Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices and methods for determining the identity of markings on tires. A portable tire scanner can comprise one or more light sources and detector that reflect light off tire markings and capture imagery of them. The scanner is operable to process the imagery to determine the identity of the markings. The marking can be the same color as the area of the tire around the marking (e.g., black-on-black) and the scanner can identify the marking by determining angular edges of the markings. Plural light sources and/or detectors can be used to provide plural perspectives to better determine the edges of the markings. The housing can have a form factor that allows the scanner to be hand-held, such that a user can aim the scanner at tires even while on a vehicle or in hard to reach positions. The scanner can be used to scan and identify several tire marking in succession.

Abstract: A distributed disparate wireless switching network is described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary network architecture includes, but is not limited to, a connection origination exchange (COX), a proxy controller coupled to the COX, an access point coupled to the proxy controller, and a mobile node wirelessly coupled to the access point. The mobile node communicates with a terminating node of a network through the access point and the proxy controller using an identification maintained by the proxy controller. The COX originates a connection with the terminating node on behalf of the mobile node using the identification provided by the proxy controller. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: A real-time scalable wireless switching network is described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary network architecture includes, but is not limited to, a first access point coupled to a wired network, where the first access point is capable of communicating with one or more mobile nodes over a wireless network. The exemplary network architecture further includes a first node coupled to the wired network to communicate with the first access point over the wired network, where the first node includes a wireless network interface to wirelessly communicate with at least one of the first access point and the one or more mobile nodes over the wireless network. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: A wireless network having control plane segregation is described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary network architecture includes, but is not limited to, multiple access points coupled to a wired network, where each of the access points is capable of communicating with one or more mobile nodes over a wireless network. The exemplary network architecture further includes a controller coupled to the access points over the wired network, where the controller maintains network traffic information of the wireless network and communicates the network traffic information with the access points to enable the access points to cooperate with each other to provide network services to the one or more mobile nodes over the wireless network. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: A wireless network having a real-time channel allocation is described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary network architecture includes, but is not limited to, multiple access points coupled to a wired network, where each of the access points is capable of communicating with one or more mobile nodes over a wireless network. The exemplary network architecture further includes a controller coupled to the access points over the wired network. The controller maintains one or more parameters that control one or more characteristics of each access points. The controller adjusts and communicates the one or more parameters to each of the access points in response to a detection of real-time conditions changed. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fluid mixture monitoring and controlling using an acoustic sensing technique by pulsing a fluid sample and a reference fluid in elongated chambers with sound waves generated at one end of the chambers and sensing the resonant frequencies in the chambers, or the time lapse for the sound waves to traverse the chambers, with transducers disposed proximate the other ends of the chambers and ratiometrically comparing the time-based measurements.