Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an electrical current flow between a first device and a second device includes a first semiconductor switch having a first conduction terminal and a second semiconductor switch having a first conduction terminal coupled to the first conduction terminal of the first semiconductor switch. The apparatus also includes a first snubber circuit coupled to a second conduction terminal of the first semiconductor switch and a second snubber circuit coupled to a second conduction terminal of the second semiconductor switch, wherein the first snubber circuit is adapted to couple with the first device and the second snubber circuit is adapted to couple with the second device.

Abstract: Described herein are devices, systems, methods, and processes for determining the indoor or outdoor status of an access point (AP) utilizing global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data. In many embodiments, a machine learning model is trained and utilized to distinguish between indoor, outdoor, and partially covered areas based on GNSS data features. In a number of embodiments, geometric inference is utilized to deduce the indoor or outdoor status of the AP from the relative direction of satellites that are detectable or not detectable. In a variety of embodiments, the indoor or outdoor status of the AP is inferred based on an obstacle profile constructed based on satellites that are simultaneously detectable by two or more APs. The standalone solution provides an automated approach for determining the indoor or outdoor status of an AP without relying on external services.

Abstract: In various embodiments described herein, network devices, such as clients and access points (APs) can conduct an association or sounding process utilizing a unified beamforming matrix. As wireless network associations are increasingly utilizing multiple links, processes that are typically done for each link can become redundant. In response, embodiments described herein can unify, compress, or otherwise streamline beamforming operations across multiple links into one link. For example, beamforming over multiple links can traditionally require data to be exchanged on each link. The beamforming parameters can instead, in many embodiments, transmit beamforming data or matrices on a single link that comprises a unified beamforming matrix, which can reduce the amount of data that is transmitted, and reduce temporal decay by packaging and transmitting data together instead of transmitting over each and every link. This can improve overall network performance and increase transmission efficiency.

Abstract: Devices, networks, systems, methods, and processes for scheduling transmissions from a plurality of ambient power devices are described herein. An Access Point (AP) may determine whether one or more ambient power devices are overlapping or non-overlapping based on one or more device characteristics associated with the one or more ambient power devices. The AP may transmit, to a wireless device, a charging instruction signal based on the one or more device characteristics. The one or more ambient power devices may receive one or more charging frames from the wireless device. The wireless device can receive one or more uplink frames and relay the one or more uplink frames to the AP. The AP may record the one or more charging frames, generate one or more charging profiles for the one or more ambient power devices, and develop an energy management strategy based on the one or more charging profiles.

Abstract: Existing localization techniques for passive ambient backscatter devices may not be sufficient to perform accurate location detection, tracking, or providing location updates of the backscatter devices. To address this, devices and methods, and processes that facilitate improved localization of the backscatter devices are described herein. A network device in a network transmits a tone sequence to excite a backscatter device. At least one peer network device of a set of peer network devices communicatively coupled to the network device determines one or more phase difference values between the transmitted tone sequence received by the at least one peer network device and a reflected tone sequence received at the at least one peer network device from the excited backscatter device. The network device receives the one or more phase difference values and determines a location of the backscatter device.

Abstract: Devices, systems, methods, and processes for channel selection in wireless networks for narrowband-assisted ultra-wideband (NBA-UWB) signaling and ranging. Narrowband signal overlaps the existing ISM bands and thus has high likelihood of interfering with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and other technologies used inside a network device. Therefore, selection of an appropriate target channel that may be used for UWB signaling can mitigate interference with Wi-Fi/BLE signals. A network device may receive one or more channel status messages from a plurality of neighboring network devices. The channel status messages may indicate a channel associated with a respective neighboring network device and a channel metric associated with the channel. The channel metric may indicate channel quality, traffic status, signal strength, etc. Based on a set of available channels indicated by the one or more channel status messages, the network device may select a target channel to execute a UWB signaling.

