Abstract: A system is presented for providing a middleware communication space that provides asynchronous message delivery service for partially connected mobile ad hoc networks. Embodiments of the present invention use mobile devices to bridge separated islands of networks and store and propagate messages. The system and software architecture supports methods for messaging caching, transferring and routing. More specifically, embodiments provide methods and systems that extend a communication space concept into a distributed environment and combine it with the standard Web Services technologies, i.e, SOAP, and WS series protocols. The communication space provides an extension of Web Services to mobile ad hoc networks and provides asynchronous message caching, transferring and routing.

Abstract: A system and method for improved vertical handoff between different types of wireless network. Network allocation vector occupation and packet collision probability are used as quality of service measures, enabling vertical handoffs to be delayed until actually beneficial to quality of service. Improved wireless network cell boundary detection in vertical handoff scenarios is achieved with a Fourier-based technique in conjunction with an adaptively determined minimum operating signal strength threshold. Improved wireless network cell boundary detection enables vertical handoffs from high quality of service networks to be delayed as long as possible. Together, practical wireless network quality of service measures and improved detection of wireless network cell boundaries in vertical handoff scenarios reduce the rate of unnecessary vertical handoff resulting in higher overall quality of service experienced by a mobile computing device roaming between wireless network types.

Abstract: Overlay network peers may be grouped so that each peer in a peer group has a similar transport network proximity measure with respect to the peers in other peer groups. A first set of transport network distances may include distances between a peer group and peer group neighbors of the peer group. A second set of distances may include distances between a peer and the peer group neighbors of the peer group. The peer may decide to join the peer group if the first set of distances is near to the second set. A first peer group may query a second peer group for the second peer group's neighboring peer groups. The distance between the first peer group and each of the second peer group's neighbors may be measured. Overlay network connections may be established between the first peer group and the closest of the second peer group's neighbors.

Abstract: A middle layer network protocol enhancement, virtual connectivity (VC) makes the network attachment point changes of local and remote peers transparent to applications that use network services. A virtual connectivity module local to each peer translates communication connection parameters from apparent to real and vice versa, as well as sending and receiving secure connection updates directly to and from peers. Unlike Mobile IP, no routing infrastructure modifications are required. A subscribe-notify service provides connection update notifications when direct peer-to-peer connection updates are not possible, for example, when two communicating peers move simultaneously or when the moving peer is communicating with a peer behind network address translation (NAT). Methods for detecting these conditions are disclosed, as is a virtual connectivity protocol and virtual connectivity module architecture.

Abstract: A middle layer network protocol enhancement, virtual connectivity (VC) makes the network attachment point changes of local and remote peers transparent to applications that use network services. A virtual connectivity module local to each peer translates communication connection parameters from apparent to real and vice versa, as well as sending and receiving secure connection updates directly to and from peers. Unlike Mobile IP, no routing infrastructure modifications are required. A subscribe-notify service provides connection update notifications when direct peer-to-peer connection updates are not possible, for example, when two communicating peers move simultaneously or when the moving peer is communicating with a peer behind network address translation (NAT). Methods for detecting these conditions are disclosed, as is a virtual connectivity protocol and virtual connectivity module architecture.

Abstract: A method provides differentiated quality of service (QoS) by providing adaptive updates to media access control (MAC) layer parameters on a distributed basis. The method includes calculating a failure probability for a transmission over the network, determining a target value for determining a contention window according to a mapped function of the failure probability, and altering the contention window according to a scaling function of the target value. The mapped function and the scaling can provide QoS differentiation. A wireless device ensures fairness in a wireless time slotted network and includes a network interface card (NIC), a network driver interface, a network monitor, a statistics engine, and an adaptive parameter engine for determining a target value for determining a contention window according to a mapped function of the one or more probabilities to enable an alteration of the contention window and provide new parameters for the MAC layer.

Abstract: A system and method for improved vertical handoff between different types of wireless network. Network allocation vector occupation and packet collision probability are used as quality of service measures, enabling vertical handoffs to be delayed until actually beneficial to quality of service. Improved wireless network cell boundary detection in vertical handoff scenarios is achieved with a Fourier-based technique in conjunction with an adaptively determined minimum operating signal strength threshold. Improved wireless network cell boundary detection enables vertical handoffs from high quality of service networks to be delayed as long as possible. Together, practical wireless network quality of service measures and improved detection of wireless network cell boundaries in vertical handoff scenarios reduce the rate of unnecessary vertical handoff resulting in higher overall quality of service experienced by a mobile computing device roaming between wireless network types.

Abstract: A system and method for improved vertical handoff between different types of wireless network. Network allocation vector occupation and packet collision probability are used as quality of service measures, enabling vertical handoffs to be delayed until actually beneficial to quality of service. Improved wireless network cell boundary detection in vertical handoff scenarios is achieved with a Fourier-based technique in conjunction with an adaptively determined minimum operating signal strength threshold. Improved wireless network cell boundary detection enables vertical handoffs from high quality of service networks to be delayed as long as possible. Together, practical wireless network quality of service measures and improved detection of wireless network cell boundaries in vertical handoff scenarios reduce the rate of unnecessary vertical handoff resulting in higher overall quality of service experienced by a mobile computing device roaming between wireless network types.

Abstract: A method and system for encoding a mark-up language document is provided, in which, the structure of the mark-up language document is condensed by removing those parts of the structure that are fixed, and by expressing the variable parts of the structure in terms of whether or how often they occur. A template that specifies which parts of the structure and fixed and which parts are variable may be provided to both the device that is transmitting the mark-up language document and the device that is receiving the mark-up language document.

