Abstract: Techniques for distributing content to mobile computing devices, such as in the context of a vehicle-based wireless network, are described. In some examples, a collection of vehicle-mounted devices forms a cooperative wireless network to distribute content items throughout the network. The devices in the network automatically and independently vary the transmission rates in order to optimize or at least improve throughput, network connectivity, and/or range. Each device may determine a utilization level of a wireless communication channel. If the utilization level is below a threshold level, the device increases the transmission data rate of its transceiver, thereby decreasing range. If the utilization level is above a threshold level, the device decreases the transmission data rate of its transceiver, thereby increasing range.

Abstract: A portable communication device implements a position indication method to determine and convey the relative locations of other portable communication devices in a group. In one embodiment, the portable communication devices are equipped with a GPS sensor and the position indication method determines relative locations of devices using GPS location data. In another embodiment, the portable communication devices determine relative locations of devices using the strength of the received signal as a proxy for distance. In some embodiments, the relative location information is conveyed to each portable communication device by modifying the audio signal playback. For example, a 3D audio playback may be used to convey the relative location information. In other embodiments, other non-audible location indication may be provided on each portable communication device.

Abstract: A portable communication device that is a first electronic device, the first electronic device comprising: an interface for electronic communication with a second electronic device; one or more digital processors; and at least one memory. The processors and memory are collectively configured to implement simultaneous radio frequency voice communication between a user and multiple other ones of the devices. Voice communication comprises: transmitting audio data corresponding to speech of the user to each of the other devices, receiving audio data from each of the other devices, mixing the received audio data, and transmitting the mixed audio data to the user so as to direct to the user combined and simultaneous speech of users of each of the other devices. The processors and memory are also collectively configured to implement transmission of at least one audio stream received from the second electronic device to each of the other devices.

Abstract: Techniques for distributing content to mobile computing devices, such as in the context of a vehicle-based wireless network, are described. In some examples, a collection of vehicle-mounted devices forms a cooperative wireless network to distribute content items throughout the network. The devices in the network automatically and independently vary the transmission rates in order to optimize or at least improve throughput, network connectivity, and/or range. Each device may determine a utilization level of a wireless communication channel. If the utilization level is below a threshold level, the device increases the transmission data rate of its transceiver, thereby decreasing range. If the utilization level is above a threshold level, the device decreases the transmission data rate of its transceiver, thereby increasing range.

Abstract: A portable communication device implements a position indication method to determine and convey the relative locations of other portable communication devices in a group. In one embodiment, the portable communication devices are equipped with a GPS sensor and the position indication method determines relative locations of devices using GPS location data. In another embodiment, the portable communication devices determine relative locations of devices using the strength of the received signal as a proxy for distance. In some embodiments, the relative location information is conveyed to each portable communication device by modifying the audio signal playback. For example, a 3D audio playback may be used to convey the relative location information. In other embodiments, other non-audible location indication may be provided on each portable communication device.

Abstract: Techniques for distributing content to mobile computing devices, such as in the context of a vehicle-based wireless network, are described. In some examples, a collection of vehicle-mounted devices forms a cooperative wireless network to distribute content items throughout the network. The devices in the network automatically and independently vary the transmission rates in order to optimize or at least improve throughput, network connectivity, and/or range. Each device may determine a utilization level of a wireless communication channel. If the utilization level is below a threshold level, the device increases the transmission data rate of its transceiver, thereby decreasing range. If the utilization level is above a threshold level, the device decreases the transmission data rate of its transceiver, thereby increasing range.

Abstract: A portable communication device implements a position indication method to determine and convey the relative locations of other portable communication devices in a group. In one embodiment, the portable communication devices are equipped with a GPS sensor and the position indication method determines relative locations of devices using GPS location data. In another embodiment, the portable communication devices determine relative locations of devices using the strength of the received signal as a proxy for distance. In some embodiments, the relative location information is conveyed to each portable communication device by modifying the audio signal playback. For example, a 3D audio playback may be used to convey the relative location information. In other embodiments, other non-audible location indication may be provided on each portable communication device.

Abstract: Techniques for distributing content to mobile computing devices, such as in the context of a vehicle-based wireless network, are described. In some examples, a content provider uses a cellular network to initially transmit a content item to a multi-network communication device in a first vehicle. The first vehicle device then uses a local Wi-Fi network to further transmit randomly selected portions of the content item to devices on nearby vehicles, which may also further propagate the content item portions to other vehicles. Vehicle devices may also specifically request content portions by broadcasting requests to neighboring vehicle devices via local Wi-Fi communication and/or communicating with the content provider via the cellular network. Upon the occurrence of a condition, such as a passage of time, the content provider may also initiate communication with devices in the network in order to assure complete distribution of the content item.

Abstract: Techniques for sharing network information, such as routing table information, are described. In some examples, network nodes share information about the topology of their network. For example, nodes may share routing tables with their neighbors from time to time. To improve the performance of the network, by reducing the overhead of transmitting routing tables, the nodes share their routing tables with neighbor nodes only when those tables are updated or upon request. In other circumstances, such as when a routing table has not changed since it was last shared, each network node instead transmits an indicator, such as a routing table checksum, hash, or the like, that can be used by a neighbor node to determine the routing table is unchanged.

