Abstract: An apparatus having corresponding methods and computer programs comprises first ports to receive first frames, and to transmit second frames, wherein each first port comprises a port ingress circuit to insert into each first frame, source information identifying the first port; a second port to transmit the first frames, and to receive the second frames, wherein each second frame, when received by the second port, comprises destination information identifying one or more of the first ports; and a controller to transfer the first frames from the first ports to the second port, and to transfer the second frames from the second port to one or more of the first ports according to the destination information in the second frame; wherein each first port further comprises a port egress circuit to remove the destination information from each of the second frames before the first port transmits the second frame.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for advertising a service on a wireless device. The method includes: storing authentication information in the wireless device; using the authentication information to establish communication between the wireless device and a service provider; and subsequent to the communication being established between the wireless device and the service provider, advertising, on the wireless device, context-specific information about a service associated with the service provider based on at least one of (i) an ambient temperature, (ii) a body temperature of a user of the wireless device, and (iii) a heart rate of the user.

Abstract: A wireless network device comprises a first wireless communication device that includes a first radio frequency (RF) transceiver that generates a synchronization pulse and that transmits and receives data according to a first period. A second wireless communication device receives a signal indicative of the synchronization pulse and includes a second RF transceiver that transmits and receives data according to a second period. The second period is not equal to the first period and the second wireless communication device adjusts the second period according to the first period and the synchronization pulse.

Abstract: A wireless network device includes a plurality of antennas for transmitting and receiving data packets. An antenna diversity module measures at least one of an average signal-to-noise ratio and a packet error rate associated with the data packets and selects a given antenna of the plurality of antennas based on at least one of the average signal-to-noise ratio and the packet error rate. The antenna diversity module measures a first average signal-to-noise ratio or a first packet error rate while utilizing a first antenna of the plurality of antennas, measures a second average signal-to-noise ratio or a second packet error rate while utilizing a second antenna of the plurality of antennas, and selects the given antenna based at least in part on a comparison of the first average signal-to-noise ratio to the second average signal-to-noise ratio or a comparison of the first packet error rate to the second packet error rate.

Abstract: A wireless device including memory and a control module. The memory is configured to store authentication information in the wireless device. The authentication information is used to authorize communication between the wireless device and a service provider. The control module is configured to establish communication between the wireless device and the service provider using the authentication information. The control module is further configured to transmit an order for a service from the wireless device to the service provider based on at least one of (i) an ambient temperature, (ii) a body temperature of a user of the wireless device, and (iii) a heart rate of the user.

Abstract: A network device includes a base band processor (BBP) receiver to detect a frame in a signal. A media access controller (MAC) receiver identifies a destination address in the frame. A power management module transitions the BBP receiver to an active mode based on an estimated energy level of the signal before transitioning the MAC receiver, a processor, a MAC transmitter, and a BBP transmitter to the active mode; transitions the MAC receiver to the active mode when the frame is present after transitioning the BBP receiver to the active mode and before transitioning the processor, the MAC transmitter, and the BBP transmitter to the active mode; and transitions the processor to the active mode based on the destination address after transitioning the BBP receiver and the MAC receiver to the active mode and before transitioning the MAC transmitter and the BBP transmitter to the active mode.

Abstract: A wireless network device comprises a first wireless communication device that includes a first radio frequency (RF) transceiver that generates a synchronization pulse and that transmits and receives data according to a first period. A second wireless communication device receives a signal indicative of the synchronization pulse and includes a second RF transceiver that transmits and receives data according to a second period. The second period is not equal to the first period and the second wireless communication device adjusts the second period according to the first period and the synchronization pulse.

Abstract: A personal lifestyle device (PLD) includes a communication module, a memory device, and a control module. The communication module communicates with a wireless network. The memory device stores authentication information that authorizes communication between the PLD and at least one of the wireless network and a lifestyle service provider, and a profile comprising a lifestyle service ordered from the lifestyle service provider using the PLD. The control module communicates with the communication module and the memory device, automatically establishes communication between the PLD and at least one of the wireless network and the lifestyle service provider using the authentication information, automatically receives a unicast for the lifestyle service from the lifestyle service provider, wherein the unicast is selectively based on the profile, and selectively transmits an order for the lifestyle service to the lifestyle service provider.

Abstract: A wireless network device comprises at least two antennas that transmit and receive data packets. An antenna diversity module measures at least one of an average signal to noise ratio (SNR) and an error rate of said data packets during at least one of transmitting and receiving N packets, where N is an integer greater than one, and selects one of said at least two antennas based on said at least one of said average SNR and said error rate.

Abstract: In a packet detector, one or more tests are performed for packet detection according to packet detection parameters associated with the one or more tests, a rate of false detection is measured, and the packet detection parameters are adjusted accordingly to reduce the rate of false detection. The rate of false detection might be determined by analyzing post-detection and processing of a signal deemed to be a signal representing a packet for a failure of decoding indicative of a false detection. Such analysis might include testing for a failed SFD search, training symbol anomalies, poor conditioning of metrics used to determine frequency offset and OFDM timing, incorrect data fields, or the like.

