Abstract: A multi-hop wireless network includes an originator node, a proxy node, and at least one other node. The originator node generates a data packet and transmits the data packet to the proxy node. The proxy node receives and forwards to the at least one other node the data packet including an originator node address and a proxy node sequence number for an end-to-end groupcast sequence number.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for providing machine health information. In one embodiment, a machine may include a storage device that is configured to store collected machine health data. The storage device has a module that is configured to determine a data characteristic and a communication characteristic. The storage device is further configured to determine, based on the data characteristic and the communication characteristic, whether to transmit a set of machine health data to an off-board system. Further, the storage device is coupled to a transmitter that is configured to transmit the set of machine health data to the off-board system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for multihop packet forwarding within a multihop wireless communication network. The method uses a data frame format including at least the four address fields to forward packets in a multihop wireless network. The method includes generating a route request packet at a routable device in response to receiving a packet destined for an unknown destination. The route request packet includes an originating device field including an address of an originating device, wherein the originating device generated the packet originally; and a source field, wherein the source field includes an address of the first routable device which generated the route request packet.

Abstract: A communication network (600) includes a first communication device (102-1) and at least one other communication device (102-3), wherein the first communication device (102-1) and the at least one other communication device (102-3) are proximately located. The communication network further includes a transaction detector (625) coupled between the first communication device (102-1) and the at least one other communication device (102-3) for detecting one or more transactions intended for each of the proximately located communication devices. The communication network (600) further includes a bandwidth allocator (610) adapted to impede communication activity for a predetermined time for the at least one other proximately located communication devices (102-3), and activate communication activity for the predetermined time for the first communication device (102-1) in response to the transaction detector (625) detecting a transaction intended for the first communication device (102-1).

Abstract: A system and method for evaluating at least one communication link between a transmitting node (102, 106, 107) and a receiving node in a communications network (100), such as a wireless ad-hoc communications network (100) in accordance with the 802.11 standard. The system and method perform the operation of assigning respective link quality values to the respective communication links based on a transmit power level (TPL) value at which the respective data packets were transmitted by the transmitting node (102, 106, 107) over the respective links, a received sensitivity (RS) value of the receiving node (102, 106, 107) receiving the data packets, and a receive signal strength indication (RSSI) value provided by the network (100) for each respective link. The system and method can examine a content of a data packet being sent between the two nodes (102, 106, 107) to determine the TPL, and can receive the RSSI value from a physical layer of the communications network (100).

Abstract: A dual mode, dual band wireless communication network (100) and a method for using the same. The wireless communication network (100) includes nodes, such as mobile nodes (102), access points (106) and wireless routers (107), that can communicate wirelessly over two different frequencies, for example, 2.4 GHz and 4.9 GHz, to provide high mobility and high data rate capabilities, and for communication with 802.11 compliant and non-802.11 compliant devices.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamic frequency selection at one or more access points (APs 106) in a multihop wireless network (100). The system and method maintain at the APs (106) a table comprising end-to-end network channel information that is indicative of the degree of channel performance in the network (100). The APs (106) are capable of dynamically selecting frequencies in response to the network channel information in the table.

Abstract: A method and system for routing data in a wireless network (400) that enables all nodes (106, 402, 404, 406, 408) to find routes to each other even if the nodes are incapable of operating as a router to route packets received from other nodes (106, 402, 404, 406, 408). The meshed nodes (106, 402) which are capable of performing packet routing act as proxy nodes for their associated non-meshed nodes (STA 13-STA 15) to route packets from their associated non-meshed nodes (STA 13-STA 15) to destination nodes. Some of the meshed nodes further operate as intelligent access points (106) to provide the non-meshed nodes and other meshed nodes with access to other networks, such as the Internet (402).

Abstract: A method and system for routing data in a wireless network (400) that enables all nodes (106, 402, 404, 406, 408) to find routes to each other even if the nodes (106, 402, 404, 406, 408) are non-meshed which are incapable of operating as a router to route packets received from other nodes (106, 402, 404, 406, 408), and for associating and reassociating the non-meshed and meshed nodes with other meshed nodes (106, 402, 404, 406, 408). The non-meshed nodes (STA 13-STA 15) request association with one of the meshed nodes (AP5) which are capable of performing packet routing, to request that the meshed node (AP5) with which the non-meshed node (STA 13) is associating operate as a proxy node to route packets between the associated non-meshed node (STA 13) and other meshed or non-meshed nodes (106, 402, 404, 406, 408).

Abstract: A system and method for enabling the coexistence of waveforms that do not comply with IEEE Standard 802.11 in the presence of 802.11 compliant waveforms in a wireless communication network (100), in particular, a wireless multi-hopping ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network (100). More particularly, the system and method controls 802.11 compliant devices (102, 106, 106) in the communication network to refrain from accessing a transmission medium for a predetermined time so that communication not complying with 802.11 can be performed, such as transmission of signals between devices (102, 106, 107) to perform time-of-flight measurements.

Abstract: A system and method that creates an abstraction of the physical layer of a wireless communication network (100), in particular, a wireless ad-hoc peer-to-peer communication network (100), and that normalizes the feedback from the physical layer to enable multiple types of nodes (102, 106, 107) in the wireless network to operate using a common wireless routing protocol. This routing protocol uses a link quality metric to determine the best route regardless of how it actually chooses the route or disseminates such link quality information. The generalized routing metric can be derived for any node (102, 106, 107), regardless of its relative performance or its media access control (MAC) technology. The system and method also create a transaction summary that can be used for link adaptation and link quality estimation to determine, for example, future data rates, link quality/routing metrics, and transmit powers.

Abstract: A system and method for improving the performance of an on-demand routing protocol in a wireless network is provided. The invention provides improved system performance of a wireless network by enabling nodes following an on-demand routing protocol to process (and possibly reply to) route request messages multiple times based on the routing metrics.