Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for error detection and correction in digital communication are disclosed. One such method comprises: storing data received in TS packets into an MPE-FEC frame buffer of a receiver according to locations indicated by an MPE-FEC frame buffer write pointer; and storing reliability information regarding said data separately therefrom, said reliability information including addresses of one or more locations in said MPE-FEC frame buffer to be marked for erasure. One such device is a receiver comprising an MPE-FEC frame buffer and an FEC decoder. The FEC decoder is configured to store data received in TS packets into the MPE-FEC buffer according to locations indicated by an MPE-FEC frame buffer write pointer. The FEC decoder is further configured to store reliability information regarding the data separately therefrom, the reliability information including addresses of one or more locations in the MPE-FEC frame buffer to be marked for erasure.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for error detection and correction in digital communication are disclosed. One such method comprises: storing data received in TS packets into an MPE-FEC frame buffer of a receiver according to locations indicated by an MPE-FEC frame buffer write pointer; and storing reliability information regarding said data separately therefrom, said reliability information including addresses of one or more locations in said MPE-FEC frame buffer to be marked for erasure. One such device is a receiver comprising an MPE-FEC frame buffer and an FEC decoder. The FEC decoder is configured to store data received in TS packets into the MPE-FEC buffer according to locations indicated by an MPE-FEC frame buffer write pointer. The FEC decoder is further configured to store reliability information regarding the data separately therefrom, the reliability information including addresses of one or more locations in the MPE-FEC frame buffer to be marked for erasure.

Abstract: Transport stream (TS) packets containing sections of IP datagrams for an application level process are received and correct ones of said sections are stored into an MPE-FEC frame buffer of a receiver. Stored ones of said sections are reorganized within the frame buffer so as to leave appropriate positions, marked for erasure, within the frame buffer available for corrected data. Data bytes stored at the appropriate positions may be corrected using Reed-Solomon parity data stored in the frame buffer and then subsequently written back thereto.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assigning holding packets in a wireless communication system or network includes determining an invalid station address that corresponds to an invalid station and that does not correspond to the address of an affiliated station. The invalid station address is assigned to a holding packet. The holding packet is transmitted to allocate a transmit period to the invalid station. This generates a quiet time in the wireless communication system or network during the transmit period.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic frequency selection in a wireless communication system or network includes processing that begins when an access point determines interference on a wireless channel that is being used by the access point. When the interference exceeds an interference threshold, the access point provides a request packet to affiliated stations being serviced by the access point for channel spectrum information. The processing continues as the affiliated stations generate the channel spectrum information regarding each of the wireless channels in the wireless communication network. The processing proceeds then as the affiliated stations provide the channel spectrum information to the access point via the current wireless channel. The access point interprets the channel spectrum information to determine a desired wireless channel of the plurality of wireless channels within the wireless communication network.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for processing Multi-Protocol Encapsulation (MPE) under the DVB-H standard. The system includes: (a) a receive buffer having entries organized as columns and rows, the addresses for the entries in the receive buffer being arranged sequentially in column-major order; (b) a first process writing MPE data into the receive buffer, in the manner such that, for each frame, the application data portion and the error correction code portion are written sequentially in column major order, (c) a second process decoding the error correction code portion of each frame and which corrects the application data portion in accordance with the decoding; and (d) a third process reading out the application data portion from the receiver buffer column by column, the third process re-reading any column of the application portion that is corrected by the second process, when that column has previously been read by the third process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling transmit power of a wireless communication device includes processing that begins when a transmitting wireless communication device transmits a packet to a targeted wireless device via a wireless channel of a communication system at a 1st power level. The processing continues by having the targeted wireless device determining signal strength of the packet received via the wireless channel. The processing then continues when the targeted and/or transmitting device determines the adequacy of the 1st power level based on the determined signal strength. If the 1st power level is adequate, the transmitting wireless device continues to transmit information at the 1st power level. If, however, the 1st power level is not adequate, the transmitting communication device adjusts its transmit power up or down to provide an adequate power level.

Abstract: Synchronization within a common communication channel having designated transmission time slots for various devices of a computer network is maintained by allowing transmissions within the channel outside of a network device's designated time slot when a clear channel assessment indicates that a previous time slot is not being utilized by its associated device and/or upon receipt of an indication of the end of a transmission of another device in the network. The clear channel assessment preferably takes into account the device's designated transmission time slot within the communication channel with respect to those of other network devices and may be a time period that is the product of a predetermined clear channel waiting time and a numerical representation of the device's designated transmission time slot within the communication channel with respect to those of other network devices. The clear channel waiting time itself may be specified by a network master device as part of a network connection process.

