Abstract: A network includes access points that admit/terminate mobile station associations based upon the loading level of the access point and/or whether a mobile station can associate with a further access point. Mobile stations transmit information indicative of the access points to which they can associate. The access points determine whether to admit/terminate a mobile station association based upon access point loading.

Abstract: An IP-based corporate network architecture and method for providing seamless secure mobile networking across office WLAN, home WLAN, public WLAN, and 2.5 G/3 G cellular networks for corporate wireless data users. The system includes Internet roaming clients (IRCs), a secure mobility gateway (SMG), optional secure IP access (SIA) gateways, and a virtual single account (VSA) server. The IRC is a special client tool installed on a mobile computer (laptop or PDA) equipped with a WLAN adaptor and a cellular modem. It is responsible for establishing and maintaining a mobile IPsec tunnel between the mobile computer and a corporate intranet. The SMG is a mobile IPsec gateway installed between the corporate intranet and the Internet. It works in conjunction with the IRC to maintain the mobile IPsec tunnel when the mobile computer is connected on the Internet via a home WLAN, a public WLAN, or a cellular network.

Abstract: The invention provides a system that implements an algorithm for integrated link adaptation and power control to achieve specified error rates and to improve an overall throughput for real-time applications in wireless packet networks. The system initially divides wireless terminals into groups according to their signal path gains. Afterwards, the system can periodically adapt transmissions (i.e., link adaptations) based on the required error rates, actual error statistics and average transmission power for each wireless terminal group. Furthermore, transmission power can be adjusted by an enhanced Kalman-filter method to ensure successful reception.

Abstract: A network having distribution of access point loading includes access points to which mobile stations can associate themselves based upon access point beacon signal levels and loading levels for the various access points. A mobile station receives beacon signals from various access points and determines a signal strength for the received beacon signals. The mobile station also receives access point loading information from the access points. The mobile station associates with an access point based upon the access point beacon signal strengths and the access point loading information.

Abstract: A method for setting and adjusting MAC fragmentation threshold for IEEE 802.11 networks operating at different data rates is presented. The fragmentation threshold is adjusted based on throughput performance, delay constraints and hidden node influence.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus provide for controlled access to a shared communication medium. Time slots on a forward channel include information regarding status useful for remote units to determine whether a reverse channel is available for seizure. Additionally, information along the forward channel provides guidance to the remote units to control attempts to seize the reverse channel. In one embodiment a remote unit divides a data package into a plurality of portions and attempts to seize the reverse channel using a single portion of the data package which corresponds to one time slot on the reverse channel. It then waits until it receives notification along the forward channel that the first data portion was successfully received before it attempts to send any of the remainder of its data in consecutive time slots on the reverse channel.

Abstract: A frequency planning method for use in an IEEE 802.11 wireless network is described. The frequency planning method obtains traffic load information associated with access points belonging to a multi-cell wireless network and assigns channels to the access points based on the traffic load information.

Abstract: A conditional e-coupon distribution method distributes e-coupons predefined by sellers to mobile users only if the number of mobile users requesting such e-coupons equals or exceeds a threshold. The method receives a request to browse e-coupons from a mobile user. The method receives the location of the mobile user and determines a plurality of sellers local to the mobile electronic device and a plurality of corresponding e-coupons available from the local sellers. The method receives a request for a particular e-coupon from a seller and authorizes the provision of said e-coupon to the mobile user. At the end of a processing cycle, the mobile user receives the requested e-coupon if all conditions, such as a period of time and threshold, have been met. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein allows for storage of the method.

Abstract: A technique for avoiding spurious TCP timeouts through delay injection which requires no modification of, or access to, the TCP protocol itself. More particularly, injection of additional random delay or jitter at some point in a packet's roundtrip path across a wireless communications network is employed so as to increase the variance in round trip times, without significantly increasing the average value thereof. Spurious TCP timeouts are avoided through the artificial delay injection which occurs at a network element along the communications path and without modification of, or requiring access to, the TCP protocol. Further, the injection of artificial delay is applied on a transaction-by-transaction basis. That is, the decision to inject, or not inject, the artificial delay as well as the value of the injected delay are applied to each TCP connection or TCP flow.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to enable IP networking for mobile hosts without requiring changes to be made to the TCP/IP stack in the operating system installed on the mobile hosts. The apparatus is an “intelligent device” that can be installed on or connected to a mobile host, and may comprise a software-only logical module, physical hardware, or a combination of both. To a mobile host, the intelligent device emulates a network interface such as an Ethernet card or a telephone modem. The intelligent device appears to an access network just like any regular IP host connected to the access network through a physical network interface device. The intelligent device handles all mobile networking functions for the mobile host, and may control multiple different physical network interface devices to enable a connection to the “best” access network available to the mobile user at his location.

