Abstract: Synchronous FHSS networks operating within mesh networks typically require a certain amount of network traffic to maintain time as well as for executing other functions, such as registration and neighbor discovery. The concepts presented in this disclosure provide a mesh network with enhanced communication capabilities without adding significant hardware or firmware costs to nodes within the network. The disclosed concept of using acquisition channels (frequencies) integrated within FHSS pseudo-random sequences speeds network responses to conditions like outage and restoration. Assignment of unique hop sequences by hop level or at time of manufacture can guarantee minimal network contention while minimizing system network traffic.

Abstract: A wireless communication system for demodulating data packets includes an interface circuit and a modem circuit. The interface circuit may receive a data packet, and the demodulator circuit may demodulate a first part of the data packet by dispreading only selected data bits in the data packet. The demodulator circuit may separately process at least a data payload portion of the data packet without dispreading.

Abstract: Synchronous FHSS networks operating within mesh networks typically require a certain amount of network traffic to maintain time as well as for executing other functions, such as registration and neighbor discovery. The concepts presented in this disclosure provide a mesh network with enhanced communication capabilities without adding significant hardware or firmware costs to nodes within the network. The disclosed concept of using acquisition channels (frequencies) integrated within FHSS pseudo-random sequences speeds network responses to conditions like outage and restoration. Assignment of unique hop sequences by hop level or at time of manufacture can guarantee minimal network contention while minimizing system network traffic.

Abstract: Synchronous FHSS networks operating within mesh networks typically require a certain amount of network traffic to maintain time as well as for executing other functions, such as registration and neighbor discovery. The concepts presented in this disclosure provide a mesh network with enhanced communication capabilities without adding significant hardware or firmware costs to nodes within the network. The disclosed concept of using acquisition channels (frequencies) integrated within FHSS pseudo-random sequences speeds network responses to conditions like outage and restoration. Assignment of unique hop sequences by hop level or at time of manufacture can guarantee minimal network contention while minimizing system network traffic.

Abstract: Synchronous FHSS networks operating within mesh networks typically require a certain amount of network traffic to maintain time as well as for executing other functions, such as registration and neighbor discovery. The concepts presented in this disclosure provide a mesh network with enhanced communication capabilities without adding significant hardware or firmware costs to nodes within the network. The disclosed concept of using acquisition channels (frequencies) integrated within FHSS pseudo-random sequences speeds network responses to conditions like outage and restoration. Assignment of unique hop sequences by hop level or at time of manufacture can guarantee minimal network contention while minimizing system network traffic.

Abstract: In a wireless 802.15.4 communication system (300), a high-speed data frame structure (340) is provided which uses the 802.15.4 SHR structure that is spread modulated to obtain the synchronization benefits of the 802.15.4 protocol, but which uses a modified data frame structure for the payload portion without using spreading to thereby improve its transmission efficiency. The transmission efficiency can be further increased by increasing the size of the data payload (and correspondingly, the frame length size).

Abstract: In a wireless 802.15.4 communication system (300), a high-speed data frame structure (340) is provided which uses the 802.15.4 SHR structure that is spread modulated to obtain the synchronization benefits of the 802.15.4 protocol, but which uses a modified data frame structure for the payload portion without using spreading to thereby improve its transmission efficiency. The transmission efficiency can be further increased by increasing the size of the data payload (and correspondingly, the frame length size).

Abstract: A system and method is provided for processing communication signals in a wireless personal area network (WPAN) using a transceiver comprising a first transmitter and a first receiver operable to transmit and receive signals using a first transmission protocol and a second transmitter operable to transmit signals using a second transmission protocol. In various embodiments, the first receiver is used to receive a first signal that was transmitted using the first communication protocol and the second transmitter is used to transmit a second signal using the second transmission protocol in response to receipt of the first signal. The second signal is then processed to determine the location of the object. In some embodiments, the first transmission protocol is compliant with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.4 transmission protocol and the second transmission protocol is compliant with an Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) protocol.

Abstract: A system acquisition module and corresponding method for facilitating PN code searching which has a PN sequence generator configurable to generate a plurality of PN sequences. The module and method also includes computational units configurable to correlate each received signal sample of a plurality of received signal samples with a corresponding PN sequence of the plurality of PN sequences, and further configurable to provide other hardware resources. A number of computational units from the plurality of computational units are selectively configured to correlate the received signal samples with the PN sequences—the number depending upon availability of the plurality of computational units from providing the other hardware resources.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for determining the location of an object. A first transceiver is associated with an object to be located. The first transceiver comprises a first transmitter and a first receiver operable to transmit and receive signals using a first transmission protocol and a second transmitter operable to transmit signals using a second transmission protocol. A first signal is transmitted using the first signal transmission protocol and is received by the first receiver. The second transmitter is then used to transmit a second signal using the second transmission protocol in response to receipt of the first signal and the second signal is then processed to determine the location of the object. In some embodiments, the first transmission protocol is in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard and the second transmission protocol is in accordance with a Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) standard.