Abstract: A system and a method are provided for processing Multi-Protocol Encapsulation (MPE) under the DVB-H standard. The system includes: (a) a receive buffer having entries organized as columns and rows and in which the addresses for the entries in the receive buffer are arranged sequentially in column-major order; (b) a first process writing MPE data into the receive buffer, in the manner such that, for each frame, the application data portion and the error correction code portion are written sequentially in column major order, (c) a second process decoding the error correction code portion of each frame and which corrects the application data portion in accordance with the decoding; and (d) a third process reading out the application data portion from the receiver buffer column by column, the third process re-reading any column of the application portion that is corrected by the second process, when that column has previously been read by the third process.

Abstract: Transport stream (TS) packets containing sections of IP datagrams for an application level process are received and correct ones of said sections are stored into an MPE-FEC frame buffer of a receiver. Stored ones of said sections are reorganized within the frame buffer so as to leave appropriate positions, marked for erasure, within the frame buffer available for corrected data. Data bytes stored at the appropriate positions may be corrected using Reed-Solomon parity data stored in the frame buffer and then subsequently written back thereto.

Abstract: A communication channel is controlled so as to dynamically accommodate network client requests for access thereto. The communication channel may be supported on a wireless link, such as a spread spectrum wireless link, and client requests for access thereto may be dynamically accommodated by allocating time slots for client transmissions on the wireless link. Providing a quiet time slot within which clients may request access to the communication channel may accommodate various client requests for access to the communication channel. These quiet slots may exist with other forward and reverse time slots which are superimposed on the communication channel, each forward and reverse time slot including one or more data frames. The forward and reverse time slots are preferably fixed, but negotiable, time periods. Each of the data frames may include a plurality of data packets, each of the data packets being variable in length.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic frequency selection in a wireless communication system or network includes processing that begins when an access point determines interference on a wireless channel that is being used by the access point. When the interference exceeds an interference threshold, the access point provides a request packet to affiliated stations being serviced by the access point for channel spectrum information. The processing continues as the affiliated stations generate the channel spectrum information regarding each of the wireless channels in the wireless communication network. The processing proceeds then as the affiliated stations provide the channel spectrum information to the access point via the current wireless channel. The access point interprets the channel spectrum information to determine a desired wireless channel of the plurality of wireless channels within the wireless communication network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic frequency selection in a wireless communication system or network includes processing that begins when an access point determines interference on a wireless channel that is being used by the access point. When the interference exceeds an interference threshold, the access point provides a request packet to affiliated stations being serviced by the access point for channel spectrum information. The processing continues as the affiliated stations generate the channel spectrum information regarding each of the wireless channels in the wireless communication network. The processing proceeds then as the affiliated stations provide the channel spectrum information to the access point via the current wireless channel. The access point interprets the channel spectrum information to determine a desired wireless channel of the plurality of wireless channels within the wireless communication network.

Abstract: Admission to a computer network is provided by having a network device listen to a communication channel communicatively coupling two or more components of the computer network. In some cases, the network device may then transmit a connection request to a controller of the computer network within a designated time slot of the communication channel. In other cases, the connection request may be transmitted without requiring the network device to be polled. The connection request may be confirmed by transmitting the connection request from the controller to network device periodically, until a response from the first network device is received by the controller. Upon confirmation, the controller may send to the network device, a connection agreements package, which includes information regarding time slots within the communication channel to be used by the controller for transmitting information to the first network device.

Abstract: Admission to a computer network is provided by having a network device listen to a communication channel communicatively coupling two or more components of the computer network. In some cases, the network device may then transmit a connection request to a controller of the computer network within a designated time slot of the communication channel. In other cases, the connection request may be transmitted without requiring the network device to be polled. The connection request may be confirmed by transmitting the connection request from the controller to network device periodically, until a response from the first network device is received by the controller. Upon confirmation, the controller may send to the network device, a connection agreements package, which includes information regarding time slots within the communication channel to be used by the controller for transmitting information to the first network device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamic frequency selection in a wireless communication system or network includes processing that begins when an access point determines interference on a wireless channel that is being used by the access point. When the interference exceeds an interference threshold, the access point provides a request packet to affiliated stations being serviced by the access point for channel spectrum information. The processing continues as the affiliated stations generate the channel spectrum information regarding each of the wireless channels in the wireless communication network. The processing proceeds then as the affiliated stations provide the channel spectrum information to the access point via the current wireless channel. The access point interprets the channel spectrum information to determine a desired wireless channel of the plurality of wireless channels within the wireless communication network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling transmit power of a wireless communication device includes processing that begins when a transmitting wireless communication device transmits a packet to a targeted wireless device via a wireless channel of a communication system at a 1st power level. The processing continues by having the targeted wireless device determining signal strength of the packet received via the wireless channel. The processing then continues when the targeted and/or transmitting device determines the adequacy of the 1st power level based on the determined signal strength. If the 1st power level is adequate, the transmitting wireless device continues to transmit information at the 1st power level. If, however, the 1st power level is not adequate, the transmitting communication device adjusts its transmit power up or down to provide an adequate power level.