Abstract: A method (500, 600) is provided of operating a local transceiver (300), comprising: setting the local transceiver into an operational mode; operating the local transceiver in a polling mode (520); receiving a quiescent begin indicator identifying a beginning of a quiescent mode (520); setting a portion of the local transceiver into a low power consumption mode in response to the quiescent begin indicator (540); measuring an elapsed time since receiving the quiescent begin indicator as a quiescent time (530, 550); and returning the portion of the local transceiver to the operational mode based on a quiescent end indicator 550, 580, 690).

Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting data. A first device generates a first signal having a first duty cycle, comprising a first gated-on portion and a first gated-off portion in a time slot; and a second device generates a second signal having second duty cycle, comprising a second gated-on portion and a second gated-off portion in the same time slot. The first gated-on portion is generated during a first segment of the time slot and the first gated-off portion is generated during a second segment of the time slot, while the second gated-on portion is generated during the second segment and the second gated-off portion is generated during the first segment. Media access control (MAC) can be used to further define positions within time slots and provide error correction, power control, and the like. A preamble can be transmitted at an increased power level to facilitate acquisition.

Abstract: A network bridge (160) is provided, comprising: a local interface (320) configured to transmit and receive local signals in a local network (305); a bridging interface (325) configured to transmit and receive bridging signals in a bridging network (310); a control circuit (330) configured to pass outgoing local data packets from the local network to the bridging network and to pass incoming bridging payloads from the bridging network to the local network; and an address translation circuit (340) configured to provide the control circuit with address translation data identifying a correspondence between local packet addresses and global packet addresses. The control circuit translates outgoing local addresses to outgoing global addresses (460), and the control circuit translates incoming global addresses to incoming local addresses (560), based on the address translation data.

Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting data. A first device generates a first signal having a first duty cycle, comprising a first gated-on portion and a first gated-off portion in a time slot; and a second device generates a second signal having second duty cycle, comprising a second gated-on portion and a second gated-off portion in the same time slot. The first gated-on portion is generated during a first segment of the time slot and the first gated-off portion is generated during a second segment of the time slot, while the second gated-on portion is generated during the second segment and the second gated-off portion is generated during the first segment. Media access control (MAC) can be used to further define positions within time slots and provide error correction, power control, and the like. A preamble can be transmitted at an increased power level to facilitate acquisition.

Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting data. A first device generates a first signal having a first duty cycle, comprising a first gated-on portion and a first gated-off portion in a time slot; and a second device generates a second signal having second duty cycle, comprising a second gated-on portion and a second gated-off portion in the same time slot. The first gated-on portion is generated during a first segment of the time slot and the first gated-off portion is generated during a second segment of the time slot, while the second gated-on portion is generated during the second segment and the second gated-off portion is generated during the first segment. Media access control (MAC) can be used to further define positions within time slots and provide error correction, power control, and the like. A preamble can be transmitted at an increased power level to facilitate acquisition.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a transceiver that comprises: transmitting a preamble; transmitting an outer header identifying parameters of an outer payload, after transmitting the preamble; and transmitting the outer payload after transmitting the outer header. The transmitting of the outer payload includes: transmitting an inner header identifying parameters of an inner payload; transmitting an inner payload after transmitting the inner header; and repeating the transmitting of the inner header and the transmitting of the inner payload a plurality of times. A corresponding method of operating a receiver functions by receiving each of these transmitted elements.

Abstract: A method (500, 600) is provided of operating a local transceiver (300), comprising: setting the local transceiver into an operational mode; operating the local transceiver in a polling mode (520); receiving a quiescent begin indicator identifying a beginning of a quiescent mode (520); setting a portion of the local transceiver into a low power consumption mode in response to the quiescent begin indicator (540); measuring an elapsed time since receiving the quiescent begin indicator as a quiescent time (530, 550); and returning the portion of the local transceiver to the operational mode based on a quiescent end indicator 550, 580, 690).

Abstract: A network bridge (160) is provided, comprising: a local interface (320) configured to transmit and receive local signals in a local network (305); a bridging interface (325) configured to transmit and receive bridging signals in a bridging network (310); a control circuit (330) configured to pass outgoing local data packets from the local network to the bridging network and to pass incoming bridging payloads from the bridging network to the local network; and an address translation circuit (340) configured to provide the control circuit with address translation data identifying a correspondence between local packet addresses and global packet addresses. The control circuit translates outgoing local addresses to outgoing global addresses (460), and the control circuit translates incoming global addresses to incoming local addresses (560), based on the address translation data.

Abstract: A method is provided for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network using cyclic beacons. The remote device receives a beacon, which beacon includes beacon information that defines a superframe. From the beacon information, the remote device determines whether the received beacon and the associated superframe are assigned to a network device or are unassigned. By receiving as many beacons as there are allowable devices in the network, the remote device can determine if the network is full. If the remote device runs through all of the beacons and all indicate that their associated superframes are assigned, then the remote device determines that the network is full and performs a network-full function. If the remote device receives a beacon that indicates that its associated superframe is unassigned, it determines that the network is not full and performs an association request during the unassigned superframe.

Abstract: A system and method for checking for data transmission errors in a network includes a cyclic redundancy code (CRC) generator and a processing device. The CRC generator receives a stream of data representing cells in a packet of data. The CRC generator generates a CRC value for each cell and transmits the CRC value to a processing device. The processing device combines the cell CRC values to generate a CRC for a packet of data. The processing device then compares the packet CRC to an expected value to determine whether an error occurred in the data transmission.

Abstract: A method is provided for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network using cyclic beacons. The remote device receives a beacon, which beacon includes beacon information that defines a superframe. From the beacon information, the remote device determines whether the received beacon and the associated superframe are assigned to a network device or are unassigned. By receiving as many beacons as there are allowable devices in the network, the remote device can determine if the network is full. If the remote device runs through all of the beacons and all indicate that their associated superframes are assigned, then the remote device determines that the network is full and performs a network-full function. If the remote device receives a beacon that indicates that its associated superframe is unassigned, it determines that the network is not full and performs an association request during the unassigned superframe.