Abstract: A system and method for performing a beam discovery between peer stations is disclosed. A channel time message indicating an allocation of a first time period for a peer-to-peer beam discovery (PBD) is received, where the PBD is configured to discover a beam direction to be used for data transfer to a peer station. The PBD is executed between two peer stations during the first time period. Data is transferred to the peer station via the discovered beam direction if the PBD is successful.

Abstract: A system and method for wireless communication of data are disclosed. One embodiment of the system includes a transmitter configured to transmit a data packet including a plurality of displayable elements over a wireless channel. Each displayable element includes a plurality of portions including a most significant portion and a least significant portion. The data packet is divided into a plurality of data groups including a first data group and a second data group. The first data group includes the most significant portions of the displayable elements while the second data group includes the least significant portions of the displayable elements. The system also includes a receiver configured to receive the data packet over the wireless channel and to determine whether any of the data groups is in error. The transmitter is further configured to transmit to the receiver: a retransmission packet including a selected data group in error according to a quality of service associated with the displayable elements.

Abstract: Wireless communication between a first transmitter and a first receiver for a new transmission is established on the same wireless data channel used for ongoing transmission between a second transmitter and a second receiver. This is achieved by determining if the second receiver can receive signals from the first transmitter, and determining if the first receiver can receive signals from the second transmitter. If the second receiver cannot receive signals from the first transmitter, and the first receiver cannot receive signals from the second transmitter, then a new transmission is performed from the first transmitter to the first receiver by spatial reuse of the wireless data channel at least partially concurrently with the ongoing transmission on the data channel.

Abstract: A system and method using a medium access control (MAC) header for a wireless communication system including an application layer, a MAC layer, and a physical (PHY) layer is disclosed. The MAC header accommodates time-delay insensitive data transfer between devices located in the network. The MAC header finds particular benefits in short range networks that transfer high definition (HD) video between components. One embodiment of the invention comprises a method of transferring data in a wireless communication network for uncompressed video including fragmenting the data into a plurality of data packets; appending a PHY header to at least one of the data packets to form a MAC frame; setting a field in the PHY header to indicate that the packets do not contain audio video (A/V) data; and transmitting the MAC frame to another device in the wireless communication network.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a system for device discovery in wireless communication. One implementation involves scanning one or more wireless channels to discover a partner wireless station for a new transmission, by detecting peak energy and beacons on each scanned channel. If a beacon is not detected, then selecting the clearest channel among the scanned channels, and transmitting beacons on the clearest channel. Upon detecting a beacon from a partner station, establishing association with the partner station and selecting a wireless data channel for communication with the partner station. Another implementation involves discovering a partner wireless station to establish a data channel for communication with a discovering station that is associated with a coordinator station, and transmitting a bandwidth reservation request to the coordinator to reserve channel time for control message exchange between the discovering station and the partner station.

Abstract: A system and method for wireless communication over a multi-hop network are disclosed. One embodiment of the system includes an access point and a plurality of wireless devices. Each of the access point and the plurality of wireless devices includes a high-rate module to send or receive data over a high-rate wireless channel having a first frequency; and a low-rate module to send or receive one or more control signals over a low-rate wireless channel having a second frequency lower than the first frequency. The low-rate modules of the wireless devices are configured to send information for establishing a multi-hop data route to the access point via the low-rate wireless channel. The access point is further configured to broadcast the information over the multi-hop wireless network via the low-rate wireless channel. This configuration efficiently disseminates the information over the network.

Abstract: A system and method for wireless communication of uncompressed video data includes concealing corrupted portions of video data. Video packets received are transmitted over a wireless channel. Each of the video packets includes data blocks forming video data representing at least part of a video frame. Each of the data blocks is encoded with an error correction code. A data block determined to be corrupted is replaced with an uncorrupted data block selected from the data blocks in the video packets. The corrupted data block includes a first displayable element on the video frame and the uncorrupted data block includes a second displayable element on the video frame. The uncorrupted data block is selected at least partially based on proximity between the first and second displayable elements on the video frame.

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently communicating messages over a low-rate channel between multiple devices in a system for wireless communication of uncompressed video is disclosed. A beacon length indication and processing method is provided to solve the problem of long beacon processing delay at the MAC layer of a receiving station.

Abstract: A system and method for providing content protection in a wireless network for transmitting uncompressed video data is disclosed. An association request is received from a new device by a domain manger. A proximity control test is conducted to determine whether the new device is located within an acceptable distance from the domain manager. The association request is granted or rejected based at least partly on the result of the proximity control test. An authorization token is transmitted to the new device when the association request is granted.

Abstract: A system and method for random access scheme in a wireless ad-hoc network is disclosed. In one aspect, the method comprises transmitting data to a receiving node in a wireless ad-hoc network in a first time block previously reserved for transmission. The method further comprises transmitting data to the receiving node in a second time block if the reservation is periodic, the second time block starting at a time being a fixed amount of time L after the start of the first time block.

