Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to use of actual and/or virtual beacons are described. Virtual beacons are virtual in that an actual beacon need not be transmitted but a rather a virtual beacon transmitter at a desired location may be considered to transmit virtual beacons. Beacon transmitter information indicates transmission power and location of actual and virtual beacon transmitters as well as information to be communicated by virtual beacons and is dynamically updated based on device movement, a schedule and/or the locations of devices in a group. Virtual personal beacons, virtual group beacons and virtual scheduled beacons are supported. A virtual personal beacon transmitter location is updated as the location of a device corresponding to the person moves. Reception of a virtual beacon is reported in a message sent to a wireless terminal or a component of the wireless terminal which acts upon receiving an indication of beacon reception.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to use of actual and/or virtual beacons are described. Virtual beacons are virtual in that an actual beacon need not be transmitted but a rather a virtual beacon transmitter at a desired location maybe considered to transmit virtual beacons. In some embodiments a set of beacon transmitter information for one or more beacons is supplied to devices in a communications system. The beacon transmitter information indicates transmission power and location of actual and virtual beacon transmitters as well as information to be communicated by virtual beacons. Devices with access to beacon information can determine based on the location of a wireless terminal whether the wireless terminal is within coverage area of a virtual beacon and report reception of the virtual beacon to the wireless terminal or a component of the wireless terminal which acts upon receiving an indication of beacon reception.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to use of actual and/or virtual beacons are described. Virtual beacons are virtual in that an actual beacon need not be transmitted but a rather a virtual beacon transmitter at a desired location maybe considered to transmit virtual beacons. In some embodiments a set of beacon transmitter information for one or more beacons is supplied to devices in a communications system. The beacon transmitter information indicates transmission power and location of actual and virtual beacon transmitters as well as information to be communicated by virtual beacons. Devices with access to beacon information can determine based on the location of a wireless terminal whether the wireless terminal is within coverage area of a virtual beacon and report reception of the virtual beacon to the wireless terminal or a component of the wireless terminal which acts upon receiving an indication of beacon reception.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to use of actual and/or virtual beacons are described. Virtual beacons are virtual in that an actual beacon need not be transmitted but a rather a virtual beacon transmitter at a desired location maybe considered to transmit virtual beacons. In some embodiments a set of beacon transmitter information for one or more beacons is supplied to devices in a communications system. The beacon transmitter information indicates transmission power and location of actual and virtual beacon transmitters as well as information to be communicated by virtual beacons. Devices with access to beacon information can determine based on the location of a wireless terminal whether the wireless terminal is within coverage area of a virtual beacon and report reception of the virtual beacon to the wireless terminal or a component of the wireless terminal which acts upon receiving an indication of beacon reception.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for using beacon signals are described. One or more sectorized base stations are used in some embodiments to transmit beacon signals into zones, e.g., each zone being at least partially covered by one or more beacon signals. Use of sectorized base stations allows a single base station, e.g., a Bluetooth or other base station capable of transmitting beacon signals, to cover a number of different zones avoiding the need for multiple different beacon transmitters at different locations to establish different beacon coverage areas. Sectorization of a Bluetooth base station and the ability to remotely or locally configure the base station allows for great flexibility to use beacon signals in stores or other locations without the need for numerous individual battery powered beacon transmitters at floor or display level.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to use of actual and/or virtual beacons are described. Virtual beacons are virtual in that an actual beacon need not be transmitted but a rather a virtual beacon transmitter at a desired location maybe considered to transmit virtual beacons. In some embodiments a set of beacon transmitter information for one or more beacons is supplied to devices in a communications system. The beacon transmitter information indicates transmission power and location of actual and virtual beacon transmitters as well as information to be communicated by virtual beacons. Devices with access to beacon information can determine based on the location of a wireless terminal whether the wireless terminal is within coverage area of a virtual beacon and report reception of the virtual beacon to the wireless terminal or a component of the wireless terminal which acts upon receiving an indication of beacon reception.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to synchronizing transmissions among parent and child routing nodes in a hierarchical wireless mesh network. In one implementation, the present invention employs a time slot scheduling algorithm to coordinate communications between wireless nodes of a hierarchical tree. In one implementation, the present invention provides a wireless mesh network where slot scheduling information propagates throughout the mesh, while individual nodes in the mesh compute their respective time slot schedules based on this information and the current state of the network. In one such implementation, a parent routing node computes its slot schedule and transmits certain parameters to its child nodes (as opposed to the schedule itself). The child node(s) then iterates the same scheduling function based on the parameters passed to it to determine the slots with which it should communicate to its parent node and its child nodes.