Abstract: Devices, networks, systems, methods, and processes for charging a plurality of ambient power devices are described herein. An ambient power device can include an energy storage. The ambient power device can reserve an amount of charge of the energy storage for generating and transmitting a recharge signal. The ambient power device may generate the recharge signal when a current charge level of the energy storage falls below a threshold charge level indicative of the reserved charge. The recharge signal can be indicative of requiring charging the energy storage immediately. The ambient power device can determine one or more Access Points (APs) that are closest or that have highest signal strengths. The ambient power device may transmit the recharge signal to the one or more APs and receive a charging signal from the one or more APs. The charging signal may be utilized to recharge the energy storage.

Abstract: Described herein are devices, systems, methods, and processes for enhancing fine timing measurement (FTM) within a multi-user (MU) exchange in wireless communication systems. In the embodiments, a client device may perform FTM within a larger, more accurate MU frame, while avoiding the use of the entire bandwidth for the FTM messages. This approach may allow for a more efficient utilization of the available bandwidth. Large channel FTM operations can be reserved with the MU mode, and a temporary association identifier (AID) may be utilized for the client device. Flexibility can be provided in switching between single-user (SU) and MU modes. The embodiments may improve the efficiency and accuracy of FTM in wireless communication systems, offering a lighter and more efficient solution than existing approaches, particularly in high-density environments where a large number of devices may need localization simultaneously.

Abstract: Devices, systems, methods, and processes for locating ambient power (“AMP”) devices in a wireless network are described herein. In the wireless network, locations of various network devices are known. When an AMP device enters the wireless network, timing synchronization function (“TSF”)-based timestamping and relay by other known network devices of the wireless network are utilized to detect the location of an AMP device in the wireless network. The process includes an AMP device transmitting a message timestamped with AMP's TSF value to the network device, and the network device recording a time-of-arrival of the message using its TSF value. Both the network device and the AMP device are synchronized with a location detector (e.g., an access point) that utilizes these timestamps to detect the location of the AMP device. The TSF time-stamping process is simpler, consumes less airtime, and has lower frame processing complexity than conventional ranging protocols.

Abstract: Devices, systems, methods, and processes for calibration of group delay effects in ranging measurements such as Time of Flight are described herein. Typically, ranging measurements suffer from group delay variation (GDV) caused due to propagation through a communication channel, filters, antenna, or the like. Therefore, calibration of a transmitting device and a receiving device may be performed to offset the GDV. The transmitting device may generate a channel sounding request including a multicarrier modulated signal and transmit to a receiving device via a communication channel. Each subcarrier of the multicarrier modulated signal may suffer a time delay while propagating through the communication channel. The receiving device may determine corresponding phase response of each subcarrier to determine the GDV information. The receiving device may transmit the GDV information to the transmitting device, which can generate an equalizer based on the GDV information, to calibrate one or more ToF measurements.

Abstract: Devices and methods for locationing with Bluetooth-assisted Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) ranging are provided. To support UWB ranging based on a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) out-of-band mechanism, establishing a BLE connection for each of a plurality of network devices is not feasible. To allow client devices to autonomously determine their location, virtual BLE addressing with shared keys is implemented. A client device configures first and second UWB ranging exchanges associated with first and second network device sets, respectively, based on bonding data associated with virtual Bluetooth addresses. The client device obtains first and second UWB ranging data and transmits the first or second UWB ranging data to a cloud for locationing. Based on the reuse of the virtual Bluetooth addresses across the first and second network devices sets, the client device perceives the same known set of network devices for connection rather than the plurality of network devices.

Abstract: Devices, networks, systems, methods, and processes for coordinating transmissions from a plurality of ambient power devices are described herein. An Access Point (AP) may transmit one or more control frames to the plurality of ambient power devices. The one or more control frames may include a sequence of bits that may be utilized by the plurality of ambient power devices to determine a frequency offset. The one or more control frames can also include a transmission order indicative of an order of transmission of each ambient power device of the plurality of ambient power devices. The one or more control frames can include one or more matrices indicative of one or more carrier frequencies and time slots. The plurality of ambient power devices can receive the one or more control frames and transmit one or more uplink frames to the AP based on the one or more control frames.

