Abstract: A multi-channel superheterodyne receiver employs a low intermediate frequency (IF) and both high-side injection and low-side injection of a selected local oscillator (LO) signal into the mixer in order to position image frequencies outside the passband of a single image reject filter. Any channel that falls within a used portion of the image reject filter passband can be downconverted with image rejection if the utilized bandwidth portion is no greater than about 4 times the IF minus the bandwidth of a channel in the filter passband. Low side injection is used for channels falling within the lower half of the passband of the image reject filter, while high-side injection is used for channels falling within the upper half thereof. The image always remains outside the passband and the receiver can accommodate a greatly increased number of channels.

Abstract: A wireless mesh network server is operable to receive a message to one or more mesh network nodes from a client external to the mesh network, the message comprising an alias identifying the one or more mesh network nodes. The server is further operable to identify the one or more receiving mesh network nodes by the received message alias via an alias table, and forward the received message to the one or more mesh network nodes identified by the alias.

Abstract: In a mesh network having a plurality of wireless nodes, including a first, second, third and fourth node, wherein each node includes a routing table, a method of route discovery. A first route request message is broadcasted from the first node and received at the second and third nodes. In the second node, a link quality metric is calculated as a function of link quality of the link to the first node and as a function of capacity in the routing table of the second node. In the third node, a link quality metric is calculated as a function of link quality of the link to the first node and as a function of capacity in the routing table of the third node. A second route request message is broadcasted from the second node and received by the fourth node, wherein the second route request message includes the link quality metric calculated by the second node.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for traversing a firewall are described.

Abstract: A system and method of operating a wireless network having a plurality of nodes. Each node determines whether to replace the beacon node. When a node determines that the beacon node is to be replaced, the node determines whether it should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node. The decision whether to nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node is a function of a nomination probability associated with the node. If the node determines that it should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, the node sends out one or more beacon signals. Each node then adaptively modifies the probability of nominating itself as a function of the number of beacon signals received from other nodes. Beacon signals are received by potential replacement nodes and, if the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node, the node removes itself as a candidate for the replacement beacon node.

Abstract: A system and method of operating a wireless network having a plurality of nodes. Each node determines whether to replace the beacon node. When a node determines that the beacon node is to be replaced, the node determines whether it should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node. The decision whether to nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node is a function of a random number generated by the node. If the node determines that it should nominate itself as a potential replacement beacon node, the node sends out one or more beacon signals. Beacon signals are received by potential replacement nodes and, if the potential replacement beacon node has received a beacon signal from a higher ranking potential replacement beacon node, the node removes itself as a candidate for the replacement beacon node.

Abstract: A system and method for joining nodes from a first and a second subnet into a network. A probability is established that a node within the first subnet will enter scout mode during its sleep interval, wherein the probability is less than 100%. If the node enters scout mode, a message is broadcasted from the node in scout mode to other nodes inviting nodes in other subnets to join with the first subnet, wherein the message includes the node's network identifier. If the message broadcasted by the node in scout mode is detected by a node in a second subnet, the node in the second subnet determines whether nodes in the second subnet have the same network identifier as the network identifier in the message broadcast by the node in scout mode. If the nodes in the second subnet have the same network identifier as the network identifier in the message broadcast by the node in scout mode, the nodes in the first and second subnets are combined into a combined network.

Abstract: A method and system are illustrated to redirect serial device requests from an application on a computer to a plurality of serial devices connected to the computer via a network. The method and system include receiving serial device requests from one or more applications existing on the computer. Each serial device request may be associated with a specific application protocol and directed to one of the plurality of serial devices over the network. The method and system include determining, for a respective serial device request, an application protocol associated with the respective serial device request and forwarding the respective serial device request as a serial redirector message according to the determined application protocol. The method and system include associating the forwarded serial redirector message with a transport protocol.

