1219results about "Active radio relay systems" patented technology

The present system is directed to a computerized system for monitoring and controlling remote devices by transmitting data between the remote systems and a gateway interface via a packet message protocol system. The system comprises one or more remote sensors to be read and possibly one or more actuators to be remotely controlled. The remote sensor(s)/actuator(s) then interface with uniquely identified remote transceivers that transmit and/or receive data. If necessary in individual applications, signal repeaters may relay information between the transceiver(s) and the gateway interface. Communication links between the remote transceivers and the gateway interface are preferably wireless but may also be implemented via a mixture of wireless and wired communication links. To successfully communicate between the transceiver(s) and the gateway interface, the present invention receives a plurality of RF signal transmissions containing a packet protocol via RF signals that includes sender and receiver identifiers, a description of the packet itself, a message number, any commands, the data, and an error detector. In addition, the packet protocol can be easily integrated with alternate data communication protocols for use with systems other than the Internet.

A method for configuring a wireless network comprised of a control node and a multiplicity of individual nodes includes the steps of logically organizing the network into a plurality of bands Bi, wherein each of the bands Bi includes a plurality of the individual nodes and is located a number i of hops away from the control node, where i=0 through N, and N≧1, and then assigning a logical address to each of the individual nodes, and storing the assigned logical addresses in the respective individual nodes. The assigned logical address for each individual node includes a first address portion which indicates the band Bi in which that individual node is located, and a second address portion that identifies that node relative to all other individual nodes located in the same band. The network is preferably a packet-hopping wireless network in which data is communicated by transferring data packets from node-to-node over a common RF channel. Each of the individual nodes is preferably programmed to perform the step of comparing its own logical address to a routing logical address contained in each packet which it receives, and to either discard, re-transmit, or process the packet based upon the results of the comparison. The routing logical address contained in a received packet contains the full routing information required to route the packet from a sending node to a destination node along a communication path prescribed by the routing logical address. The control node is programmed to control the routing of packets by inserting the routing logical address into each packet which it transmit, detecting any unsuccessfully transmitted packets, detecting a faulty node in the communication path prescribed by the routing logical address in response to detecting an unsuccessfully transmitted packet, and changing the routing logical address of the unsuccessfully transmitted packet to a new routing logical address which prescribes a new communication path which does not include the detected faulty node. Also disclosed are a wireless network and a network node which are designed to implement the foregoing network configuration and/or routing methods.

A repeater mediates traffic between a network transceiver and a user transceiver in a wireless communication system. The repeater comprises a network unit that maintains a network link with the network transceiver, a user unit that maintains a user link with the user transceiver, a two-way communication pathway between the network unit and the user unit; that facilitate the communication of signals between the network transceiver and the user transceiver in autonomous repeater hops between the network transceiver and the network unit, between the user transceiver and the user unit, and between the network unit and the user unit, and a gain controller that compensates for propagation losses between the network unit and user unit alone.

The present invention relates to wireless networks using relaying. In the method according to the present invention of performing communication in a two-hop wireless communication network, a transmitter 210, a receiver 220 and at least one relay station 215 are engaged in a communication session. The relay station 215 forwards signals from a first link between the transmitter 210 and the relay station 215 to a second link between the relay stations 215 and the receiver 220. The forwarding performed by the at least one relay station 215 is adapted as a response to estimated radio channel characteristics of at least the first link. Preferably the forwarding is adapted as a response to estimated radio channel characteristics of both the first and second link.

A low cost, robust, repeater for a wireless ambient sensor system that provides an extended period of operability without maintenance is described. The repeater includes a controller and first and second transceivers. The controller is configured to control operation of said first transceiver and said second transceiver. The wireless repeater includes a repeater identification. The controller is configured to manage a sensor unit identification table that contains a list of sensor unit identification codes, where entries for the sensor unit identification table are received by the second transceiver from the base unit and identified by the repeater identification. The controller controls the first transceiver and the second transceiver to forward data from sensor units listed in said sensor unit identification table and to ignore data from sensor units not listed in said sensor unit identification table. The controller also controls the first transceiver and the second transceiver to forward data from the base unit that is addressed to sensor units listed in said sensor unit identification table and to ignore data from the base unit that is addressed to sensor units not listed in said sensor unit identification table. The controller places the first transceiver and the second transceiver in a low-power mode when no transmissions are expected from the base unit or from the sensor units listed in the sensor identification table.