Abstract: A mesh tree formation system. In particular implementations, a method includes responsive to a selection of a channel potentially bearing a higher priority use, entering a silent state and initiating a channel scan of the selected channel for a period of time. The method also includes, responsive to receipt of an enabling signal, entering a limited transmission state that enables transmission of wireless frames on the selected channel. The method also includes, responsive to termination of the period of time of the channel scan wherein no higher priority use is detected, entering a full transmission state comprising transmission of enabling signals corresponding to the selected channel.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to synchronizing transmissions among parent and child routing nodes in a hierarchical wireless mesh network. In one implementation, the present invention employs a time slot scheduling algorithm to coordinate communications between wireless nodes of a hierarchical tree. In one implementation, the present invention provides a wireless mesh network where slot scheduling information propagates throughout the mesh, while individual nodes in the mesh compute their respective time slot schedules based on this information and the current state of the network. In one such implementation, a parent routing node computes its slot schedule and transmits certain parameters to its child nodes (as opposed to the schedule itself). The child node(s) then iterates the same scheduling function based on the parameters passed to it to determine the slots with which it should communicate to its parent node and its child nodes.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to synchronizing transmissions among parent and child routing nodes in a hierarchical wireless mesh network. In one implementation, the present invention employs a time slot scheduling algorithm to coordinate communications between wireless nodes of a hierarchical tree. In one implementation, the present invention provides a wireless mesh network where slot scheduling information propagates throughout the mesh, while individual nodes in the mesh compute their respective time slot schedules based on this information and the current state of the network. In one such implementation, a parent routing node computes its slot schedule and transmits certain parameters to its child nodes (as opposed to the schedule itself). The child node(s) then iterates the same scheduling function based on the parameters passed to it to determine the slots with which it should communicate to its parent node and its child nodes.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes, in each of a plurality of mesh access points, connecting to one of a plurality of mesh controllers in a mesh network and passing connection information to the one mesh controller. The mesh access points include a wired mesh access point having a wired connection to the one mesh controller, and wireless mesh access points having a wireless connection to the one mesh controller via the wired mesh access point. The method also includes generating, in each mesh controller, a corresponding link state table based on the passed connection information from each corresponding connected mesh access point. The method also includes generating in at least one of the mesh controllers a mesh table, identifying all of the connecting links for the mesh access points connected among the mesh controllers, based on the mesh controllers sharing the respective link state tables.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to routing configuration in a hierarchical wireless mesh network. In one implementation, the present invention uses neighbor messages to allow routing nodes to discover one another and configure a hierarchical routing configuration. In one implementation, the present invention provides a neighbor and adjacency protocol that provides for automatic mesh configuration and loop-free mesh topologies.

Abstract: A mesh tree formation system. In particular implementations, a method includes responsive to a selection of a channel potentially bearing a higher priority use, entering a silent state and initiating a channel scan of the selected channel for a period of time. The method also includes, responsive to receipt of an enabling signal, entering a limited transmission state that enables transmission of wireless frames on the selected channel. The method also includes, responsive to termination of the period of time of the channel scan wherein no higher priority use is detected, entering a full transmission state comprising transmission of enabling signals corresponding to the selected channel.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to providing an efficient failure recovery mechanism in hierarchical wireless mesh networks. In one implementation, the present invention mitigates the effect of synchronization loss between a parent and child node on the hierarchical wireless mesh network. In one implementation, the present invention employs a configuration scheme whereby the parent node failure timeouts are greater than the time to acquire a parent node to mitigate the effect of synchronization loss on downstream nodes in the hierarchical mesh network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes, in each of a plurality of mesh access points, connecting to one of a plurality of mesh controllers in a mesh network and passing connection information to the one mesh controller. The mesh access points include a wired mesh access point having a wired connection to the one mesh controller, and wireless mesh access points having a wireless connection to the one mesh controller via the wired mesh access point. The method also includes generating, in each mesh controller, a corresponding link state table based on the passed connection information from each corresponding connected mesh access point. The method also includes generating in at least one of the mesh controllers a mesh table, identifying all of the connecting links for the mesh access points connected among the mesh controllers, based on the mesh controllers sharing the respective link state tables.