propagation delay associated with the transmission of each location finding signal and the respective reply signal therefor based upon a known device latency of the target device. As such, the controller may estimate a range to the target device based upon a plurality of determined propagation delays.

Abstract: A wireless communication network includes a plurality of mobile nodes each including a transceiver, a directional antenna, such as a phased array antenna, connected to the transceiver, and a controller connected to the transceiver. The controller schedules a respective semi-permanent time slot for each time frame to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node and leaves at least one available time slot in each time frame. The controller also schedules the at least one available time slot to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand. The directional antenna is aimed by the controller towards each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith. The controller also coordinates communication with each neighboring mobile node by allocating time slots based upon link communications demand.

Abstract: A wireless local or metropolitan area network may include a plurality of stations for transmitting data therebetween using a media access layer (MAC), where each of the stations has a respective MAC address associated therewith. The wireless network may also include a policing station for detecting intrusions into the wireless network by monitoring transmissions among the plurality of stations to detect frame check sequence (FCS) errors from a MAC address, and generating an intrusion alert based upon detecting a number of FCS errors for the MAC address exceeding a threshold. The policing station may also detect intrusions based upon one or more of failed MAC address authentications, illegal network allocation vector (NAV) values, and unexpected contention or contention-free operation.

Abstract: A wireless communications system may include a plurality of wireless communications devices and a wireless device locator. More particularly, the wireless device locator may include at least one antenna and a transceiver connected thereto, and a controller for cooperating with the transceiver for transmitting a plurality of location finding signals to a target wireless communications device from among the plurality thereof. The target device may transmit a respective reply signal for each of the location finding signals. Additionally, the controller may also cooperate with the transceiver for receiving the reply signals, and it may determine a propagation delay associated with the transmission of each location finding signal and the respective reply signal therefor based upon a known device latency of the target device. As such, the controller may estimate a range to the target device based upon a plurality of determined propagation delays.

Abstract: A mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) may include a plurality of nodes for transmitting data therebetween using a media access layer (MAC), where each of the nodes has a respective MAC address associated therewith. The MANET may also include a policing node for detecting intrusions into the MANET by monitoring transmissions among the plurality of nodes to detect frame check sequence (FCS) errors from a MAC address, and generating an intrusion alert based upon detecting a number of FCS errors for the MAC address exceeding a threshold. The policing node may also detect intrusions based upon one or more of failed MAC address authentications, illegal network allocation vector (NAV) values, and unexpected contention or contention-free operation.

Abstract: A mobile ad hoc network includes a plurality of wireless mobile nodes and a plurality of wireless communication links connecting the plurality of nodes together over a plurality of channels. The method includes sending a route request over each of the plurality of channels to discover routing to a destination node, and selecting a route to the destination node on at least one of the plurality of channels. The route request may be sent over each of the plurality of channels sequentially, and the route request preferably includes a source node channel identifier.

Abstract: A mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) may include a plurality of nodes for transmitting data therebetween and a policing node. The policing node may detect intrusions into the MANET by monitoring transmissions among the plurality of nodes to detect transmissions during an unauthorized period and generate an intrusion alert based thereon. The policing node may also detect intrusions based upon one or more of integrity check values which do not correspond with respective data packets, usage of non-consecutive media access control (MAC) sequence numbers by a node, and collisions of packet types and/or MAC addresses.

Abstract: A wireless communication network includes a plurality of mobile nodes each including a transceiver, a phased array antenna connected to the transceiver, and a controller connected to the transceiver. The controller schedules time slots for each time frame to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node. An initiating mobile node transmits a request for time slots to the receiving mobile node, which transmits a reply to the initiating mobile node. The initiating mobile node transmits a confirmation to the receiving mobile node, and the receiving mobile node transmits the reply again if the confirmation is not received. Alternatively, the receiving mobile node may transmit an acknowledgment to the initiating mobile node, and the initiating mobile node transmits the confirmation again if the acknowledgment is not received.

Abstract: A secure wireless local or metropolitan area network and data communications device therefor are provided, where the device transmits plain text in an encrypted message including cipher text and an initialization vector. The device may include a seed generator for performing a one-way algorithm using a secret key, a device address, and a changing reference value for generating a seed. Further, a random initialization vector (IV) generator may be included for generating a random IV, and a key encryptor may generate a key sequence based upon the seed and the random IV. Additionally, a logic circuit may be included for generating cipher text based upon the key sequence and plain text, and a wireless communications device may be connected to the logic circuit and the random IV generator for wirelessly transmitting the encrypted message.

Abstract: A wireless communication network includes a plurality of mobile nodes each including a transceiver, a phased array antenna connected to the transceiver, and a controller connected to the transceiver. The controller schedules a respective semi-permanent time slot for each time frame to establish a communication link with each neighboring mobile node and leaves at least one available time slot in each time frame. The controller also schedules the at least one available time slot to also serve the communication link with a neighboring mobile node based upon link communications demand. The phased array antenna is aimed by the controller towards each neighboring mobile node during communication therewith. The controller also detects interference in time slots for communication with neighboring mobile nodes and coordinates the scheduling of time slots based upon detected interference.

Abstract: The mobile ad-hoc network includes a plurality of mobile nodes connected together by a plurality of wireless communication links. The method and system for monitoring link quality includes, at each node, recording transmission information for transmissions on links to neighboring nodes, calculating a packet error rate for each of the links to the neighboring nodes based upon the recorded transmission information, and determining link quality for each of the links to the neighboring nodes based upon the calculated packet error rate. The transmission information preferably includes packet size transmitted data, packet size received data, collision data and/or retry data.