Abstract: In a wireless network, data transmitted from a one station to another station is transmitted using the 802.11b protocol while data transmitted in the other direction is transmitted using an OFDM modulation of the 802.11g protocol. Data and acknowledgements might be transmitted using the same modulation, the same data rate or distinct data rates and/or distinct modulations.

Abstract: The invention includes an apparatus and a method for transmitting sub-protocol data units from a plurality of base transceiver stations to a subscriber unit. The method includes estimating time delays required for transferring the sub-protocol data units between a scheduler unit and each of the base transceiver stations. The method further includes the scheduler unit generating a schedule of time slots and frequency blocks in which the sub-protocol data units are to be transmitted from the base transceiver stations to the subscriber unit. The time delays are used to generate the schedule. The time delays can be used to generate a look ahead schedule that compensates for the timing delays of the sub-protocol data units from the scheduler unit to the base transceiver stations. The sub-protocol data units are wirelessly transmitted from the base transceiver stations to the subscriber unit according to the schedule.

Abstract: In a wireless network, data transmitted from a client station to an access point is transmitted using the 802.11b protocol while data transmitted from the access point to the client station is transmitted using the 802.11g protocol. In an alternative embodiment of a wireless network, data transmitted from a client station to an access point is transmitted using the 802.11g protocol while data transmitted from the access point to the client station is transmitted using the 802.11b protocol.

Abstract: A personal lifestyle device (PLD) includes a communication module, a memory device, and a control module. The communication module communicates with a wireless network. The memory device stores authentication information that authorizes communication between the PLD and at least one of the wireless network and a lifestyle service provider, and a profile comprising a lifestyle service ordered from the lifestyle service provider using the PLD. The control module communicates with the communication module and the memory device, automatically establishes communication between the PLD and at least one of the wireless network and the lifestyle service provider using the authentication information, automatically receives a unicast for the lifestyle service from the lifestyle service provider, wherein the unicast is selectively based on the profile, and selectively transmits an order for the lifestyle service to the lifestyle service provider.

Abstract: The invention includes an apparatus and method for wirelessly transmitting data between a plurality of subscriber units and a base transceiver station. The method includes at least one subscriber unit transmitting a request to send data blocks to the base transceiver station. The request includes a data transmission queue size value. A base user queue size estimate is updated at the base transceiver station. The base user queue size estimate corresponds to the one subscriber unit that transmitted the request to send data. The base user queue size estimate is based upon the data transmission queue size value. The base transceiver station generates a schedule that includes time slots and frequency blocks in which the requested data blocks are to be transmitted from the one subscriber unit to the base transceiver station. The subscriber unit transmits the data blocks the subscriber requested to be sent, according to the schedule.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for transmitting data packets in a wireless network over a multi-access channel involving sequentially sending a plurality of medium access control (MAC) data packets from a transmitter over the multi-access channel, using a physical layer protocol based on a standard physical layer protocol having a short interframe spacing (SIFS), wherein the plurality of MAC data packets includes at least a first data packet and a second data packet separated by a reduced interframe spacing that is less than SIFS, attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets at a receiver using the physical layer protocol, including the first data packet and the second data packet separated by the reduced interframe spacing, and sending from the receiver a single acknowledgement packet associated with attempting to receive the plurality of MAC data packets.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for transmission generation at a node in a wireless network involving writing a sequence of transmission instructions to a plurality of independently accessible buffers such that each one of the sequence of transmission instructions is written to one of the plurality of independently accessible buffers, reading each one of the sequence of transmission instructions from one of the plurality of independently accessible buffers, and carrying out at least one transmission task in accordance with each transmission instruction read from one of the plurality of independently accessible buffers, wherein a read operation for reading one of the sequence of transmission instructions from one of the independently accessible buffers may overlap in time with a write operation for writing another one of the sequence of transmission instructions to another one of the independently accessible buffers.

Abstract: A wireless network includes a transmitting device and a plurality of receiving devices. The transmitting device is configured to receive a plurality of data packets, including a first data packet and a second data packet, prepare a preamble, prepare a signal field for each of the plurality of data packets, including a first signal field based on the first data packet and a second signal field based on the second data packet, and broadcast the preamble, the first signal field, the first data packet, the second signal field, and the second data packet as a concatenated packet.

Abstract: In a packet detector, one or more tests are performed for packet detection according to packet detection parameters associated with the one or more tests, a rate of false detection is measured, and the packet detection parameters are adjusted accordingly to reduce the rate of false detection. The rate of false detection might be determined by analyzing post-detection and processing of a signal deemed to be a signal representing a packet for a failure of decoding indicative of a false detection. Such analysis might include testing for a failed SFD search, training symbol anomalies, poor conditioning of metrics used to determine frequency offset and OFDM timing, incorrect data fields, or the like.

Abstract: The invention includes an apparatus and a method for scheduling wireless transmission of data blocks between multiple base transceiver stations and multiple receiver (subscriber) units. A scheduler unit receives the protocol data units from a network and sub-divides the protocol data units into sub-protocol data units. A plurality of base transceiver stations receive the sub-protocol data units, and wirelessly transmit the sub-protocol data units to a subscriber unit. The scheduler unit determines a schedule protocol for transmission of the sub-protocol data units by the plurality of base transceiver stations. The invention can include a base controller station that includes the scheduler unit. The invention can include a home base transceiver station that include the scheduler unit.