Abstract: The present invention provides a technique for directly calling telephones via a shared telephone number, which telephones do not have telephone numbers in the address space of the Public Switched Telephone Network. This is particularly useful for visitors and guests who are, for example, temporarily at a hotel, school campus, or business.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed that enables a voice call to be initiated on the Public Switched Telephone Network and directed to a VoIP telephone on the Internet without the association of a unique telephone number to the VoIP telephone. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a user who has a PSTN wireline telephone or a PSTN cell phone associates his or her VoIP telephone with the telephone number of the PSTN wireline telephone or the PSTN cell phone or with both numbers. In other words, the VoIP telephone is not assigned its own telephone number but shares the telephone number of the PSTN telephones of its owner.

Abstract: A self-configuring wireless system and a method are disclosed. The method derives re-use criteria and neighbor lists to enable the assignment of channels to cells in a wireless communications system, based entirely on measurements made by the system during normal operation. The disclosed method can be implemented with conventional cellular equipment and functionality provided by current air interface standards, and requires no human participation. The disclosed method also applies to the derivation of neighbor lists.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for polling stations that transmit and receive periodic traffic streams are disclosed. The illustrative embodiment determines when to transmit a frame comprising a data payload and a poll to a station based on (i) the temporal period and temporal offset of the traffic stream transmitted by the station, and (ii) the temporal period and temporal offset of the traffic stream received by the station, such that delays for either the transmitted traffic stream or the received traffic stream are reduced. The present invention is particularly advantageous for latency-sensitive applications such as voice and video telecommunications.

Abstract: A method and apparatus providing delivery of buffered frames in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is presented. The method and apparatus determines an occurrence of at least one non-APSD station in said WLAN, and when at least one non-Automatic Power Save Delivery (APSD) station is found, then maintains a legacy power saving buffer for each non-APSD station. The method and apparatus also determines an occurrence of at least one APSD station in the WLAN, and when at least one APSD station is found, then maintains at least one APSD buffer for each APSD enabled station. During a service period, frames are transmitted from the at least one APSD buffer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conveying priority of buffered frames to power saving stations in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) including an Access Point (AP) and at least one power saving station is presented. The method and apparatus indicate to a station the presence of at least one buffered frame in at least one of legacy buffers and Automatic Power Save Delivery (APSD) buffers in the AP for the station. The AP receives an indication from the station that the station is ready to receive at least one of the buffered frames for the station. The AP then selects a buffer for releasing at least one buffered frame to the station, determines a number of frames to transmit from the selected buffer, and transmits the number of frames from said buffer to the station.

Abstract: A method and system for assigning downlink and uplink channels to a mobile station registered with a base station, which uses an interference-sensing scheme and which provides improved reliability and performance over conventional schemes.

Abstract: A method of providing power management in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is presented. The method includes receiving a Traffic Indication Map (TIM) at a station, indicating the presence of buffered frames, associated with any AC, for the station at an Access Point (AP). The method further includes sending, by the station, one of an uplink data frame if one is buffered, and a null frame to retrieve the buffered frames from said AP. The station remains awake to receive frames from the AP until a downlink frame is received containing an indication that it is the last frame to be transmitted in the service period. The method may further include determining at the end of service period whether there are more frames remaining buffered for the station at the AP.

Abstract: The station does not wake up for the beacon TIM if there is periodic uplink data with period less than or equal to the tolerance for downlink delay. If the station has no uplink data for at least a service interval (period of the stream), it wakes up to listen to the TIM. It continues to do so until either uplink or downlink data arrives. If the TIM indicates downlink data buffered, and if the station continues to have no uplink data, it starts waking tip at the service interval and sends null frames uplink, in order to signal that it is awake and ready to receive downlink data. If uplink data is generated, the station will send the uplink frame instead of the null frame.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are disclosed for enabling quality-of-service and call admission control for wireless telecommunications terminals without first submitting a traffic specification. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is particularly advantageous for IEEE 802.11e networks because the 802.11e standard, which in its currently-drafted form contains provisions for terminals to submit traffic specifications, might not require 802.11e terminals to submit traffic specifications in the finalized 802.11e standard. Proper call admission control and, consequently, quality-of-service for wireless applications therefore might not be universally available to future 802.11e-compliant terminals unless one or more embodiments of the present invention are deployed.

Abstract: A novel method for coordinating the delivery of frames to and the receipt of frames from a power-saving station in a wireless local-area network (LAN) is disclosed. The illustrative embodiment establishes a wake-up schedule for a power-saving station based on a temporal period and temporal offset that reduces the frequency with which multiple stations in a network wake up simultaneously, thereby reducing traffic delays and power consumption. The illustrative embodiment is particularly well-suited to networks with traffic that has delay/jitter quality-of-service (QoS) requirements (i.e., voice calls, videophone calls, etc.).

