Abstract: A system (400), device (401), and method are provided for decentralized medium access control comprising periodic beacon (600) transmissions of all active devices in beacon slots (204) (302) (303), grouping such beacon slots (204) (302) (303) in at least one contiguous dynamic beacon period (301), and expanding or shrinking this at least one contiguous dynamic beacon period (301) depending on the number of occupied beacon slots (204) (302) (303). The dynamic beacon period (301) adapts to devices (401) joining and leaving the network (400) as well as to collisions of beacon frames (600) on the medium (410).

Abstract: The invention relates to a network with several subnetworks, which are organized either decentrally or centrally and can be connected in each case each by bridge terminals, a proxy terminal for a bridge terminal being set up in at least one of the subnetworks, which proxy terminal during an absence (dictated by frequency, time, code, or other factors) of the bridge terminal accepts all data directed to the bridge terminal or to be forwarded thereby, temporarily stores the data, and forwards said data to the bridge terminal when this is present again.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of communication in a wireless communication system comprising a first station and at least a second station wherein each of the station for at least a part of the time controls the communication within the system. The first station encodes and transmits messages having a first format in a first mode using at least one communication channel or having a second format in a second mode using one communication channel. The first and second formats have a common part. The second station receives and decodes at least the common part of messages transmitted either the first mode or the second mode. The common part comprises information on one or more upcoming transmissions of the first station.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of communication in a wireless communication system comprising a first station and at least a second station wherein each of the station for at least a part of the time controls the communication within the system. The first station encodes and transmits messages having a first format in a first mode using at least one communication channel or having a second format in a second mode using one communication channel. The first and second formats have a common part. The second station receives and decodes at least the common part of messages transmitted either the first mode or the second mode. The common part comprises information on one or more upcoming transmissions of the first station.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrode for acquiring physiological signals of a recipient. Furthermore the present invention relates to a textile fabric for use in a garment to be worn by a recipient, and to a monitoring system for monitoring of physiological parameters of a recipient. In order to provide an electrode for acquiring physiological signals of a recipient, which on the one hand provides a soft, and comfortable skin contact, whilst on the other hand assures a high signal quality, an electrode (1) for acquiring physiological signals of a recipient is suggested, which comprises at least two conductive textile layers (2, 3) positioned on top of each other, wherein the first layer (2) is made of a woven material, and the second layer (3) having a working surface (4) to be brought into contact with the recipient's skin is made of a knitted material.

Abstract: In a centralized radio network consisting of several devices one device acts as master or network coordinator and has a transmission range. Basically, other devices of the network are able to adopt the role of a coordinator. This ability is used to enlarge the area of the network to a size larger than the transmission range of the master. A device asks its parent PNC to become a child PNC when a newly turned on device acts as a temporary PNC and broadcasts an initiation beacon indicating that it looks for a child PNC. The child PNC reports that it is available. The new device determines one of the available child PNCs to be its new master. The acknowledgment for the selected child PNC may be broadcasted to inform all the devices in the transmission range of the new device. The new device quits the role of the temporary PNC and associates to the existing network.

Abstract: In accordance with an example embodiment, method of wireless communication includes sending a beacon frame (300), which includes at least one availability information element (AIE) (400, 404). The method also includes scheduling transmission and reception of traffic among a plurality of devices (101, 103), or systems (101, 103), or both based on the AIES from the receivers. A wireless network (100) is also disclosed.

Abstract: A distributed MAC protocol that includes a super-frame having a slotted Beaconing Period and a data transfer period. The super-frame includes a plurality of medium access slots which are assigned to the slotted Beaconing Period. The Beaconing Period length may be fixed or variable. The Beaconing protocol defines initializing an ad hoc network by means of starting a Beaconing Period, joining an existing Beaconing Period of ad hoc network and resolving collisions during the Beaconing Period.

Abstract: The system and method of the present invention provide a protocol for a device (400) to announce that a previously reserved time-period or time-slot is not (completely) used and becomes available, so that other devices can transmit during the unused time. The system and method are especially intended for systems with distributed medium reservation by the devices, i.e., those systems adhering to a distributed reservation protocol (DRP).

Abstract: A network array (200) comprises a first network (201) having a plurality of first nodes (203, 204, 209), comprises a second network (202) having a plurality of second nodes (206, 209) and comprises a forwarder node (209). The forwarder node (209) constitutes one of the first nodes (203, 204, 209) and constitutes one of the second nodes (206, 209) to form a communication interface between the first network (201) and the second network (202) in such a manner that the forwarder node (209) functions as a slave in the first network (201) and as a master in the second network (202). The forwarder node (209) is adapted to communicate with the first network (201) using a first operation frequency and is adapted to communicate with the second network (202) using a second operation frequency which is different from the first operation frequency.

Abstract: A heartbeat monitoring device (2) comprises: —a number of electrodes (3.1, 3.2) for sensing an ECG signal (SO) of a user (5), —a signal processing means (14) for processing a signal (S2) derived from the ECG signal and adapted to extract information related to the heartbeat of the user from the derived signal, —a standardized wireless communication module (11) for transmitting said heartbeat-related information to an external device (17). In the proposed heartbeat monitoring device the signal-processing means is implemented on a communications processor of the standardized wireless communication module.