Abstract: A conditional e-coupon distribution method distributes e-coupons predefined by sellers to mobile users only if the number of mobile users requesting such e-coupons equals or exceeds a threshold. The method receives a request to browse e-coupons from a mobile user. The method receives the location of the mobile user and determines a plurality of sellers local to the mobile electronic device and a plurality of corresponding e-coupons available from the local sellers. The method receives a request for a particular e-coupon from a seller and authorizes the provision of said e-coupon to the mobile user. At the end of a processing cycle, the mobile user receives the requested e-coupon if all conditions, such as a period of time and threshold, have been met. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein allows for storage of the method.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to enable IP networking for mobile hosts without requiring changes to be made to the TCP/IP stack in the operating system installed on the mobile hosts. The apparatus is an “intelligent device” that can be installed on or connected to a mobile host, and may comprise a software-only logical module, physical hardware, or a combination of both. To a mobile host, the intelligent device emulates a network interface such as an Ethernet card or a telephone modem. The intelligent device appears to an access network just like any regular IP host connected to the access network through a physical network interface device. The intelligent device handles all mobile networking functions for the mobile host, and may control multiple different physical network interface devices to enable a connection to the “best” access network available to the mobile user at his location.

Abstract: A method of shaping data packet transmissions by nodes in a wireless network is presented. Each node sets a maximum limit for MAC service data unit size based on data rate so that maximum transmission times for data packet transmissions by all of the nodes are approximately the same.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a communications session with a mobile device is provided. The method comprises selecting a plurality of base stations, where at least a portion of the base stations are adapted to operate as a secondary agent, and wherein the secondary agent is capable of communicating with a mobile device. Substantially similar data is then delivered to a plurality of the secondary agents, and a first one of the secondary agents is selected as a first serving secondary agent to communicate with the mobile device. The first serving secondary agent transfers the data to the mobile device during the communications session.

Abstract: In a wireless network or other communication system, admission of users to the system involves use of a first scheduler, which makes actual scheduling decisions for admitted users, and a second scheduler, which emulates the operation of the first scheduler. The first scheduler is configured to manage access to network resources for users already admitted to the system. The first scheduler is coupled to an admission control module which contains the second scheduler. The second scheduler, also referred to herein as a virtual scheduler, emulates operation of the first scheduler, under an operating scenario involving admission of at least one additional user to the system, in order to generate a performance metric. The performance metric is used to make an admission control decision regarding admission of the at least one additional user to the system.

Abstract: The invention provides a system that implements an algorithm for integrated link adaptation and power control to achieve specified error rates and to improve an overall throughput for real-time applications in wireless packet networks. The system initially divides wireless terminals into groups according to their signal path gains. Afterwards, the system can periodically adapt transmissions (i.e., link adaptations) based on the required error rates, actual error statistics and average transmission power for each wireless terminal group. Furthermore, transmission power can be adjusted by an enhanced Kalman-filter method to ensure successful reception.

Abstract: In a wireless network or other communication system, admission of users to the system is based on predicted scheduling gain. A scheduler is configured to manage access to network resources for users already admitted to the system. An admission control module is coupled to the scheduler, and determines a predicted scheduling gain of the scheduler under an operating scenario involving admission of at least one additional user to the system. The predicted scheduling gain is processed to generate at least one performance metric which is used to make an admission control decision regarding admission of the at least one additional user to the system.

Abstract: A method for setting and adjusting MAC fragmentation threshold for IEEE 802.11 networks operating at different data rates is presented. The fragmentation threshold is adjusted based on throughput performance, delay constraints and hidden node influence.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus provide for controlled access to a shared communication medium. Time slots on a forward channel include information regarding status useful for remote units to determine whether a reverse channel is available for seizure. Additionally, information along the forward channel provides guidance to the remote units to control attempts to seize the reverse channel. In one embodiment a remote unit divides a data package into a plurality of portions and attempts to seize the reverse channel using a single portion of the data package which corresponds to one time slot on the reverse channel. It then waits until it receives notification along the forward channel that the first data portion was successfully received before it attempts to send any of the remainder of its data in consecutive time slots on the reverse channel.

Abstract: A method for improving the performance for a streaming service by link-adaptation and power-control in a wireless packet network such as an Enhanced General Packet Radio Services (EGPRS) cellular network is described. In particular, the effects of a combined link adaptation and power control scheme (referred to as an error-based scheme) for achieving a target error rate, which is non-zero but low enough so that limited retransmission and error concealment techniques are effective, is presented.