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus for coping with lost acknowledgements from power-saving stations in local-area networks are disclosed. In particular, the illustrative embodiment modifies the access point's and power-saving stations' protocols to prevent repeated lost acknowledgements from occurring. An access point, after transmitting the final downlink frame of a sequence to a station and receiving an acknowledgement from the station, transmits a “double acknowledgement” to the station. A power-saving station, after receiving the final downlink frame of a sequence and transmitting an acknowledgement to the access point, stays awake until one of the following occur: (i) the station receives a double acknowledgement, (ii) the station observes a frame transmitted from the access point to another station, or (iii) the station observes that the shared-communications channel of the local-area network is idle for a particular time interval.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for handling emergency message frames (e.g., “911” call frames, etc.) sent by a station in a wireless local-area network are disclosed. The illustrative embodiment increases the probability with which an emergency message frame is accorded the singularly highest quality-of-service by modifying one or more IEEE 802.11e parameters (e.g., back-off contention window length, Arbitration Inter-Frame Space [AIFS], etc.) for a station or access point that transmits an emergency message frame.

Abstract: Spectrum monitoring measurements are made by microcell base stations in a layered cellular network, while not serving calls or engaged in processing calls. The microcell base station transmits a first control message from to a microcell mobile station, to increase the duration for the mobile station to reside in the camping state on a control channel of the microcell base station. The microcell base station transmits a second control message from the microcell base station to the microcell mobile station, to increase the duration for the mobile station to reside in a call origination state while attempting to access a control channel of the microcell base station. Then, to perform the spectrum monitoring measurement, the base station's transmitter is turned off, the receiver is retuned to the frequency to be monitored, a signal strength measurement taken on that frequency, the receiver is retuned back to its assigned frequency, and the transmitter is turned back on, all in a short time interval.

Abstract: Self RF engineering is made possible for a wireless communication system by adding to the self-configuration capability the ability to set autonomously the power levels of the system base stations. The same data is employed as in self configuration. A further improvement for systems using the IS 136 Air Interface Standard consists of the capability to collect the required data through the functionalities of the MAHO/MACA (Mobile Assisted Hand Off/Mobile Assisted Channel Assignment). Improved system-initialization procedures are presented.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for handling emergency message frames (e.g., “911” call frames, etc.) sent by a station in a wireless local-area network are disclosed. The illustrative embodiment increases the probability with which an emergency message frame is accorded the highest quality-of-service by modifying one or more IEEE 802.11e parameters (e.g., back-off contention window length, Arbitration Inter-Frame Space [AIFS], etc.) for a station or access point that transmits an emergency message frame.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed for dealing with transmissions between telecommunications stations on a shared-communications channel that avoids some of the costs and disadvantages for doing so in the prior art. The present invention introduces transmission rules that alleviate timing constraints. By following the transmission rules in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, stations exchanging data with each other can prepare frames for transmission far enough in advance to overcome timing constraints.

Abstract: A novel distributed architecture for deploying a plurality of wireless local-area networks is disclosed. The illustrative embodiment enables some of the protocols of a protocol stack to be “off-loaded” from wireless access points to a remote central controller. In particular, protocols whose services operate correctly regardless of the presence or magnitude of processing and communication delays are off-loaded to the central controller, while protocols whose services operate correctly only when delays are below a threshold remain in the wireless access points. The illustrative embodiment thus enables the use of “thin” (i.e., reduced-functionality) access points, thereby reducing cost and facilitating maintenance when deploying multiple wireless local-area networks (for example, on a corporate or academic campus).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for polling stations that transmit periodic traffic streams are disclosed. The illustrative embodiment polls the station in accordance with a polling schedule that is generated to reduce the delay between (i) when the station queues a frame, and (ii) when the station transmits the frame. This reduces the waiting time of the frame in the station, and is, therefore, especially advantageous for latency-sensitive applications such as voice and video telecommunications. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a station that expects to periodically queue a frame for transmission sends a polling request to the polling coordinator, which request enables the polling coordinator to generate an advantageous polling schedule.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for polling stations that transmit periodic traffic streams are disclosed. A station transmits a polling request that specifies the temporal period of the station's traffic stream, and a coordinator, after receiving the polling request, repeatedly sends polls to the station in a rapid-fire manner until a response from the station is received. The coordinator estimates the temporal offset for the temporal period based on one or both of (i) the time at which the coordinator received the response, and (ii) the time at which the coordinator transmitted the particular poll to which the station responded. Based on the temporal period and temporal offset, the coordinator establishes a polling schedule that polls the station soon after the station generates a frame. The coordinator also monitors downlink traffic to polled stations and, when the downlink traffic is periodic, establishes a downlink transmission schedule accordingly.