Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting data. A first device generates a first signal having a first duty cycle, comprising a first gated-on portion and a first gated-off portion in a time slot; and a second device generates a second signal having second duty cycle, comprising a second gated-on portion and a second gated-off portion in the same time slot. The first gated-on portion is generated during a first segment of the time slot and the first gated-off portion is generated during a second segment of the time slot, while the second gated-on portion is generated during the second segment and the second gated-off portion is generated during the first segment. Media access control (MAC) can be used to further define positions within time slots and provide error correction, power control, and the like. A preamble can be transmitted at an increased power level to facilitate acquisition.

Abstract: A node (401) responsive to a TDMA protocol is provided. The node (401) can include a transceiver (403) and one or more processors (407) cooperatively operable with the transceiver (403). The processor (407) can be configured to facilitate receiving (413) one or more frames to be transmitted in a communication over the transceiver (403). The frame(s) can indicate a priority relative to other frames. The processor (407) can queue (415) the frame(s) in one of several queues in response to the priority. Each of the queues can correspond to a different priority. The queues are serviced (417), including processing the frame(s) in the queue(s).

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a transceiver that comprises: transmitting a preamble; transmitting an outer header identifying parameters of an outer payload, after transmitting the preamble; and transmitting the outer payload after transmitting the outer header. The transmitting of the outer payload includes: transmitting an inner header identifying parameters of an inner payload; transmitting an inner payload after transmitting the inner header; and repeating the transmitting of the inner header and the transmitting of the inner payload a plurality of times. A corresponding method of operating a receiver functions by receiving each of these transmitted elements.

Abstract: A method is provided for a master device (601) to allocate channel time. The master device sends a polling frame (240) to a current destination slave device (602) and a current polled slave device (603). The polling frame includes a current destination slave device address (350), a current polled slave device address (360), and a current payload (330). The master device receives a poll acknowledgement frame (280) if the current polled slave device does not wish to transmit data. However, if no poll acknowledgement frame is received, the master device waits for a set duration then sets the current destination device address to be equal to a new destination device address, sets the current polled device address to be equal to a new polled slave device address, and sets a current payload to be equal to a new payload. This can be repeated until a channel time allocation ends.

Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting data. A first device (121) generates a first signal (320) having a first duty cycle, comprising a first gated-on portion (323) and a first gated-off portion (363) in a time slot (260); and a second device (125) generates a second signal (330) having second duty cycle, comprising a second gated-on portion (333) and a second gated-off portion (363) in the same time slot (260). The first gated-on portion (323) is generated during a first segment of the time slot (260) and the first gated-off portion (363) is generated during a second segment of the time slot (260), while the second gated-on portion (333) is generated during the second segment and the second gated-off portion (363) is generated during the first segment. The first and second duty cycles are individually below 100%, and the sum of the first and second duty cycles is below 100%.

Abstract: A method is provided for dynamically controlling aggregation in an ultrawide bandwidth wireless device. In this method, a device receives a plurality of intermediate service data units at an intermediate layer, aggregates at least two of the plurality off intermediate service data units to form an intermediate protocol data unit, and sends the intermediate protocol data unit to a physical layer. The physical layer generates a data frame based on the intermediate protocol data unit and information corresponding to the physical layer, and transmits the data frame in a data stream. The device selects an intermediate size criteria for the intermediate protocol data unit based on a desired frame size criteria for the data frame. The aggregating of the at least two of the plurality of intermediate layer service data units is performed such that an actual intermediate layer protocol data unit size corresponds to the intermediate size criteria.

Abstract: A wireless network is provided that uses pseudo-static time slots. These time slots remain fixed in time unless and until a network controller specifically changes them and the network controller subsequently receives confirmation of the change. Times and durations of the pseudo-static time slots are only changed in small steps as each relevant device in the network acknowledges the step. To aid in allowing full coverage even during a change of active devices, when a transmitter and receiver are moved to a new time slot, the receiver is set to listen to both the old and the new time slots until the transmitter confirms that it has made the switch.

