Abstract: A hybrid platform for a software defined radio (SDR) includes a receive/transmit antenna, a radio frequency (RF) frontend, a baseband processor, and a SDR positioned along a signal path that couples the antenna, the RF frontend, and the baseband processor. The SDR includes a transmit processing chain, a receive processing chain, and a FPGA that includes control logic to reduce distortion caused by signal transmission within the SDR.

Abstract: A node in a multi-hop wireless network includes a master radio and a surrogate radio. The master radio performs data communication on a main multi-hop path in the multi-hop wireless network, and the surrogate radio simultaneously scans one or more channels in the multi-hop wireless network. A channel manager determines if a link between two different nodes on the main multi-hop path is disconnected, and, in response to determining a disconnection of the link between two different nodes on the main multi-hop path, the data communication is switched to an alternative multi-hop path in the multi-hop wireless network based on information obtained from the scanning of the one or more channels.

Abstract: A first node in a wireless network transmits a periodic pilot signal to a second node. The second node receives the periodic pilot signal and retransmits the signal back to the first node. The retransmitted pilot signal includes a phase adjustment in view of an internal processing delay at the second node. The phase adjustment involves matching a phase of the retransmitted pilot signal to a phase of the received pilot signal. The first node measures a roundtrip delay of the pilot signal and the distance between the nodes is computed based at least on the measured roundtrip delay.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to networks having increased reliability and associated methods. In one aspect, a method for increasing reliability of a multi-hop network can include generating an erasure correction packet from a data packet using an encoder system, and splitting the erasure correction packet into a plurality of erasure correction subpackets. The erasure correction subpackets can then be transmitted across a plurality of network paths of a multi-node network using a communication system. The method can also include identifying successfully received erasure correction subpackets, and regenerating the data packet from the successfully received erasure correction subpackets using a data aggregation system and a decoder system.

Abstract: A wireless node clock is periodically synchronized with a wireless access point clock. The wireless access point clock is globally synchronized with other access points in a network. Failure of the access point is detected. A search is performed for a beacon signal of a neighboring wireless access point that is associated with the network. The neighboring access point also has a globally synchronized clock. The wireless node clock is synchronized with the globally synchronized clock of the neighboring wireless access point.

Abstract: In one implementation, a region descriptor associated with a communications access point and a location descriptor are accessed at a client. The client determines that a location described by the location descriptor is included within a region described by the region descriptor. The client then requests association with the communications access point in response to the determining.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a sensor comprising one or more sensing devices, data-transmission components that transmit sensor data to a receiving component, and a processing component. The processing component executes routines to record sensing-device output as data for transmission to the receiving entity and to control the data-transmission components to transmit the data to the receiving entity. The processing component executes one or more compressing routines to compress data prior to transmission, when data compression is estimated to result in a lower power cost than transmitting uncompressed data, and controlling the data-transmission components to transmit data without compressing the data when data compression is estimated to result in a higher power cost than transmitting uncompressed data.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in which indications of signal quality associated with each of the plurality of user stations are received. Multiple user stations (e.g., a first user station and a second user station) are selected to receive data from a base station based on the indications of signal quality associated with the plurality of the user stations. A first packet is constructed which contains signaling data for the first user station and application data for the second user station. A second packet which contains application data for the first user station is super-imposed upon the first packet. The first and second packets are transmitted simultaneously from the base station to the first and second user stations.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a sensor comprising one or more sensing devices, data-transmission components that transmit sensor data to a receiving component, and a processing component. The processing component executes routines to record sensing-device output as data for transmission to the receiving entity and to control the data-transmission components to transmit the data to the receiving entity. The processing component executes one or more compressing routines to compress data prior to transmission, when data compression is estimated to result in a lower power cost than transmitting uncompressed data, and controlling the data-transmission components to transmit data without compressing the data when data compression is estimated to result in a higher power cost than transmitting uncompressed data.

Abstract: A node in a multi-hop wireless network includes a master radio and a surrogate radio. The master radio performs data communication on a main multi-hop path in the multi-hop wireless network, and the surrogate radio simultaneously scans one or more channels in the multi-hop wireless network. A channel manager determines if a link between two different nodes on the main multi-hop path is disconnected, and, in response to determining a disconnection of the link between two different nodes on the main multi-hop path, the data communication is switched to an alternative multi-hop path in the multi-hop wireless network based on information obtained from the scanning of the one or more channels.

Abstract: A distinguished node is dynamically selected from a subset of nodes in a wireless network. Data samples from the subset of nodes are received in view of the distinguished node status. At least one estimate is generated from the data samples and the data samples are compressed conditioned on the estimate.