Abstract: In a wireless 802.15.4 communication system (300), a high-speed data frame structure (340) is provided which uses the 802.15.4 SHR structure that is spread modulated to obtain the synchronization benefits of the 802.15.4 protocol, but which uses a modified data frame structure for the payload portion without using spreading to thereby improve its transmission efficiency. The transmission efficiency can be further increased by increasing the size of the data payload (and correspondingly, the frame length size).

Abstract: In a wireless 802.15.4 communication system, a method and system are provided for switching between a predetermined protocol transmission mode and a high-speed transmission mode by including signaling mode information in a data packet (330, 340) to instruct the receiver device (300) to demodulate at least a data payload using the predetermined transmission mode if the signaling mode information comprises a first predetermined value, and to demodulate at least the data payload using the high-speed transmission mode if the signaling mode information comprises a second predetermined value. The signaling mode information may be included in the SFD field of an 802.15.4 SHR structure to instruct the receiver how to demodulate or process the data packet, or may be included as desired anywhere in the data packet to instruct the receiver how to demodulate or process one or more subsequent data packets.

Abstract: In a wireless 802.15.4 communication system (300), a high-speed data frame structure (340) is provided which uses the 802.15.4 SHR structure that is spread modulated to obtain the synchronization benefits of the 802.15.4 protocol, but which uses a modified data frame structure for the payload portion without using spreading to thereby improve its transmission efficiency. The transmission efficiency can be further increased by increasing the size of the data payload (and correspondingly, the frame length size).

Abstract: A system acquisition module and corresponding method for facilitating PN code searching which has a PN sequence generator configurable to generate a plurality of PN sequences. The module and method also includes computational units configurable to correlate each received signal sample of a plurality of received signal samples with a corresponding PN sequence of the plurality of PN sequences, and further configurable to provide other hardware resources. A number of computational units from the plurality of computational units are selectively configured to correlate the received signal samples with the PN sequences—the number depending upon availability of the plurality of computational units from providing the other hardware resources.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for determining the location of an object. In embodiments of the disclosure, a first transceiver is associated with an object to be located. The first transceiver comprises a first transmitter and a first receiver operable to transmit and receive signals using a first transmission protocol and a second transmitter operable to transmit signals using a second transmission protocol. A first signal is transmitted using the first signal transmission protocol and is received by the first receiver. The second transmitter is then used to transmit a second signal using the second transmission protocol in response to receipt of said first signal and the second signal is then to determine the location of said object. In some embodiments, the first transmission protocol is in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard and the second transmission protocol is in accordance with a Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) standard.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for processing communication signals in a wireless personal area network (WPAN) using a transceiver comprising a first transmitter and a first receiver operable to transmit and receive signals using a first transmission protocol and a second transmitter operable to transmit signals using a second transmission protocol. In various embodiments, the first receiver is used to receive a first signal that was transmitted using the first communication protocol and the second transmitter is used to transmit a second signal using the second transmission protocol in response to receipt of the first signal. The second signal is then processed to determine the location of the object. In some embodiments, the first transmission protocol is compliant with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.4 transmission protocol and the second transmission protocol is compliant with an Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) protocol.

Abstract: A communications module, device and corresponding method for facilitating PN code searching. The module and device have a PN sequence generator configurable to generate a plurality of PN sequences. The module and device also include computational units configurable to correlate received signal samples of a plurality of received signal samples with a corresponding PN sequence of the plurality of PN sequences, and further configurable to provide other hardware resources. A number of computational units from the plurality of computational units are selectively configured to correlate the received signal samples with the PN sequences—the number depending upon availability of the plurality of computational units from providing the other hardware resources. According to a preferred embodiment, a plurality of configurable computational units are selectively configurable to implement the PN sequence generator.

Abstract: In a wireless 802.15.4 communication system (300), a high-speed data frame structure (340) is provided which uses the 802.15.4 SHR structure that is spread modulated to obtain the synchronization benefits of the 802.15.4 protocol, but which uses a modified data frame structure for the payload portion without using spreading to thereby improve its transmission efficiency. The transmission efficiency can be further increased by increasing the size of the data payload (and correspondingly, the frame length size).

Abstract: In a wireless 802.15.4 communication system, a method and system are provided for switching between a predetermined protocol transmission mode and a high-speed transmission mode by including signaling mode information in a data packet (330, 340) to instruct the receiver device (300) to demodulate at least a data payload using the predetermined transmission mode if the signaling mode information comprises a first predetermined value, and to demodulate at least the data payload using the high-speed transmission mode if the signaling mode information comprises a second predetermined value. The signaling mode information may be included in the SFD field of an 802.15.4 SHR structure to instruct the receiver how to demodulate or process the data packet, or may be included as desired anywhere in the data packet to instruct the receiver how to demodulate or process one or more subsequent data packets.

Abstract: A system acquisition module and corresponding method for facilitating PN code searching which has a PN sequence generator configurable to generate a plurality of PN sequences. The module and method also includes computational units configurable to correlate each received signal sample of a plurality of received signal samples with a corresponding PN sequence of the plurality of PN sequences, and further configurable to provide other hardware resources. A number of computational units from the plurality of computational units are selectively configured to correlate the received signal samples with the PN sequences—the number depending upon availability of the plurality of computational units from providing the other hardware resources.