Abstract: A method (500) is provided for operating a network coordinator (110). The method includes receiving device capability information from a plurality of network devices (121-125), including whether each of the network devices can perform network control functions (520); determining whether any of the network devices is capable of performing network control functions based on the device capability information (540); choosing one of the network devices that is capable of performing network control functions to be a designated next coordinator if any of the network devices are capable of performing network control functions (570); determining that there will be no designated next coordinator if none of the network devices are capable of performing network control functions (550); and sending a beacon (220) to the network devices, the beacon including next coordinator information (300) indicating one of: the designated next coordinator, or that there is no designated next coordinator (580).

Abstract: A method (500) is provided for operating an interleaver circuit 120 having N shift lines (2201-220N). Each shift line has a line input node, a line output node, and one or more bit storage elements (240). The method includes: storing don't-care bits in each bit storage element (520); isolating the line output nodes from an interleaver output node (520); receiving a stream of data bits at an interleaver input node (530); and sequentially connecting the interleaver input node to respective line input nodes to shift the stream of data bits into the bit storage elements of corresponding shift lines in an interleaved fashion (530). A don't-care bit is shifted out of each of the bit storage elements in corresponding shift lines as each data bit is shifted in. A last don't-care bit is shifted out of respective bit storage elements in the shift lines during N consecutively-received data bits.

Abstract: A method (500, 600) is provided of operating a local transceiver (300), comprising: setting the local transceiver into an operational mode; operating the local transceiver in a polling mode (520); receiving a quiescent begin indicator identifying a beginning of a quiescent mode (520); setting a portion of the local transceiver into a low power consumption mode in response to the quiescent begin indicator (540); measuring an elapsed time since receiving the quiescent begin indicator as a quiescent time (530, 550); and returning the portion of the local transceiver to the operational mode based on a quiescent end indicator 550, 580, 690).

Abstract: In a method for measuring round trip time (RTT), an RTT measurement packet is transmitted to a destination node. The RTT from transmission of the RTT measurement packet to reception of a response from the destination node is measured to determine if the RTT is greater than a predetermined time period. If the RTT is greater than the predetermined time period, an RTT measurement packet is repeatedly retransmitted at a different time interval and the RTT is remeasured until either the RTT measurement packet has been transmitted a predetermined number of times or the RTT is not greater than the predetermined time period.

Abstract: A method is provided for performing a clear channel assessment in a local device. The local device receives signal energy in a wireless channel and splits the received signal energy into a real portion and an imaginary portion. It determines a real portion of a squared signal energy by subtracting a squared imaginary portion of the signal energy from a squared real portion of the signal energy, and determines an imaginary portion of the squared signal energy by calculating twice the product of the real and imaginary portions of the signal energy. It can perform a signal detection function on the real and imaginary portions of the squared signal energy to produce a clear channel assessment signal that indicates whether a set signal type is present in the wireless channel. This clear channel assessment signal can be used to determine whether the local device should remain in a low-power mode.

Abstract: A network bridge (160) is provided, comprising: a local interface (320) configured to transmit and receive local signals in a local network (305); a bridging interface (325) configured to transmit and receive bridging signals in a bridging network (310); a control circuit (330) configured to pass outgoing local data packets from the local network to the bridging network and to pass incoming bridging payloads from the bridging network to the local network; and an address translation circuit (340) configured to provide the control circuit with address translation data identifying a correspondence between local packet addresses and global packet addresses. The control circuit translates outgoing local addresses to outgoing global addresses (460), and the control circuit translates incoming global addresses to incoming local addresses (560), based on the address translation data.

