Abstract: The present invention is directed to managing power consumption in a wireless frequency hopping communication among a plurality of nodes. For example, the present invention is directed to features such as reducing power consumption of an individual node within a wireless communication system by powering on the transmitter/receiver of the node only when actual transmission/reception is required.

Abstract: Roaming capability is provided to mobile computers within a standard network such as a Novell network. In a computer network running under a network operating system that provides for fault-tolerant internet routing of network communications between nodes and requires that network ID of a node remain constant for the duration of session, the nodes include multiple mobile computing devices wirelessly connected to the network. The mobile computing devices are provided with the capability to roam during a session by changing access points to the network. This capability is provided by programming the mobile computing devices so as to appear to the network as routers able to change access points during a session. The routers connect one sub-net to one other sub-net, the one sub-net being connected to a mobile computing device and having a fixed network ID and the other sub-net, through fault-tolerant internet routing being connected to a selectable access point and therefore having a variable network ID.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to providing a wireless medium access control protocol wherein throughput can be optimized as the communication system dynamically changes when nodes either join or leave the communication system.

Abstract: A spread spectrum radio communication system includes a generator for generating a pseudo-random chipping sequence, a frequency spreader for combining digital data with the pseudo-random chipping sequence to produce a spread spectrum signal, a modulator for modulating the spread spectrum signal for broadcasting over a predefined frequency band, a demodulator for demodulating broadcast spread spectrum signals, a de-spreader that employs single bit quantization and oversampling for digitally correlating the output of the demodulator means with a pseudo-random chipping sequence, and an extractor for extracting clock and data signals from the output of the de-spreader. The chipping sequence is normally selected from a set of codes including an eleven-bit Barker code, its inverse and reversals of the inverse and non-inverse code.