Abstract: A first node in a wireless network transmits a periodic pilot signal to a second node. The second node receives the periodic pilot signal and retransmits the signal back to the first node. The retransmitted pilot signal includes a phase adjustment in view of an internal processing delay at the second node. The phase adjustment involves matching a phase of the retransmitted pilot signal to a phase of the received pilot signal. The first node measures a roundtrip delay of the pilot signal and the distance between the nodes is computed based at least on the measured roundtrip delay.

Abstract: A wireless node clock is periodically synchronized with a wireless access point clock. The wireless access point clock is globally synchronized with other access points in a network. Failure of the access point is detected. A search is performed for a beacon signal of a neighboring wireless access point that is associated with the network. The neighboring access point also has a globally synchronized clock. The wireless node clock is synchronized with the globally synchronized clock of the neighboring wireless access point.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to networks having increased reliability and associated methods. In one aspect, a method for increasing reliability of a multi-hop network can include generating an erasure correction packet from a data packet using an encoder system, and splitting the erasure correction packet into a plurality of erasure correction subpackets. The erasure correction subpackets can then be transmitted across a plurality of network paths of a multi-node network using a communication system. The method can also include identifying successfully received erasure correction subpackets, and regenerating the data packet from the successfully received erasure correction subpackets using a data aggregation system and a decoder system.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to networks having reduced power consumption characteristics and associated methods. In one aspect, a method for reducing power consumption in a multi-hop network can include receiving data at a plurality of primary nodes in a multi-hop network and transmitting the data from the plurality of primary nodes to a plurality of secondary nodes. Individual primary nodes have nearest neighbors at a defined distance and the secondary nodes are spaced at a distance that is greater than the defined distance away from individual primary nodes. Data is transmitted from a given primary node to a secondary node by skipping at least one intervening node and reducing power consumption of the wireless network.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in which indications of signal quality associated with each of the plurality of user stations are received. Multiple user stations (e.g., a first user station and a second user station) are selected to receive data from a base station based on the indications of signal quality associated with the plurality of the user stations. A first packet is constructed which contains signaling data for the first user station and application data for the second user station. A second packet which contains application data for the first user station is super-imposed upon the first packet. The first and second packets are transmitted simultaneously from the base station to the first and second user stations.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in which indications of signal quality associated with each of the plurality of user stations are received. Multiple user stations (e.g., a first user station and a second user station) are selected to receive data from a base station based on the indications of signal quality associated with the plurality of the user stations. A first packet is constructed which contains signaling data for the first user station and application data for the second user station. A second packet which contains application data for the first user station is super-imposed upon the first packet. The first and second packets are transmitted simultaneously from the base station to the first and second user stations.

Abstract: Broadly speaking, the invention comprises systems and methods that use the number of mobile stations, denoted by N, communicating with a base station, as a variable that determines the optimum induced change rate, R, and the antenna beam width, W, of a time-varying base station antenna gain pattern used in conjunction with a forward power modulation (FPM) or a similar scheme to maximize the overall data throughput from the base station by taking advantage of multi-user diversity. In one embodiment, the FPM scheme is turned off if N is below a lower threshold. If N is above this threshold, the FPM scheme is turned on with R and W set to appropriate values. Generally, higher values of N correspond to higher values of R and lower values of W.

Abstract: Systems and methods for adaptively forming a transmission beam to optimize data transmissions to one or more receivers (mobile stations). In one embodiment, a method comprises varying a transmission beam pattern by controlling a parameter such as the phase shift between a primary transmission signal and a secondary transmission signal. As the beam pattern is varied, data is collected on the performance of communications using the beam. The data is then examined to identify values of the control parameter for which performance is maximized. The control parameter is then maintained at these values for longer periods of time than those values for which performance is lower. Data throughput can thereby be increased for situations in which there are relatively few mobile stations in the sector.

Abstract: Systems and methods for predicting the signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) of the signal to be received by a mobile station transmitted from a base station in a wireless data communications system, for the purpose of forward link data rate control in the presence of partly periodic SINR fluctuations. The invention involves determination of a periodic mean SINR component in the received SINR process, and upon such determination the activation of a method which comprises a periodic mean SINR estimator, a subtractor which subtracts the periodic component from the received SINR process to produce an intermediate SINR process, a generic predictor which may be used to perform predictions on the intermediate SINR process, an adder which adds back an appropriate mean value to the intermediate SINR prediction. The resulting final SINR prediction is then used for rate selection.