Abstract: A method of communicating with multiple other devices by a low energy device, the method including broadcasting advertisements from the low energy device to connect, the advertisements being broadcasted at a slow rate, receiving an event at the low energy device, responsive to receiving the event, broadcasting advertisements at a high rate for a selected period of time, and connecting and disconnecting with the multiple other devices to exchange information related to the event during the selected period of time.

Abstract: A system for tracking assets. The system includes a visible light source that includes a wireless signal generator configured to produce wireless signals and a tag that includes a detector that detects the presence of the wireless signals produced by the visible light source. The tag includes a transmitter that is configured to send additional wireless signals. The system further includes a tag monitor that includes a receiver that is configured to receive the additional wireless signals. The tag monitor determines a location of the tag based on the additional wireless signals received from the tag.

Abstract: A system for tracking assets. The system includes a visible light source that includes a wireless signal generator configured to produce wireless signals and a tag that includes a detector that detects the presence of the wireless signals produced by the visible light source. The tag includes a transmitter that is configured to send additional wireless signals. The system further includes a tag monitor that includes a receiver that is configured to receive the additional wireless signals. The tag monitor determines a location of the tag based on the additional wireless signals received from the tag.

Abstract: A method of communicating with multiple other devices by a low energy device, the method including broadcasting advertisements from the low energy device to connect, the advertisements being broadcasted at a slow rate, receiving an event at the low energy device, responsive to receiving the event, broadcasting advertisements at a high rate for a selected period of time, and connecting and disconnecting with the multiple other devices to exchange information related to the event during the selected period of time.

Abstract: A network includes an access point Wi-Fi Direct (AP WFD) device. The AP WFD device includes access point (AP) functionality. A plurality of client WiFi Direct (WFD) devices is coupled to the AP WFD device. The client WFD devices include client functionality. The AP WFD device is configured to synchronize the client WFD devices and to stream multimedia data to the client WFD devices.

Abstract: A method includes receiving sound from an area being monitored by a video surveillance system having a camera and microphone, analyzing the sound to determine a classification of the sound, and capturing video of the area being monitored responsive to the classification of the sound.

Abstract: A network includes an access point Wi-Fi Direct (AP WFD) device. The AP WFD device includes access point (AP) functionality. A plurality of client WiFi Direct (WFD) devices is coupled to the AP WFD device. The client WFD devices include client functionality. The AP WFD device is configured to synchronize the client WFD devices and to stream multimedia data to the client WFD devices.

Abstract: A method includes providing wireless service to a mobile leaf node using at least one first infrastructure node in an industrial control or monitoring system. The method also includes detecting movement of the mobile leaf node away from the at least one first infrastructure node. The method further includes handing off the mobile leaf node to at least one second infrastructure node in the industrial control or monitoring system so that the at least one second infrastructure node provides the wireless service to the mobile leaf node. The wireless service provided to the mobile leaf node remains deterministic. Various techniques can be used to detect the movement of the mobile leaf node. Also, the first and second infrastructure nodes could be in different clusters of nodes, and various techniques can be used to support handoffs between infrastructure nodes in different clusters.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a transceiver configured to transmit wireless signals to and receive wireless signals from wireless nodes associated with an industrial process. The apparatus also includes a controller configured to initiate transmission of the wireless signals and to process data contained in the received wireless signals. The transceiver includes a diversity receiver configured to process the wireless signals from the wireless nodes. The transceiver may be further configured to perform beam-shaping in order to transmit a directional beam to at least one of the wireless nodes. Also, the controller may be configured to perform spatial routing by identifying a target of a wireless transmission and to initiate transmission of the directional beam towards a known or estimated location associated with the identified target.

Abstract: A wireless network includes leaf nodes (such as wireless sensors or other wireless devices) and infrastructure nodes (such as access points). The leaf nodes communicate data messages to the infrastructure nodes. The infrastructure nodes communicate the data messages to gateway infrastructure nodes, which transmit the data messages over a wired network. The leaf nodes may communicate data messages to multiple infrastructure nodes in various ways. For example, the leaf nodes may transmit multiple messages, one at a time, to multiple infrastructure nodes. The leaf nodes may also broadcast a single message to multiple infrastructure nodes. In addition, the leaf nodes may communicate a single message containing a group identifier (such as a multi-cast group address) associated with multiple infrastructure nodes. In this way, communications from the leaf nodes may be more reliable. This may be particularly useful, for example, in networks such as 802.11-based networks.

Abstract: A method includes wirelessly receiving first data at a first backbone router and routing the first data from the first backbone router to a backbone network using a backbone connection of the first backbone router when the backbone connection is operational. The method also includes detecting a failure of the backbone connection after routing of the first data and automatically reconfiguring the first backbone router to function as a field router that does not route data using the backbone connection. The method further includes wirelessly receiving second data at the first backbone router and wirelessly routing the second data along an alternate path from the first backbone router to a second backbone router without using the backbone connection. The method could also include establishing the alternate path between the first backbone router and the second backbone router based on whether the first and second backbone routers are within wireless range.

Abstract: A system and method store a map of an area in a computer storage device. The map includes objects in the area. Objects on the map and locations of the objects on the map are identified, and properties are associated to the identified objects. The identified objects, the locations of the identified objects, and the properties of the identified objects are provided to a radio frequency (RF) planning tool such that the RF planning tool can determine RF wave propagation and RF wave attenuation as a function of the identified objects, the locations of the identified objects, and the properties of the identified objects.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining routing tables, and link quality to neighbor nodes for each node in a wireless multi-hop network, iteratively removing a network element and determining alternative routes for each such removed network element, and identifying critical network elements where inadequate alternative routes exist after network elements are removed. The method may be implemented by code stored on a computer readable storage device for execution by a computer in some embodiments.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of antennas, where each antenna is configured to receive wireless signals transmitted using adaptive beam forming. The apparatus also includes a plurality of wireless radios, where each wireless radio is configured to output signals representing the wireless signals received by one of the antennas. The apparatus further includes a plurality of first diversity combiner units, where each first diversity combiner unit is configured to perform spread spectrum diversity combining using the signals output by one of the wireless radios. In addition, the apparatus includes a second diversity combiner unit configured to perform antenna diversity combining using signals output by the first diversity combiner units, where the second diversity combiner unit is configured to output recovered wireless signals.

Abstract: A network includes a plurality of logical access entities. Each access entity includes two or more communication interfaces. The network further includes a plurality of logical node entities. Each logical node entity includes two or more communication interfaces that are configured to wirelessly communicate in a redundant manner with any of the logical access entities. In an embodiment, a communication degradation in the network is assessed, and the network is configured as a function of that assessment to provide fault tolerance within the network.

Abstract: Various techniques are disclosed for improved reliability of wireless communications using packet combination-based error correction. For example, a method includes receiving a first message transmitted wirelessly, where the first message contains a first copy of a data packet and has at least one error. The method also includes receiving a second message transmitted wirelessly, where the second message contains a second copy of the data packet and has at least one error. The method further includes identifying a set of bit positions based on where the first and second copies of the data packet differ and modifying the set of bit positions to produce a modified set of bit positions. In addition, the method includes modifying one or more bit values in the modified set of bit positions to produce at least one modified copy of the data packet and determining if the at least one modified copy of the data packet is error-free.

Abstract: A system includes a first cluster having multiple first wireless nodes. One first node is configured to act as a first cluster master, and other first nodes are configured to receive time synchronization information provided by the first cluster master. The system also includes a second cluster having one or more second wireless nodes. One second node is configured to act as a second cluster master, and any other second nodes configured to receive time synchronization information provided by the second cluster master. The system further includes a manager configured to merge the clusters into a combined cluster. One of the nodes is configured to act as a single cluster master for the combined cluster, and the other nodes are configured to receive time synchronization information provided by the single cluster master.

Abstract: A method includes wirelessly receiving first data at a first backbone router and routing the first data from the first backbone router to a backbone network using a backbone connection of the first backbone router when the backbone connection is operational. The method also includes detecting a failure of the backbone connection after routing of the first data and automatically reconfiguring the first backbone router to function as a field router that does not route data using the backbone connection. The method further includes wirelessly receiving second data at the first backbone router and wirelessly routing the second data along an alternate path from the first backbone router to a second backbone router without using the backbone connection. The method could also include establishing the alternate path between the first backbone router and the second backbone router based on whether the first and second backbone routers are within wireless range.

Abstract: A method includes repeatedly transmitting messages from a first wireless node at a transmit power. The method also includes receiving feedback from a second wireless node, where the feedback is based on a quality of reception of at least some of the messages at the second wireless node. The method further includes adjusting the transmit power of the first wireless node based on the feedback to maintain the quality of reception proximate to a setpoint. The feedback could be received from multiple second wireless nodes. The feedback could include quantized values. The quality of reception could include a bit error rate, a packet error rate, and/or a receive signal strength. The quality of reception can be determined for a sliding window associated with a subset of the transmitted messages.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining a data message having data associated with a process system and mapping the data message to one of multiple classifications. The method also includes wirelessly transmitting the data message, where a Quality of Service (QoS) associated with the transmission is based on the mapping. Mapping the data message could include identifying a type associated with the data message and mapping the data message based on the identified type. The type may include a publish message type, an alert message type, or a management message type. The publish message type could be mapped to an Unsolicited Grant Service (UGS) class, the alert message type could be mapped to a real-time Polling Service (rtPS) class, and the management message type could be mapped to a Best Effort (BE) or non-real-time Polling Service (nrtPS) class. A WiMAX standard could be used to transmit the message, and a WiMAX or WiFi standard could be used to obtain the message.