Abstract: A method of efficient scheduling for portable devices communicating with a coordinator over a network is disclosed. The method includes: listening for beacons broadcasted by a coordinator; assigning, by the coordinator, a single contiguous time block (CTB) for portable devices during a superframe defined by consecutive beacons; scheduling a single wake period of one of the portable devices, which overlaps inclusively with consecutive beacons and the single CTB; and minimizing duration of the single wake period of the portable device. The single CTB may be arranged next to one of the consecutive beacons. The method may further comprise assigning, by the coordinator, a single random access time block (RATB) for the one of the portable devices so as to overlap with the single wake period. The RATB may be arranged next to one of consecutive beacons. The CTB may be arranged next to the RATB. The CTB may be arranged next to one of the consecutive beacons.

Abstract: A method and system for bandwidth allocation for communicating information over one or more wireless channels by wireless stations, is provided. The channel time is divided into one or more superframes. Available channel bandwidth is allocated by reserving one or more channel time blocks (CTBs) in a superframe for communication, resulting in one or more residue CTBs among the reserved CTBs in the superframe, and allocating at least a portion of one or more residue CTBs in the superframe for bidirectional communication between two stations.

Abstract: A system and method for wireless communication having a device coordinator selection capability are disclosed. In one aspect, the method comprises determining a coordinator priority of each device based on a static priority table, the table assigning a priority to each type of devices. The method further comprises selecting a first device among the plurality of devices as the coordinator based at least in part on the coordinator priority of each device, and a coordinator candidate from the plurality of devices except the current coordinator, based on the coordinator priority of each device and probing results.

Abstract: A system and method for providing spatial reuse in a wireless network for communicating compressed and uncompressed audio/video is disclosed. A bandwidth reservation request for data communication with a receiver to a coordinator is transmitted. A first response indicating availability of the receiver for the data communication is received. A channel is listened to by a station for channel busy indication (CBI) messages transmitted by other stations in the wireless network. A local channel occupation report comprising data indicative of one or more time periods during which one or more other stations in the wireless network are scheduled to transmit data messages is transmitted to the coordinator. A second response comprising data indicative of one or more allocated channel time slots is received. Audio and/or video (A/V) data is transmitted to the receiver during the allocated channel time slots.

Abstract: A method and system for wireless communication in a wireless network is provided. One implementation involves a requesting wireless station directionally transmitting a request to a coordinator for access to a communication channel; the request packet includes a field indicating the length of the desired reservation period; and upon successfully receiving the request from the wireless station, the coordinator reserving a channel time period for data transmission by the requesting wireless station, and at least pseudo-omni-directionally broadcasting a packet to all wireless stations in the network indicating the reservation. All other stations refrain from contending the channel during the reserved channel time period.

Abstract: A system and method for wireless communication over multi-rate channels are disclosed. One embodiment of the system includes source and destination devices that use first and second channels under a contention-based protocol. The first channel is directional with a first frequency and a first range. The second channel is omni-directional with a second frequency and a second range. The second frequency is lower than the first frequency, and the second range is greater than the first range. The source device may send the destination device a request for data transmission via the first channel over the second channel. The destination device may send the source device an approval for the data transmission over the second channel. The source device may further transmit an acknowledgment (ACK) of the approval over the second channel upon receiving the approval to prevent other devices in the system from contending for data transmission.

Abstract: A system and method for wireless communication over multi-rate channels are disclosed. One embodiment of the system includes a first wireless device; a second wireless device; and an access point that can communicate over high-rate and low-rate channels. One or more of the first and second wireless devices and the access point can include neighbor information on the wireless stations in the wireless network. One or more of the first and second wireless devices and the access point may be configured to transmit a frame in an attempt to establish a direct link over the first channel between the first and second stations. Before transmitting the frame, the one or more of the first and second wireless devices and the access point may determine whether a direct link can be established over the first channel between the first and second stations, based at least partly on the neighbor information.

Abstract: A system and method for reusing existing directional information to configure antennas in a wireless network is disclosed. The method includes retrieving existing directional information, the existing directional information having been established in a previous antenna training session with a receiver. The method further includes performing a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimation procedure comprising: transmitting an SNR estimation probe message to the receiver via a directional antenna tuned with the existing directional information, and determining whether an estimated SNR value associated with the SNR estimation probe message is equal to or greater than a threshold SNR value. The method further includes transmitting a data message to the receiver via the directional antenna tuned with the existing directional information if it is determined that the estimated SNR value is equal to or greater than the threshold SNR value.

Abstract: A system and method for random access scheme in a wireless ad-hoc network is disclosed. In one aspect, the method comprises transmitting data to a receiving node in a wireless ad-hoc network in a first time block previously reserved for transmission. The method further comprises transmitting data to the receiving node in a second time block if the reservation is periodic, the second time block starting at a time being a fixed amount of time L after the start of the first time block.

Abstract: A system and method of reserving bandwidth for disjoint time intervals in a wireless network. Parameters for a disjoint network allocation vector (NAV) define a reservation of a plurality of disjoint time durations during which transmissions by devices other than a target device are deferred. Parameters are sent as a control or data packet over a network and received by the devices associated with the network.