Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for detecting obstruction of a device's antenna(s) and then changing an operation of the device. A transmission time at which an antenna of an electronic device transmitted a signal can be identified. A response signal can be detected that was received at a receiver of the electronic device subsequent to the transmission time. Based on the response signal and on the transmission time, one or more response-signal characteristics can be determined. Based on the one or more response-signal characteristics, it can be determined that the antenna or that another antenna of the electronic device is at least partly blocked from emitting or receiving signals. In response to determining that the antenna is at least partly blocked, a changed type of operation can be identified, and the changed type of operation can be performed.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for detecting obstruction of a device's antenna(s) and then changing an operation of the device. A transmission time at which an antenna of an electronic device transmitted a signal can be identified. A response signal can be detected that was received at a receiver of the electronic device subsequent to the transmission time. Based on the response signal and on the transmission time, one or more response-signal characteristics can be determined. Based on the one or more response-signal characteristics, it can be determined that the antenna or that another antenna of the electronic device is at least partly blocked from emitting or receiving signals. In response to determining that the antenna is at least partly blocked, a changed type of operation of operation can be identified, and the changed type of operation can be performed.

Abstract: A wireless device with multiple antennae and configured to support orthogonal frequency-division multiplexed (OFDM), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications of a wireless local area network (LAN) over a wireless communication medium on a communication channel.

Abstract: A link optimizer for optimizing a link on a wireless local area network (WLAN). The link optimizer including: a beamform matrix generator configured to generate discrete candidate beamforming matrices for spatially modulating successive communication packets from a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) capable transmitter one of the WLAN nodes that supports beamforming to a recipient one of the nodes that does not support beamforming; and a beamform evaluator configured to evaluate discrete ones among the set of candidate beam forming matrices generated by the beamform matrix generator based on receipt acknowledgements from the recipient one of the nodes for each successive communication packet transmitted from the MIMO capable transmitter one of the nodes; and to utilize a successfully evaluated one of the candidate beam forming matrices for transmission of subsequent communication packets from the MIMO transmitter one of the nodes to the recipient one of the nodes.

Abstract: A link optimizer for optimizing a link on a wireless local area network (WLAN). The link optimizer includes: a sounding distender, a beamform matrix derivation module, and a link dimension attenuator. The sounding distender send a sounding packet exclusively at a maximum number of streams and at a maximum bandwidth supported by the link and receives a MIMO feedback beamforming matrix in response. The beamform matrix derivation module derives from the received MIMO feedback beamforming matrix a set of derived MIMO beamforming matrices having at least a column dimension less than a column dimension in the feedback beamforming matrix. The link dimension attenuator selects at least one of the derived beamforming matrices for transmission of subsequent communication packets, thereby avoiding a requirement for additional channel sounding.