An integrated repeater includes a housing having opposing sides, a donor antenna mounted on one of the opposing sides, a null antenna mounted on the other of the opposing sides, and repeater electronics mounted in the housing and operatively interconnecting the donor antenna and the null antenna. The repeater electronics include a beamforming arrangement for creating a desired antenna pattern of the donor antenna relative to a base station and a desired antenna pattern of the null antenna relative to subscriber equipment, and interference cancellation electronics for cancelling interference feedback signals between the donor antenna and the null antenna in both an uplink path and a downlink path.

An ultrawideband radio transceiver/repeater provides a low cost infrastructure solution that merges wireless and wired network devices while providing connection to the plant, flexible repeater capabilities, network security, traffic monitoring and provisioning, and traffic flow control for wired and wireless connectivity of devices or networks. The ultrawidebande radio transceiver/repeater can be implemented in discrete, integrated, distributed or embedded forms.

A method, wireless device and computer program product for expanding the coverage of a cellular network. A wireless device (e.g., cellular telephone) is able to communicate with a base station in a cell of the cellular network over a non-cellular interface via another wireless device in the cell through the use of multi-hopping. A wireless device may request permission to communicate with the base station over a non-cellular interface via hopping off another wireless device when its signal strength is below a threshold. Alternatively, a wireless device may receive a request to communicate with the base station over a non-cellular interface via hopping off the wireless device that sent the request when that wireless device has excess capacity in its bandwidth with the base station. By enabling wireless devices to communicate with a base station in such a manner, the effective coverage area of the cellular network is expanded and the effective capacity of the cellular network is improved.

The present invention relates to a global network based vehicle safety and security system and method. In this regard, a global network based data processing resource can wirelessly data communicate with an in-vehicle device to control and monitor vehicle safety and security. In addition, data communicated between the vehicle and global network based data processing resources can control, monitor, and track the vehicle as well as data communicate command and control functions, such as disabling vehicle operation. Furthermore, alarm and alerting functions can effectuate the notification of other data processing resources and or other agency or emergency resources.

Vehicle and in-vehicle device data, including safety and security data gathered at data processing resources can be utilized to effectuate a wide variety of data dissemination. Such data dissemination can include warning, alarm, safety, or security determinations, and or other reporting or analysis related to vehicle safety and or security.

A first radio signal is received via a first satellite reception path, for example, an antenna or spot beam, which serves a satellite cell. The received first radio signal includes a desired satellite uplink signal transmitted from a first source using a frequency assigned to the satellite cell and an interfering signal transmitted from at least one second source using the frequency assigned to the satellite cell. A second radio signal is received via a second satellite reception path, for example, via another antenna or spot beam of the system and/or via a satellite antenna beam of another system. The second radio signal includes a measure of the interfering signal. The first and second radio signals are processed to recover the desired satellite uplink signal.

A space segment for a radioterminal communications system includes a satellite having service link antennas of different sizes that are configured to communicate with at least one radioterminal. The service link antennas of different size may serve different sized geographic areas, which may at least partially overlap. Analogous radioterminal communications methods also are provided.

A network for wireless transmission of data includes a source access point, a destination device and a plurality of wireless repeaters that provide a transmission link between the source access point and the destination device. The plurality of access points each includes a single transceiver with separate transmitter and receiver sections operable to simultaneously transmit and receive data on different frequency channels. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Two satellite communications systems can use the same frequency or frequencies in geographically overlapping footprints, without creating undue interference in a given system that is caused by the same frequency signal(s) that is/are used by the other system. In particular, an aggregate Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) of the radioterminals and/or ancillary terrestrial components of a second satellite communications system in the common footprint is sufficiently low, and/or the receive antenna gain of a first satellite communications system is sufficiently low compared to the receive antenna gain of the second satellite communications system, so as to increase an aggregate receiver noise that is seen by the first satellite system receivers by an amount that does not substantially change a Quality of Service (QoS) of the first satellite communications system.

A join process is disclosed for a wireless mesh topology network. In the network, nodes have multiple spatial coverage sub-sectors together covering a larger sector angle and a node can establish connection with other nodes located in directions covered by its sub-sectors. The join process adds a joining node to the network and includes having the joining node listen to sub-sectors at a specific receiving frequency for a defined time. Thereafter, the network node changes its sub sectors and its receiving frequencies according to a defined timing and sequence. Active network nodes transmit organized invitation data packets on defined sectors, frequencies and timing, based on relative location and relative angle orientation deduced from sub-sectors already in use for existing internal network communication. This reduces frequency interference in the network and reduces time required for the join process.

A magnetic induction (MI) repeater includes first and second coils configured to have the same resonance frequency and to be substantially isolated from one another, and an amplifier connected to the first and second coils and configured to receive a signal induced in the first coil by a first magnetic field and output, via the second coil, a second magnetic field based on the signal, wherein the second magnetic field is amplified relative to the first magnetic field.

A method and apparatus for mitigating communications interference between satellite communications systems in different orbits is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of evaluating a geometrical relationship between a second ground station and the satellites in the second satellite constellation, and directing communications between the second ground station and the second satellite according to the evaluated geometrical relationship. In one embodiment communications are handed over from a first satellite to another satellite when the first satellite is no longer at the highest elevation angle of visible satellites. In another embodiment, handover occurs when the first satellite drops below a minimum elevation angle.

A method of managing data transmission in a mesh-topology ad-hoc network. The method includes transmitting management information by a plurality of mobile stations of the network, selecting a mobile station to serve as a master, responsive to the transmitted management information, transmitting to the master requests for bandwidth, allocating bandwidth by the master, responsive to the requests and forwarding the bandwidth allocation to the mobile stations of the network.

A multi-sector in-building repeater, including: a master transmitting unit for receiving multi-sector signals of a carrier from a base station, mixing the multi-sector signals with different transmission intermediate frequency signals, and outputting mixed multi-sector signals to a same transmission line; a plurality of slave transmitting units for extracting sector signals assigned to the multi-sector signals from the master transmitting unit, converting extracted sector signals into high frequency signals, and transmitting converted high frequency signals through an antenna to a mobile terminal.

The present invention is directed to an electronic system and method for managing location, calendar, and event information. The system comprises at least two hand portable electronic devices, each having a display device to display personal profile, location, and event information, and means for processing, storing, and wirelessly communicating data. A software program running in the electronic device can receive local and remote input data; store, process, and update personal profile, event, time, and location information; and convert location information into coordinates of a graphic map display. The system additionally includes at least one earth orbiting satellite device using remote sensing technology to determine the location coordinates of the electronic device. The electronic devices receive synchronization messages broadcast by the satellite device, causing the software program to update the personal profile, event, time, and location information stored in each hand portable electronic device.

A communications bridge device communicates between a consumer electronics device, such as a smart telephone, and an implantable medical device. The bridge forwards instructions and data between the consumer electronics device and the implantable medical device. The bridge contains a first transceiver that operates according to a communication protocol operating in the consumer electronics device (such as Bluetooth®), and second transceiver that operates according to a communications technique operating in the implantable medical device (e.g., Frequency Shift Keying). A software application is installed on the consumer electronics device, which provides a user interface for controlling and reading the implantable medical device. The software application is downloadable using standard cellular means. The bridge is preferably small, and easily and discreetly carried by the implantable medical device patient. The bridge is preferably also simple to operate, and may have only a simple user interface, or no user interface at all.

A method and apparatus for implementing a heuristic user interface for a mobile device that assists a user with the management and utilization of contact identifiers (e.g. phone numbers, facsimile numbers, email addresses and uniform resource identifiers (URIs)). Content stored on or being processed by a mobile device is analyzed for the presence of predetermined classes of contact identifiers. When a contact identifier belonging to one of the predetermined classes is encountered, it is presented to the user of the mobile device on the display screen and the user interface of the mobile device is provisioned (e.g., softkey assignments and screen displays) for the particular class of contact identifier encountered. The encountered contact identifiers may be used as direct contact identifiers or indirect contact identifiers. Direct contact identifiers are used to initialize the appropriate application for the class of identifier encountered (e.g. an email application for an email contact identifier) and establish contact with an associated entity (e.g. an email addressee). Indirect contact identifiers are used to retrieve locally and remotely held records containing the encountered contact identifiers.

An intelligent gain controller operates to control the gain in each one of wideband uplink and downlink signal paths. Weak desired signals, within each wideband signal path, are detected using a narrowband down converter and detector, and these desired signals monitored by the micro controller. Based on the monitored signals, the micro controller operates, under control of suitable software implementing an Adaptive Control Algorithm, to adjust the gain in each of the uplink and downlink paths in order to dynamically optimize performance.

Methods, protocols and systems for communicating in a multi-hop wireless mesh network may include explicitly providing information relating to backhaul wireless link qualities in multi-hop wireless mesh network to next generation subscriber stations in a first mode. In a second mode, embodiments are configured to implicitly provide indicia of multi-hop wireless link qualities to legacy subscriber stations by adjusting a transmit power of frames sent to the legacy subscriber stations. Other embodiments and variations are described in the detailed description.

Cordless telephone technology provides a long range and highly sophisticated wireless extension between a plurality of wireless piconet networks. In one embodiment, base units of separate cordless telephones include respective piconet front ends (e.g., Bluetooth protocol bearing RF front ends) in addition to the otherwise conventional RF front end. The piconet-capable base units are placed and made members of separate piconet networks, but within conventional cordless telephone range of one another, e.g., within one mile of one another. To allow communications between piconet devices on the separate wireless piconet networks, the cordless telephone base units pass piconet content information (i.e., the messages passed by a piconet device on a first piconet network including a first cordless telephone base unit intended for receipt by another piconet device on a second piconet network serviced by the other cordless telephone base unit. In another embodiment, a base unit of a cordless telephone is made a member of a first wireless piconet network while its remote handset is made a member of a second wireless base unit, and piconet content information is passed from a device on one wireless piconet network to another device on the other wireless piconet network over the wireless cordless telephone (e.g., 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz range) channel established between the cordless telephone base unit and its remote handset.

Disclosed is a method in a base station for providing a network access service to terminals. Where one of the terminals is selected as a source terminal and at least one of the other terminals is used as a relay node for relaying communication between the base station and the source terminal. Parameters for relay communication are initialized. A relay communication request message including that the parameters is transmitted. In response to the message, a terminal independently sets and performs the relay communication between the base station and the source terminal. Uplink signals are received from the source and relay terminals. The uplink signals received from the source and relay terminals are combined and decoded. A transmit diversity gain is obtained in uplink transmission of a terminal with a single antenna because relay nodes retransmit the source terminal's signal.

A method and system for wireless communication with a mobile device in which wireless communication is established with the mobile device. A base station is used to transmit directly to the mobile device in a downlink direction. A relay node is used to transmit to the base station communications received in an uplink direction from the mobile station. The relay node relays at least a portion of the uplink traffic received from the mobile station to the base station.

A single frequency relay station receives a signal from a master station, and retransmits it. Before retransmitting the signal, the relay station uses a digital filter to subtract from the signal components which arise from multipath interference and coupling interference. The coefficients used by the digital filter are derived from characteristics of the multipath interference and the overall transfer function of the relay station. These are derived by turning off the retransmission, so that the multipath interference can be estimated from the received signal, and commencing the retransmission again, to determine the transfer function. A simplified inverse fast Fourier transform is used to simplify the calculations.

Systems and methods are provided for routing voice communications through a mobile communication system having a self-contained infrastructure, such as a two-way radio communication system. The voice communications are transmitted as digitized voice packets over radio frequency links. The digitized voice packets contain one or more destination addresses in addition to other routing information. Routers receive the digitized voice packet and extract the routing information. The routing information is used in conjunction with a member router database to determine where to route the digitized voice packets.

A wireless signal repeater having an integrated display that concurrently displays a receive signal level, a transmit signal level, and a textual indication of signal quality, reflecting how well the repeater is currently operating to repeat wireless signals. By reference to the integrated display, a user can readily determine whether the repeater is well positioned to function as desired. And if the display indicates that the repeater is not functioning optimally, the user can then conveniently move the repeater around until the repeater reflects an acceptable level of operation.

A system and method for improving the ability of a portable voice and data wireless communications network to provide position information regarding mobile nodes located within a network. The system and method employs mobile access points, wireless routers, and mobile nodes, which each contain at least one transceiver, and are mounted or dispersed at a geographic location. Access points can be connected to mobile vehicles, or connected to a network management system, and wireless routers can be mounted to portable stands for easy deployment. Mobile nodes can be attached to equipment or personnel for tracking purposes, and each node includes technology which may determine an absolute node location containing latitude, longitude and altitude of a node, or a relative node location containing the distance and angle between nodes, or a combination of both absolute and relative location data.