Abstract: A fast method for allocating those channels or subcarriers of a multicarrier network to an ahead lying transmission is to let a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal which intend to access the medium determine the status of the channels or subcarriers that are within their reception range and send a signal indicating the determined status to the corresponding terminal which will select those channels or subcarriers for the eventual transmission which fit best. Other terminals within the transmission range of the transmitting or the receiving terminal respect the reservation and wait for the current transmission to find out which channels or subcarriers are actually used.

Abstract: A method of operating a network node of a network, a network node, a network system, a computer-readable medium, and a program element A method (300) of operating a network node (101-104) of a network system (100), comprising the steps of generating (305) a signal to be transmitted, selecting (310) one of a plurality of communication channels (105-108) of the network system (100) for transmitting the signal, and, in case that the selected channel (105-108) is not ready for transmitting the signal, selecting (345) another one of the plurality of communication channels (105-108) for transmitting the signal.

Abstract: A system (400), device (401), and method are provided for decentralized medium access control comprising periodic beacon (600) transmissions of all active devices in beacon slots (204) (302) (303), grouping such beacon slots (204) (302) (303) in at least one contiguous dynamic beacon period (301), and expanding or shrinking this at least one contiguous dynamic beacon period (301) depending on the number of occupied beacon slots (204) (302) (303). The dynamic beacon period (301) adapts to devices (401) joining and leaving the network (400) as well as to collisions of beacon frames (600) on the medium (410).

Abstract: A system (300), apparatus (301), and method are provided for decentralized medium access control comprising an enhanced protocol for UWB MAC that includes a distributed reservation protocol (DRP) for distributed reservation of the medium (310). The invention also relates to any wireless system (300) that uses a MAC protocol comprising a distributed reservation protocol. The method comprises devices (301) announcing medium reservations in beacons (400) and devices (301) that receive such announcements respecting the reservations.

Abstract: A distributed MAC protocol is provided that includes a superframe (102) having a slotted Beaconing Period (104) and a data transfer period (103). The provided superframe (102) comprises a plurality of medium access slots (107) and a plurality of medium access slots (107) is assigned to the slotted Beaconing Period (104). The Beaconing Period length (106) may be fixed or variable. The provided Beaconing protocol defines initializing an ad hoc network by means of starting (101) a Beaconing Period (104), joining an existing Beaconing Period (104) of ad hoc network and resolving collisions during the Beaconing Period.

Abstract: A system (400), device (500) (401), and method are provided for power saving in a wireless communication network (400), where all devices (401i) regularly transmit a beacon (600) but can enter a hibernation mode in which they do not transmit beacons (600) and operate in a power-saving state. A device (400) announces the start (303) and duration (304) of the hibernation period in its beacon (600) prior to its hibernation period. The neighboring devices (401i) keep information on the presence of the beacon (600) of the hibernating device (401) in their own beacons (600) in order to block the beacon slot (204) for the hibernating device (401) during its sleep time. Devices (401i) furthermore include an information element (604) in their beacons (600) that contains all receiver addresses for which a device (401i) has data pending to be sent.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method are provided for dynamically selecting the data rate and/or transmit (TX) power The method consists of devices periodically transmitting beacon frames in which they include data rate and/or TX power feedback for all senders of data streams, of which the devices are a receiver. The feedback may consist of recommended values for data rate and/or TX power or of channel state information. A sender chooses data rate and/or transmit power considering the feedback from the one or several receivers of the stream. The invention especially relates to systems based on an Ultra Wide Band Medium Access Control Protocol.

Abstract: Method, frame definitions (300 400 500 700 800 1000 1200 1300 1400) and system for transmission of an aggregation of packets which includes a plurality of Medium Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Units (MPDUs) or PLCP (Physical Layer Convergence Protocol) Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) intended for one or several receivers and transmitted at one or several different Physical (PHY) rates. In some aspects of the invention, a pre-amble, rsp. mid-amble (415.i 515.i 715.i 815.i 1015.i 1215.i 1315.i) is transmitted in-between each or between multiples of MPDUs or PPDUs allowing receiver devices to go into sleep mode and wake-up during the aggregate or packet burst. Furthermore, information is transmitted at the beginning of the aggregate/packet burst, which allows devices to deduce the position of MPDUs/PPDUs or multiples of MPDUs/PPDUs in the aggregate. MPDUs or PPDUs are grouped in order to enable efficient sleep times of the receiving devices.

Abstract: In a distributed Mac protocol having a slotted superframe (102) comprising at least one slotted beacon period (104) followed by a data transfer period (103), a system and method is provided for creating and maintaining several beacon periods (104) at different positions in the superframe (102). When joining the network (300) a device (301) either joins an existing beacon period (104) or creates a new beacon period (104) at a position in the superframe (102) that does not overlap with existing beacon periods (104) or reservation periods. Beacon periods (104) mutually protect each other by devices (301) announcing the neighboring beacon periods in their beacons.