Abstract: A system and method to convert a CIF compressed video to a QCIF video bitstream provides compatibility between the various digital video sources and application uses. A coding mode and a motion vector for a macroblock in a QCIF video sequence are selected from those of a corresponding CIF video sequence without motion estimation.

Abstract: A unique sync mark is applied by an encoder to the beginning of each frame in a data packet of a Windows Media™ Audio bitstream by a Microsoft® Windows Media™ Audio (WMA) codec. The WMA decoder handles errors at the frame level for each data packet. When a frame in a data packet of a WMA file is corrupted, the decoder can continue to decode the next frame by searching for the next sync mark at the beginning of the next frame. Accordingly, error propagation is confined to a single frame and the decoder can simultaneously handle bit errors and packet erasures when decompressing a received audio bitstream.

Abstract: A source encoder encodes audio signals into increasing quality layers defined in bit planes. Each bit plane has a data unit that includes a beginning partition having one or more contiguous refinement bits, a second partition having one or more contiguous coded significance bits, a third partition having one or more contiguous sign boundary mark bits, and a fourth partition having one or more contiguous coded sign bits. A channel encoder encodes the bit planes into respective columns containing multiple rows. Unequal error protection coding is provided according to the quality of each layer such that each row has row and column channel protection codes for the respective row and column that correspond to the respective quality layer. For the corresponding row and column, each row contains the row channel protection codes and either the compressed audio data from the respective layer or the column channel protection codes.

Abstract: A scalable audio codec processes, quantizes and encodes audio signals into an embedded audio bitstream of bit-planes each having a data unit. The data unit has a beginning refinement bits partition, a second significance bits partition, a third sign boundary mark bits partition, and a fourth sign bits partition. The second and fourth partitions form a boundary for the third partition. The quantizing uses a variable length coding algorithm. The third partition is an invalid codeword for a predetermined encoding method being used to encode. The codec uses a decoder to decode the embedded audio bitstream of bit-planes using Reversible exponential Golomb (Exp-Golomb) codes in a Reversible Variable Length Code (RVLC) algorithm to produce quantized data of weighted subbands. An inverse quantizer dequantizes the quantized data into audio signals.

Abstract: A peer-to-peer (P2P) probing/network quality of service (QoS) analysis system utilizes a UDP-based probing tool for determining latency, bandwidth, and packet loss ratio between peers in a network. The probing tool enables network QoS probing between peers that connect through a network address translator. The list of peers to probe is provided by a connection server based on prior probe results and an estimate of the network condition. The list includes those peers which are predicted to have the best QoS with the requesting peer. Once the list is obtained, the requesting peer probes the actual QoS to each peer on the list, and returns these results to the connection server. P2P probing in parallel using a modified packet-pair scheme is utilized. If anomalous results are obtained, a hop-by-hop probing scheme is utilized to determine the QoS of each link. In such a scheme, differential destination measurement is utilized.

Abstract: A network performance (e.g., latency and bandwidth) measurement infrastructure for large scale networks based on self-organized probing groups of devices. Each group of devices has a lead device that measures network characteristics, and then shares the measurement information with other devices. This grouping method reduces the amount of network bandwidth needed for adequate measurements, while still providing necessary information to individual devices. The system utilizes a novel multicast-based algorithm that is adopted for both intra-group and inter-group performance measurement. The measurement groups (MeGroups) are dynamic and self-forming, and use a set of heuristic algorithms to optimize the dynamic groupings.

Abstract: A framework and method for quality of service (QoS) aware resource discovery in mobile ad hoc networks are presented. Self-organized discovery agents manage the directory information that describes the network resources available for use by clients. In one embodiment, hash indexing of available resources is utilized. The discovery agents also partition the network into domains and collect intra- and inter-domain QoS information. This information is used to allow clients to select appropriate resource providers. This framework and method has low discovery latency and cost in terms of the number of packets for each resource discovery query.

Abstract: A power control scheme for a wireless network communication system that includes a base station and multiple wireless mobile device dynamically adjusts transmission power of a mobile device in conjunction with adjusting its bit allocation in source coding and channel coding to minimize its total power consumption while maximizing the system capacity in terms of the total effective transmission rates received by the base station. The base station sets a target signal quality value for each mobile station, and the target values are determined by the base station such that the total effective data rate from all the mobile devices is maximized under constraints of the total received power and the error protection level requirements for the mobile devices.

Abstract: A method and system for managing admission to a network considers the packet delay of the network in making an admission decision. The packet delay of the network is periodically probed. To avoid disturbing or impairing the traffic of the network, a sequence of probing packets is sent to the network at an irregular interval. Responses to the probing packets are analyzed to obtain delay information of the network. If the delay information is insufficient to make an admission decision, then the packet loss rate of the network is measured and considered.

Abstract: A system for content (e.g., streaming media) is presented comprising a server, to provide media content on request through a wireline network, coupled to a wireless host through a network gateway. The network gateway establishes a communication channel from the server to the wireless host through both a wireline network and a wireless network, wherein the communication channel includes a transport layer protocol with control parameters for network elements of each of the wireline network and the wireless network. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.

Abstract: An implementation of a technology, described herein, for transmitting compressed network transport-layer-protocol headers in a speedy, efficient, inferentially synchronized, and robust manner. An implementation, described herein, models the transmission of compressed headers to the congestion procedure of the network transport-layer protocol (e.g., TCP's). Doing so, the sender of the compressed headers can infer whether the receiver correctly received them. Unlike the slow direct synchronization employed by conventional schemes, this implementation of the present claimed invention inferentially synchronizes by modeling after the congestion procedure of the network transport-layer protocol. This is inherently faster than direct synchronization. Since the implementation performs well over both noiseless and noisy links, it is particularly suited to use over wireless communications channels. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent.