Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for providing Quality of service to RFID. In one embodiment the present invention includes a method of providing quality of service in an RFID network comprising storing RFID priority information corresponding to the RFID network, wherein the RFID network comprises one or more tags and one or more readers mapping the RFID priority information into priority information corresponding to a second network.

Abstract: Many mobile devices such as smart phones can generate content ranging from text and audio, to images and videos that are taken with their cameras. These devices are also equipped with wireless radios and magnetometers that can be used to obtain position and orientation information. It is possible to allow the user of the mobile phone to add the position and orientation information of the mobile and date/time to the content that the mobile generates. Thus, emails, Short Message Service (SMS) messages, blog entries, audio recordings, and pictures/video that are generated with the mobile can be geotagged with the mobile's position and orientation, as well as the date and time. This information can then be used by a location-based contextual advertising server to provide more relevant on-line ads.

Abstract: A decentralized communication device is provided that facilitates optimal positioning and orientation of one or more antennas for wireless communication with external devices. The decentralized communication device includes one or more master components and one or more slave components. The master and the slave components are physically separate and communicate wirelessly. In some embodiments the slave acts as a carrier frequency translator between the master and an external wireless device, where it communicates with the external device using a first frequency and communicates with the master using a second frequency which is different from the first frequency. In another embodiment the slave has most or all the physical layer to do the digital coding, digital modulation, data framing, data formatting and data packetization for communicating with an external device, in which case digital coding and digital modulation is distributed between the master and the slave.

Abstract: A master application device comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, a central baseband processor, and a network management engine that manages operation of the master application device and end-user application devices. The master application device communicates data streams to the end-user devices utilizing one or more distributed transceivers selected from the plurality of distributed transceivers. The selected distributed transceivers are dynamically configured to switch between spatial diversity mode, frequency diversity mode, multiplexing mode and MIMO mode based on corresponding link quality and propagation environment. Digital signal processing needed for the selected distributed transceivers is performed by the central baseband processor. The network management engine continuously monitors communication environment information to configure beamforming settings and/or antenna arrangement for the selected distributed transceivers.

Abstract: A communication device comprising a plurality of distributed transceivers and one or more corresponding antenna arrays is operable to determine characteristics of one or more objects that are sensed within a surrounding communication environment of the communication device. The communication device may configure one or more of the plurality of distributed transceivers and/or one or more of the corresponding antenna arrays to handle communication of one or more data streams based on the determined characteristics. Exemplary characteristics may comprise reflective property and/or refractive property of the sensed one or more objects within the surrounding communication environment of the communication device. The communication device may be operable to store the determined characteristics, corresponding temporal information and/or spatial information for the sensed one or more objects, and/or signal propagation characteristics within a surrounding communication environment of the communication device.

Abstract: An ultrasound power transmitter comprising a transmit ultrasonic transducer array has a plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers. The ultrasound power transmitter activates a set of transmit ultrasonic transducers in close proximity of an electronic device to be arranged to beam ultrasound energy to the electronic device. Alignment magnets of the ultrasound power transmitter are aligned with corresponding alignment magnets of the electronic device to manage the ultrasound beaming. The ultrasound energy may be converted into electric power to charge the battery of the electronic device. Feedbacks may be provided by the electronic device to the ultrasound power transmitter to increase power transmission efficiency. The ultrasound power transmitter may pair the electronic device with other different electronic devices utilizing ultrasonic signals.

Abstract: A battery charging station is equipped with radio frequency power transmitters, induction power transmitters, and ultrasound power transmitters so as to concurrently charge electronic devices. The battery charging station is operable to network the electronic devices through wireless communication. In this regard, the battery charging station may coordinate or arrange the radio frequency power transmitters, the induction power transmitters and/or the ultrasound power transmitters so that the resulting power transmission from the battery charging station to one or more intended networked electronic devices may be maximized. The battery charging station may wirelessly communicate with the electronic devices for device networking. The networked electronic devices may be connected to a computer network for various network services such as, for example, network advertising and software downloading or uploading.

Abstract: A method of determining the location of a mobile device is provided. The method receives a signal with a known radio transmission pattern at the mobile device from each of several transmitting devices. The method correlates each received signal with a corresponding signal that has a same known radio transmission pattern to determine the time the signal traveled between the corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device. The method determines the location of the mobile device based on the time the signal travelled between the corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device. In some embodiments, determining the location of the mobile device does not require calculating a distance between the mobile device and any of the transmitting devices. In some embodiments determining the location of the mobile device includes solving a function that is dependent on the time the signals traveled between each corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device.

Abstract: A transmitting device comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, a baseband processor and a network management engine. Data streams are generated at baseband by the baseband processor. Diversity coding such as space-time coding may be performed over the generated data streams in the baseband. The transmitting device concurrently transmits each of the coded streams in a same radio frequency (RF) band to a receiving device over the entire distributed transceivers through associated antennas. When needed, the network management engine may identify one or more auxiliary devices providing available transceivers and antenna beamformers to the transmitting device for sharing. Beam patterns and antenna orientations may be determined for associated antennas of the available transceivers for the transmitting device.

Abstract: In communication device comprising a plurality of distributed transceivers and one or more corresponding antenna arrays, a first distributed transceiver is configured to receive signals comprising one or more first data streams and a second distributed transceiver is configured to receive signals comprising one or more second data streams. One or more components within a transmit processing chain of the first distributed transceiver and/or one or more components within a transmit processing chain of the second distributed transceiver are adjusted to maximize beamforming gain for the one or more first data streams and/or second data streams. A phase of the one or more first data streams and/or the one or more second data streams may be adjusted by the one or more components within a transmit processing chain of the first distributed transceiver and/or the one or more components within a transmit processing chain of the second distributed transceiver.