Abstract: Devices, networks, systems, methods, and processes for calibration of barometric sensors in the devices are described herein. A device may include a barometric sensor for measuring an observed pressure value at a geolocation of the device. The device can receive one or more reference pressure values from multiple sources. The device may compare the one or more reference pressure values with the observed pressure value to determine an offset pressure value. The device can calibrate or re-calibrate the barometric sensor based on the offset pressure value. The device may determine an altitude value based on the observed pressure value. The device can further optimize the altitude value after calibration of the barometric sensor. The device may dynamically re-calibrate the barometric sensor to adapt to changing environmental conditions in real-time. The device may also periodically re-calibrate the barometric sensor to reduce or eliminate an effect of drift in the barometric sensor.

Abstract: Devices, systems, methods, and processes for pre-association sounding executed between a user device and a network device are described herein. The user device may announce its pre-association sounding capability to the network device. The network device, also supporting pre-association sounding, may transmit a plurality of sounding frames to the user device. The user device may process the plurality of sounding frames, determine channel state information (CSI), and transmit the CSI to the network device. The plurality of sounding frames and the CSI may be exchanged between the user device and the network device prior to the user device associating with the network device. By the time the user device associates with the network device, the network device may already have the CSI required for beamforming one or more transmissions towards the user device. Thus, latency overheads associated with sounding are reduced by performing pre-emptive sounding while in a pre-association state.

Abstract: A candle holder, comprising: a main body having a holder sized to fit a candle, and a series of openings and channels connected to the holder, wherein the openings and channels exit the main body at various locations throughout the main body.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a magnetometer of a device is provided. The method includes collecting, with a portable calibration device having a magnetometer, magnetic field measurements in a spatial region about a mounting location where the device is to be installed for operation, estimating magnetometer compensation parameters to correct for magnetic field distortion at the mounting location based on the magnetic field measurements collected by the portable calibration device, and configuring the device installed at the mounting location based on the magnetometer compensation parameters.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a technique for Internet of Things (IoT) device location tracking using midambles is provided. A first wireless device in connection with an antenna array may receive one or more first data symbols of a data payload from a second wireless device using a first antenna state that assigns a radio path, used for location estimation, to a first antenna of the antenna array. Subsequent to identifying a first midamble of the data payload, the first wireless device may change the first antenna state to a second antenna state that assigns the radio path to a second antenna of the antenna array. The first wireless device may receive one or more second data symbols of the data payload using the second antenna state. The first wireless device may determine a location of the second wireless device based on location information determined using the radio path.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a technique for Internet of Things (IoT) device location tracking using midambles is provided. A first wireless device in connection with an antenna array may receive one or more first data symbols of a data payload from a second wireless device using a first antenna state that assigns a radio path, used for location estimation, to a first antenna of the antenna array. Subsequent to identifying a first midamble of the data payload, the first wireless device may change the first antenna state to a second antenna state that assigns the radio path to a second antenna of the antenna array. The first wireless device may receive one or more second data symbols of the data payload using the second antenna state. The first wireless device may determine a location of the second wireless device based on location information determined using the radio path.

Abstract: The embodiments herein use a factorization based technique for determining filter coefficients for a subset of the subcarriers in a wireless frequency band. Once the filter coefficients for the subset of the subcarriers are calculated, the network device uses these filter coefficients to identify the filter coefficients in a neighboring subcarrier. To do so, the network device uses pseudo-inverse iteration to convert the already calculated filter coefficients into filter coefficients for a neighboring subcarrier. The network device can repeat this process for the next set of neighboring subcarriers until all the filter coefficients have been calculated.

Abstract: The embodiments herein use a factorization based technique for determining filter coefficients for a subset of the subcarriers in a wireless frequency band. Once the filter coefficients for the subset of the subcarriers are calculated, the network device uses these filter coefficients to identify the filter coefficients in a neighboring subcarrier. To do so, the network device uses pseudo-inverse iteration to convert the already calculated filter coefficients into filter coefficients for a neighboring subcarrier. The network device can repeat this process for the next set of neighboring subcarriers until all the filter coefficients have been calculated.