Abstract: An electronic device (120) is provided that comprises: a transceiver circuit (310) configured to send and receive signals; a memory unit (330) configured to contain testing, configuration, and calibration (TCC) code (440, 450, 460) used to define TCC functions in the device, and operational code (470) used to define operational functions in the device; and a device controller (320) connected to the transceiver circuit and the memory unit, configured to control the device in an operational mode in accordance with the operational code and operational instructions received via the transceiver circuit (650), and to control the device in a TCC mode in accordance with the TCC code and TCC instructions received via the transceiver circuit (635, 640). The device controller is further configured to permanently disable access to at least a portion of the TCC code in response to a disable instruction received via the transceiver circuit (645).

Abstract: A method (1200) is provided for allowing delayed acknowledgement in a local wireless transceiver. In this method the local transceiver (324) receives n data frames (1000) from a remote wireless transceiver (322), each data frame (1000) including a set of acknowledgement policy bits, which indicate a desired acknowledgement policy for the respective data frame (1000). The first (n—1) data frames (811-814) indicate an acknowledgement policy of delayed acknowledgement with no acknowledgement requested, while the final data frame (815) indicates an acknowledgement policy of delayed acknowledgement with acknowledgement requested. In response to the acknowledgement policy of the last data frame (815), the local transceiver (324) sends a delayed acknowledgement response frame (1135) to the remote wireless transceiver (322). This delayed acknowledgement response frame (1135) includes frame identifiers for the first (n?1) data frames (811-814), but does not include a frame identifier for the last data frame (815).

Abstract: A method is provided for a remote device to monitor and communicate with a wireless network using cyclic beacons. The remote device receives a beacon, which beacon includes beacon information that defines a superframe. From the beacon information, the remote device determines whether the received beacon and the associated superframe are assigned to a network device or are unassigned. By receiving as many beacons as there are allowable devices in the network, the remote device can determine if the network is full. If the remote device runs through all of the beacons and all indicate that their associated superframes are assigned, then the remote device determines that the network is full and performs a network-full function. If the remote device receives a beacon that indicates that its associated superframe is unassigned, it determines that the network is not full and performs an association request during the unassigned superframe.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a network device (340) in a wireless network (100). This method includes: joining the wireless network; transmitting a probe command (600) after joining the wireless network, the probe command being addressed to a reserved device identifier; listening for an acknowledgement to the probe command from an orphan device (360); sending a management transmission to a network controller (310) requesting the creation of a child network if an acknowledgement to the probe command is received; receiving a controller transmission from the network controller granting permission to create the child network; creating the child network; and allowing an outside device to join the child network.

Abstract: A method is provided to pass information in a wireless network. The available channel time in the network is first divided into a plurality of sequential superframes. Some devices may need to transmit during every superframe, but others will only need to transmit during a fraction of the superframes. These devices are assigned sub-rate time slots in the superframes at sub-rates that must be a power of two. In other words, they can only be assigned sub-rate time slots every second superframe, every fourth superframe, every eighth superframe, etc. This allows the sub-rate time slots to be spread more evenly throughout the plurality of sequential superframes, and minimizes the amount of overlap possible.

Abstract: A method is provided for a local device in a network to determine media qualities for the transmission paths between it and all of the remote devices in a wireless network. Each of the devices in the network will be assigned at least one of a plurality of management time slots in a superframe rotation. Each device will always transmit a frame during this assigned time slot, whether it is a management frame or a null frame. Individual devices can listen during these frames, determine quality information about the transmission medium between the receiving device and the transmitting device, and based on this quality information set the transmission and reception parameters that the receiving device will use when later communicating with that particular transmitting device. The criteria for determining transmitting parameters and reception parameters can be different to make certain that compatible transmission and reception parameters are chosen among devices.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for sharing bandwidth by a plurality of devices in a wireless personal area network or a wireless local area network. A media access control protocol frame includes a beacon signal sent from a coordinator including coordination information to each of the devices of the WPAN, an optional contention access period, and a contention free period that includes an additional shared period that is managed as a slot cycle time division multiple access period, a polling period, or as management period. The coordination information includes a device-unique start time indicator and a transmission duration defining a guaranteed time slot within the contention free period of the frame for each of the networked devices.