Abstract: An improved authentication method and system is provided where a user securely accesses a variety of target servers for online email, online banking, credit card purchases, ecommerce, brokerage services, corporate databases, and online content (movies, music and software). The method involves a bridge server performing authentication tasks that allow a user to access a server or a group of servers with multiple security levels. The method eliminates the need for the user to remember multiple usernames/passwords for each target server. The method also allows one bridge server and one set of security devices to be used to authenticate the user for multiple servers, thereby reducing security costs and increasing user convenience. A location-based password-ID generating device is also described for secure location-based access.

Abstract: A mobile device receives signals from base stations each with multiple distributed transceivers. Each distributed transceiver may operate at different carrier frequencies. Each distributed transceiver is equipped with an independently configurable antenna array handling transmissions of the radio frequency signals to the mobile device. The mobile device generates channel measurements for the received signals, and subsequently receives a position estimate from a remote location server. The location server determines corresponding transmit diversity configurations applied to the base stations for conducting the channel measurements for the mobile device, and channel measurements at scanned locations in a location scanning region. The location server selects and utilize a signature function to calculate the position estimate for the mobile device over the transmit diversity configurations.

Abstract: A communication system is provided that switches the communication of multi-antenna transmitter and receiver terminals between MIMO and frequency-bundle modes. In MIMO mode all transmitter and receiver antennas operate in the same frequency channel while in frequency-bundle mode each pair of one transmitter antenna and one receiver antenna is tuned to a different frequency channel. The communication system includes one or more control modules that collect, analyze, and apply configurations to the terminals and switch the operation of one or more transmit/receive terminal pairs between the MIMO and frequency-bundle modes based on the collected information and metrics.

Abstract: A controlling entity communicates with a plurality of network devices having a plurality of distributed transceivers and one or more corresponding antenna arrays. The controlling entity receives information, such as location information, propagation environment characteristics, physical environment characteristics and/or link parameters and quality from the network devices and/or communication devices that are communicatively coupled to the plurality of network devices. The controlling entity coordinates communication of data streams for the distributed transceivers and the antenna arrays based on the received information. The network device comprises an access point, a router, a switching device, a gateway and/or a set top box. The controlling entity is located within or external to one of the network devices. One or more functions performed by the controlling entity are split between the controlling entity and one or more of the network devices.

Abstract: A device comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, a plurality of distributed beamformers, a baseband processor, and a network management engine. The distributed transceivers perform beamforming in a radio frequency band. The distributed beamformers, however, performs beamforming in an intermediate frequency band. Each of the distributed transceivers is coupled to a corresponding one of the distributed beamformers. Each transceiver-beamformer pair is coupled to the baseband processor utilizing a same communication medium such as a cable. For transmission, a data stream generated at baseband is converted to intermediate frequencies. With a low-power transmission, the distributed beamformers transmit the data stream wirelessly in the intermediate frequencies to a receiving device. With a normal-power transmission, the distributed transceivers transmit the data stream to the receiving device in the radio frequency band. The transceivers and the beamformers are turned OFF whenever not being used.

Abstract: Some embodiments use scanning devices to characterize radio signals received at a number of locations within a geographical area of interest. The signal characteristics along with the location information associated with the characteristics are stored in a centralized reference database. A mobile device characterizes signals it receives at a certain location and compares the characteristics with the signal characteristics stored in the reference database to obtain accurate location information of the certain location.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for providing Quality of service to RFID. In one embodiment the present invention includes a method of providing quality of service in an RFID network comprising storing RFID priority information corresponding to the RFID network, wherein the RFID network comprises one or more tags and one or more readers mapping the RFID priority information into priority information corresponding to a second network.

Abstract: Embodiments of an improved assisted global positioning system (GPS) method and system are described. Wireless access points send assistance data to GPS receivers that are integrated into cellular chipsets and other chipsets. The access points may also act as fixed location references for differential GPS (DGPS) mobile stations. Errors caused by multipath travel of the GPS signals are reduced by using fixed location reference receivers.

Abstract: A method of determining the location of a mobile device is provided. The method receives a signal with a known radio transmission pattern at the mobile device from each of several transmitting devices. The method correlates each received signal with a corresponding signal that has a same known radio transmission pattern to determine the time the signal traveled between the corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device. The method determines the location of the mobile device based on the time the signal travelled between the corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device. In some embodiments, determining the location of the mobile device does not require calculating a distance between the mobile device and any of the transmitting devices. In some embodiments determining the location of the mobile device includes solving a function that is dependent on the time the signals traveled between each corresponding transmitting device and the mobile device.

Abstract: A master application device comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, a central baseband processor, and a network management engine that manages operation of the master application device and end-user application devices. The master application device communicates data streams to the end-user devices utilizing one or more distributed transceivers selected from the plurality of distributed transceivers. The selected distributed transceivers are dynamically configured to switch between spatial diversity mode, frequency diversity mode, multiplexing mode and MIMO mode based on corresponding link quality and propagation environment. Digital signal processing needed for the selected distributed transceivers is performed by the central baseband processor. The network management engine continuously monitors communication environment information to configure beamforming settings and/or antenna arrangement for the selected distributed transceivers.