Abstract: A multi-protocol transceiver provides a plurality of RF front ends, each responsive to a particular protocol and frequency, a common set of analog/digital converters, a baseband processor which receives and demodulates and also modulates and transmits baseband wireless packets for mixing to a carrier frequency by each RF front end. A timing controller allocates intervals of time for a first protocol such as WAVE protocol, and also allocates exclusive intervals of time for a second protocol such as Bluetooth.

Abstract: A wireless receiver has a preamble detection apparatus and method which waits until the expected arrival of a beacon frame, after which power is cyclically applied during a preamble detection interval and a sleep interval until a preamble is detected. During the preamble detection interval, power is applied to receiver components, and during the sleep interval, power is not applied. The duration of the preamble detection interval is equal to a preamble sensing interval, and if a preamble is detected, power remains applied to a preamble processor for a preamble processing interval. The duration of the sleep interval is the duration of a long preamble less the sum of two times the preamble detection interval plus the preamble processing interval. Phase lock loop (PLL) power is applied a PLL settling time prior to and during the preamble detection interval.

Abstract: A product synthesizer has a core CPU, power distribution, and a plurality of selectable interfaces, each interface having an associated schematic symbol, PCB symbol, mechanical model, power dissipation, and power requirement. A set of constraints identifies performance metrics including low power, high performance, battery or mains power, battery life, and other constraints. The product synthesizer receives as inputs the interfaces and constraints, and generates as outputs a schematic diagram, a bill of materials, a routed printed circuit board, and a solid model of an enclosure, all of which satisfy the constraints and include the identified interfaces.

Abstract: A method for selection of a particular modulation coding selection (MCS) from a plurality of available MCS selects a particular MCS after obtaining SNR_d, SNR_high, SNR_low, and if SNR_d>SNR_high, selecting the highest available MCS, and if SNR_d<SNR_low, selecting the lowest MCS, and if SNR_high>SNR_d>SNR_low, selecting MCS based on computing the function/table for each MCS according to the formula: f(MCS)=(1?PER(length_packet,MCS,SNR_d))/length_packet(packet_size,MCS), and thereafter selecting the MCS that maximizes the f(MCS) function. Further the neighboring MCS values are characterized for throughput in a throughput characterization step, and compared in throughput to the above determined throughput.

Abstract: A printed circuit antenna has a feedline region and a radiating structure region. The feedline region is formed of conductors on an upper plane, the conductors including a feedline which is edge coupled to a left ground structure and a right ground structure, all of which are above a ground plane. High-band RF is coupled from the RF feedline to a HB-U radiating structure including a first segment and a second segment perpendicular to the first segment, and also an HB-L radiating structure including a first segment coupled to a third segment through an air gap. Low-band RF is coupled across a gap from the first segment to a LB radiating structure having a third segment, a fourth segment, a fifth segment, a sixth segment, a seventh segment, an eighth segment, and a ninth segment with a terminus coupled to the left ground structure.

Abstract: A wake-up processor for a communications processor has a receive signal amplifier for amplifying the signal level of received RF which has been transmitted as wireless local area network WLAN packets, an amplitude detector for indicating the envelope of the RF energy in the packets, a threshold detector which thresholds the detected RF envelope, and a correlator which compares the detected and thresholded RF envelope with a private pseudo-random number to determine the level of correlation between the received value and the private value. When the correlation exceeds a required threshold, a wake-up signal is asserted which is used to bring a WLAN processor into an active state for processing of subsequently sent packets.

Abstract: A printed circuit tri-band antenna has a feedline region and a radiating structure region which provides RF emissions in a lowband (LB) RF frequency, a lower highband (HB-L) frequency, and a upper highband (HB-U) frequency. The feedline region is formed of conductors on an upper plane, the conductors including a feedline which is edge coupled to left and right ground structures. The feedline couples directly to a HB-U radiating structure, and includes a stub. The HB-U structure and stub also provide edge coupling through a gap for coupling RF into a combined HB-L and LB radiation structure, which provides frequency-dependent paths for radiating RF energy at the HB-L and LB frequencies. The antenna is preferably used with 2.35 Ghz LB, 5.07 GHz HB-L, and 5.57 Ghz HB-H.

Abstract: A wireless LAN station having a MAC address and receiving beacon frames indicating a beacon interval selects a sub-interval from the beacon interval for transmission and reception of wireless signals. The beacon sub-interval used by each set of stations for transmission and reception is preferably ½n of the beacon interval, where n is the number of device-unique assignment bits, such as MAC address. Each station thereby self-assigns itself one of the sub-intervals as a segment for transmission and reception, thereby reducing collisions and re-transmissions in a congested access point.

Abstract: An access point operates in a frequency spectrum which is divided into master channels, each master channel further having a plurality of sub-channels, each sub-channel capable of supporting a wireless LAN session independently of any other said sub-channel. The access point assigns one of the sub-channels within the master channel to a requesting station according to a maximum number of user assigned to the particular sub-channel, or alternatively, the access point makes the assignment of a particular sub-channel to a particular station according the bandwidth requirement bandwidth requirement.

