Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting data packets from a source device in a wireless network. The source device receives a channel time allocation identifying the source device as assigned to transmit and a destination device as assigned to listen during the channel time allocation. If the source device has any primary data to send to the destination device, it will do so during the channel time allocation. If time remains in the channel time allocation once the primary data (if any) has been sent to the destination device, the source device will determine whether it has any secondary data to send to a secondary device. If so, the source device will determine whether the secondary device will be listening during the channel time allocation. If the secondary device will be listening, the source device then sends the secondary data to the secondary device during the channel time allocation.

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: In an ATM satellite communication system, congestion parameters for the downlink from the satellite are measured in the satellite and are broadcast to the downlink terminals or to the downlink and uplink terminals linked by virtual channels extending through the satellite. At a downlink terminal or uplink terminal, the parameters broadcast from the satellite are used to calculate an explicit rate for a virtual channel in the downlink. The explicit rate calculated at the terminal is used by the source for the virtual channel to determine the rate of transmission of Available Bit Rate cells on the virtual channel.

Abstract: A transmitter and a receiver are both initially assigned a starting time slot from a plurality of active time slots in a superframe structure. A controller sends instructions to the transmitter and receiver during a first superframe. These instruct the transmitter to transmit signals during an ending time slot in one or more unused time intervals in the superframes. If the transmitter receives these instructions, it immediately begins transmitting in the ending time slot. If the receiver receives the instructions, it listens for the signals during both the starting active time slot and the ending active time slot for a set number of consecutive superframes after the first superframe. If the receiver does not receive the instructions, it listens for the signals during the entire superframe until it hears instructions in a new superframe. If the transmitter misses more than the set number of superframes, it stops transmitting.

Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting data packets from a source device in a wireless network. The source device receives a channel time allocation identifying the source device as assigned to transmit and a destination device as assigned to listen during the channel time allocation. If the source device has any primary data to send to the destination device, it will do so during the channel time allocation. If time remains in the channel time allocation once the primary data (if any) has been sent to the destination device, the source device will determine whether it has any secondary data to send to a secondary device. If so, the source device will determine whether the secondary device will be listening during the channel time allocation. If the secondary device will be listening, the source device then sends the secondary data to the secondary device during the channel time allocation.

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 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 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 giving signal quality feedback in a wireless network. First, a transmitting device sends a data packet to a receiving device in a data signal. This data signal is sent at a first transmission power and a first data transmission rate. The receiving device receives the data packet in the data signal and determines a signal quality metric for the data signal. The receiving device then sends an acknowledgement frame to the transmitting device in an acknowledgement signal. The acknowledgement frame includes one or more feedback bits, which indicates a relative signal quality of the data signal. The transmitting device receives the acknowledgement frame in the acknowledgement signal at the transmitting device, and adjusts the first transmission power and the first data transmission rate to a second transmission power and a second data transmission rate, respectively, based on the one or more feedback bits.

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.