Abstract: A system comprising a communication (COM) port server that, together with a COM port client, establishes COM port redirection over a network and communicates data with a serial port, at least one embedded application which is configured to communicate data via a serial port, and at least one virtual serial port application communicatively coupled to the embedded application and the COM port server. The virtual serial port application translates data communicated between the COM port server and the embedded application as if the COM port server and the embedded application were connected by a serial communication link.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for configurable circuitry have been disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for inputting a plurality of different circuit schematics designed with printed circuit board (PCB) mountable components; extracting circuit topologies for said plurality of different circuit schematics; transforming said extracted circuit topologies to a fixed number of connection points; and generating a configurable circuit PCB physical layout pattern having said fixed number of connection points such that said PCB mountable components when positioned on one or more of said fixed number of connection points can implement any circuit represented by said plurality of different circuit schematics.

Abstract: Wireless mesh network nodes in a mesh network are operable to join a desired wireless mesh network in a multi-network environment. The nodes search for a compatible mesh network, find a compatible mesh network, join the found compatible mesh network, indicate whether the joined mesh network is the desired mesh network, and receive input causing the network node to withdraw from the joined mesh network and search for other mesh networks to join if desired network has not been joined.

Abstract: Network devices in a multi-network wireless mesh network environment identify themselves as members of the network by receiving a broadcast message from a first mesh network device that has joined the wireless mesh network, and identifying that the broadcast transmission has been received such as by actuating a light, playing a sound, or sending an identifying reply message back to a broadcasting mesh network device.

Abstract: Wireless mesh network nodes in a mesh network are operable to receive a periodic beacon from at least one other mesh network node, where the received beacon comprises received beacon link quality information for the at least one other mesh network node. The nodes are further operable to record the sender identity and link quality of the received periodic beacon, record the received beacon link quality information in the beacon from the wireless mesh network node to the at least one other mesh network node, and retransmit a received periodic beacon to other network nodes, the retransmitted beacon comprising link quality information for beacons received in the wireless mesh network node.

Abstract: In a console server having a user interface and one or more ports, a system and method of accessing devices connected to the ports. A device connected to one of the ports is recognized, wherein recognizing includes recording in a port log information received through a port on a console server from a device that is communicatively coupled to the port and executing instructions that read the information in the port log and determine an operating system that is running on the device from the information in the port log. An application for communicating with the recognized device is selected and the console server communicates with the device using the selected application.

Abstract: A communications device comprising an embedded application-specific device driver for an application-specific display and an embedded remote access application that execute on a processor. The embedded application-specific device driver is configured to communicate data with a communication (COM) port via a serial port and to provide a video signal to the application-specific display. The embedded remote access application is configured to remotely access the application-specific display and to communicate display data via a network.

Abstract: A system and method of mapping remote ports so that they appear as local ports. One or more accounts is created, including a first and a second account, wherein the first account is assigned to a first user and the second account is assigned to a first computer. A plurality of first ports are assigned to the first account. A plurality of second ports are assigned to the second account. One of the second ports is mapped to a local port on the first computer. Another of the second ports is mapped to a remote port such that the remote port appears as a local port on the second computer. The first user is logged into a second computer and, while the first user is logged into the second computer, one of the first ports is mapped to a local port on the second computer and another of the first ports is mapped to a remote port such that the remote port appears as a local port on the second computer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for traversing a firewall are described.

Abstract: A method of establishing a qualified route in a mesh network includes transmitting a route-discovery request from a source node such that transmitting includes transmitting the route-discovery request from the source node to at least one intermediate node that is a neighbor node to the source node, receiving the route-discovery request from an intermediate node at the destination node, and updating a route-discovery table for the intermediate node such that the route between the source node and the destination node is the only qualified route.

Abstract: A Management Information Base (MIB) in a computer device adapted to use Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). The MIB comprises at least one message construct to function as a definition for a constrained attribute set for an object in a remote device that has a device-specific communication protocol. Each message construct includes a number of entries, and each entry stores a user-specified value for the definition of the constrained attribute set. One of the number of entries in the message construct includes a user-specified message string mapped to the constrained attribute set for the object in the remote device. The message string is sufficiently compatible with the device-specific communication protocol for the constrained attribute set and the MIB allows the constrained attribute set to be managed using SNMP.