Abstract: A facility for performing employing multiple frequencies in a secure distributed hierarchical convergence network is described. The facility receives a signal in a first frequency, converts the received signal to an internal representation, applies a business rule to the converted signal, and, when the business rule indicates that the signal should be transmitted in a second frequency, causes the internal representation of the signal to be translated to a second frequency and transmitted in the second frequency.

Abstract: A protocol circuit layer is described. The protocol circuit layer may employ a routing layer to determine optimal routes when establishing a circuit. The circuit layer may employ a link layer to send data packets over links to other network nodes. A naming layer may employ circuits to establish a distributed database of associations between network node addresses and their network locations.

Abstract: A portable communication device comprises a housing having therein: a microphone interface for receiving a first audio signal generated by a microphone connected thereto; an audio processing block in electronic communication with the microphone interface so as to receive the first audio signal, the audio processing block configured to generate a second audio signal corresponding to the first audio signal; a transmitter in electronic communication with the audio processing block so as to be configured to transmit the second audio signal; a receiver configured to receive third audio signals; an audio receive block in electronic communication with the receiver so as to generate a plurality of fourth audio signals, each fourth audio signal corresponding to a respective one of the third audio signals; and a speaker interface for connection to a speaker configured to emit audio corresponding to the fourth audio signals.

Abstract: Push to talk (PTT) devices that communicate packet-based voice communications are disclosed. An example PTT device receives voice packets via a packet-based communication network from another PTT device. Voice information in the received voice packets are used to reconstruct the voice communication. The receiving PTT device is able to identify an occurrence of at least one delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet, and then communicate a packet re-transmit request to the other PTT device requesting a replacement voice packet that has a portion of the voice communication that is identical to the voice communication portion of the delayed, corrupted or lost voice packet. The voice communication may then be repaired based on the received replacement voice packet. While the voice communication is being repaired, a comfort tone may be generated so that the listener of the PTT device understands that the voice communication is being repaired.

Abstract: A portable communication device implements a position indication method to determine and convey the relative locations of other portable communication devices in a group. In one embodiment, the portable communication devices are equipped with a GPS sensor and the position indication method determines relative locations of devices using GPS location data. In another embodiment, the portable communication devices determine relative locations of devices using the strength of the received signal as a proxy for distance. In some embodiments, the relative location information is conveyed to each portable communication device by modifying the audio signal playback. For example, a 3D audio playback may be used to convey the relative location information. In other embodiments, other non-audible location indication may be provided on each portable communication device.

Abstract: Techniques for managing congestion in a computer network are described. In some examples a network node uses a dynamic moving average to determine a level of network congestion a computer network. The dynamic moving average uses a window that is dynamically resized based on the contents of the window. For example, when the contents of the half of the window containing older samples are sufficiently different from the contents of the half of the window containing newer samples, the older samples are discarded and an average is calculated using just the newer samples.

Abstract: Techniques for distributing content to mobile computing devices, such as in the context of a vehicle-based wireless network, are described. In some examples, a collection of vehicle-mounted devices forms a cooperative wireless network to distribute content items throughout the network. The devices in the network automatically and independently vary the transmission rates in order to optimize or at least improve throughput, network connectivity, and/or range. Each device may determine a utilization level of a wireless communication channel. If the utilization level is below a threshold level, the device increases the transmission data rate of its transceiver, thereby decreasing range. If the utilization level is above a threshold level, the device decreases the transmission data rate of its transceiver, thereby increasing range.

Abstract: A protocol circuit layer is described. The protocol circuit layer may employ a routing layer to determine optimal routes when establishing a circuit. The circuit layer may employ a link layer to send data packets over links to other network nodes. A naming layer may employ circuits to establish a distributed database of associations between network node addresses and their network locations.

Abstract: A facility for performing employing multiple frequencies in a secure distributed hierarchical convergence network is described. The facility receives a signal in a first frequency, converts the received signal to an internal representation, applies a business rule to the converted signal, and, when the business rule indicates that the signal should be transmitted in a second frequency, causes the internal representation of the signal to be translated to a second frequency and transmitted in the second frequency.

Abstract: A portable communication device comprises a user interface, one or more digital processors in electronic communication with the user interface, and at least one memory in electronic communication with the one or more digital processors, the one or more digital processors and the at least one memory collectively configured to implement simultaneous radio frequency voice communication between a user of the device and multiple other ones of the devices. The voice communication comprises: transmitting audio data corresponding to speech of the user to each of the other ones of the devices, receiving audio data from each of the other ones of the devices, and transmitting the received audio data to the user so as to direct to the user combined and simultaneous speech of users of each of the other ones of the devices.

Abstract: A facility for congestion management and latency prediction is described. In various embodiments, the facility sums a series of fractional transmission delays wherein each fractional transmission delay is measured as a probability of a failed transmission attempt multiplied by the cost of the failed transmission attempt, and provides the sum.