Abstract: A configurable network adapter has N analog front ends, each generating a receiver output and a transmitter input. In a first mode of operation, the analog front end receiver outputs are coupled to a MIMO equalizer, which is coupled to an outer receiver and to a first MAC input, with the first MAC having an output coupled to an outer transmitter, a MIMO modulator, and to the analog front end transmitter inputs. In a second mode of operation, one or more of the analog front ends is directed to a SISO modulator fed by a second outer transmitter coupled to a second MAC transmitter output. An associated one or more of the analog front end receivers is coupled to a SISO equalizer, and thereafter to an outer receiver and to the second lower MAC, thereby providing a first mode for a single MIMO adapter and a second mode for a MIMO plus independent PAN interface.

Abstract: A station or access point has a list of associated stations including a BSSID. During an observation period, measurements of RSSI are made for each BSSID, including a maximum RSSI and a minimum RSSI. After the observation interval, an RSSI_threshold is computed which is below the weakest RSSI of a station which is on the list of associated stations, and also above the weakest RSSI of a station which is not on the list of associated stations. During packet reception, packet acquisition starts when the receiver signal level is detected to be above the RSSI_threshold. During packet transmission, a clear channel assessment (CCA), which ordinarily prevents transmission when signal energy is detected, is overridden if the measured RSSI is below the RSSI_threshold value, enabling earlier transmission of the packet than if the transmitter were to wait for CCA to be asserted.

Abstract: A dual mode wireless device operations in a client mode and observes network congestion conditions. When the network congestion exceeds a threshold level, the dual mode wireless device changes to an access point mode and advertises itself to other clients, thereby reducing the network congestion level.

Abstract: A channel access processor for an access point operates in a frequency spectrum which is divided into master channels, each master channel further having a plurality of sub-channels, each sub-channel capable of supporting wireless LAN communications independently from any other said sub-channel of the master channel. Each master channel is thereby associated with a plurality of sub-channels, and the sub-channels each have an associated bandpass filter and mixer frequency specific to that sub-channel, thereby allowing a plurality of independent wireless communications sessions to simultaneously take place over the multiple sub-channels of the master channel of the access point.

Abstract: A CORDIC processor has a plurality of stages, each of the stages having a X input, Y input, a sign input, a sign output, an X output, a Y output, a mode control input having a ROTATE or VECTOR value, and a stage number k input, each CORDIC stage having a first shift generating an output by shifting the Y input k times, a second shift generating an output by shifting X input k times, a multiplexer having an output coupled to the sign input when the mode control input is ROTATE and to the sign of the Y input when the mode input is VECTOR, a first multiplier forming the product of the first shift output and the multiplexer output, a second multiplier forming the product of the second shift output and an inverted the multiplexer output, a first adder forming the X output from the sum of the first multiplier output and the X input, and a second adder forming the Y output from the sum of the second multiplier output and the Y input.

Abstract: A CORDIC processor has a plurality of stages, each of the stages having a X input, Y input, a sign input, a sign output, an X output, a Y output, a mode control input having a ROTATE or VECTOR value, and a stage number k input, each CORDIC stage having a first shift generating an output by shifting the Y input k times, a second shift generating an output by shifting X input k times, a multiplexer having an output coupled to the sign input when the mode control input is ROTATE and to the sign of the Y input when the mode input is VECTOR, a first multiplier forming the product of the first shift output and the multiplexer output, a second multiplier forming the product of the second shift output and an inverted the multiplexer output, a first adder forming the X output from the sum of the first multiplier output and the X input, and a second adder forming the Y output from the sum of the second multiplier output and the Y input.

Abstract: A gain controller for a wireless communication system sets the receiver gain during the initial time duration of a preamble, and for each subsequent symbol computes a new gain value, which is applied at the end of each symbol. An analog to digital converter resolution controller sets the resolution of the ADC to a high resolution during a preamble interval and a first symbol interval, and to a comparatively lower resolution thereafter until the end of the frame. When a new zone is entered, the first symbol of the new zone is sampled at a higher resolution than the subsequent symbols.

Abstract: An activation detector for fast-neutrons has a yttrium target exposed to a neutron source. Fast-neutrons which have energy in excess of 1 MeV (above a threshold energy level) generate gamma rays from a nuclear reaction with the yttrium, the gamma rays having an energy level of 908.96 keV, and the resultant gamma rays are coupled to a scintillator which generates an optical response, the optical response of the scintillator is coupled to a photomultiplier tube which generates an electrical response. The number of counts from the photomultiplier tube provides an accurate indication of the fast-neutron flux, and the detector is exclusively sensitive to fast-neutrons with an energy level over 1 MeV, thereby providing a fast-neutron detector which does not require calibration or the setting of a threshold.

Abstract: A wireless signal processor for handling a plurality of wireless sessions comprises a plurality of baseband receivers, one for each session, each receiver producing a digital output, a multiplexer for multiplexing the plurality of digital outputs into a single data stream, a digital signal processor for converting the stream of multiplexed data into a media access controller format, and a media access controller for demultiplexing and framing the stream of data into a plurality of data buffers, one data buffer for each wireless session.