The present invention provides a wireless communication module system for use with a portable personal computer (PC) having a motherboard and an integral display screen. In one embodiment, the system includes a single wired interface having first and second ends, where the first end is coupled to the motherboard and the second end is coupled to the display screen and provides a connection port. The system further includes a wireless communication module having an antenna and an interface port removably coupled to the connection port. In this embodiment, the module also includes a transceiver configured to employ the antenna to transmit and receive radio communication signals, where the transceiver is further configured to employ the interface port to communicate with the motherboard. A method for performing a wireless communication and a wireless communication system incorporating the wireless communication module system or the method are also disclosed.
A portable data terminal (PDT) adapted to participate in a wireless mesh network including a plurality of peer PDTs can comprise: a PDT module including an encoded information reading (EIR) device, and a mesh point (MP) module communicatively coupled to the PDT module. The MP module can include a microcontroller and at least one wirelesscommunication interface and can be configured to perform IEEE 802.11-conformant wirelessstation services including authentication, de-authentication, privacy, and MAC service data unit delivery, and IEEE 802.11-conformant wireless distribution system services including association, disassociation, distribution, integration, and re-association. The MP module can be further configured, responsive to receiving a MAC frame addressed to a recipient inside the wireless mesh network, to deliver the MAC frame using the distribution service. The MP module can be further configured, responsive to receiving a MAC frame addressed to a recipient outside of the wireless mesh network, to deliver the MAC frame using the integration service. The MP module can be further configured to route an incoming MAC frame according to its destination address and the frame control field. The MP module can be further configured to cause the PDT module to exit said sleeping state responsive to receiving a mobile management software (MMS) wake-up command.
A method is presented for determining optimal or preferred configuration settings for wireless or wired network equipment in order to obtain a desirable level of network performance. A site-specific network model is used with adaptive processing to perform efficient design and on-going management of network performance. The invention iteratively determines overall network performance and cost, and further iterates equipment settings, locations and orientations. Real time control is between a site-specific Computer Aided Design (CAD) software application and the physical components of the network allows the invention to display, store, and iteratively adapt any network to constantly varying traffic and interference conditions. Alarms provide rapid adaptation of network parameters, and alerts and preprogrammed network shutdown actions may be taken autonomously. A wireless post-it note device and network allows massive data such as book contents or hard drive memory to be accessed within a room by a wide bandwidth reader device, and this can further be interconnected to the internet or Ethernet backbone in order to provide worldwide access and remote retrieval to wireless post-it devices.
Transmitter and receiver units for use in a communications system and configurable to provide antenna, frequency, or temporal diversity, or a combination thereof, for transmitted signals. The transmitter unit includes a system data processor, one or more modulators, and one or more antennas. The system data processor receives and partitions an input data stream into a number of channel data streams and further processes the channel data streams to generate one or more modulation symbol vector streams. Each modulation symbol vector stream includes a sequence of modulation symbol vectors representative of data in one or more channel data streams. Each modulator receives and modulates a respective modulation symbol vector stream to provide an RF modulated signal, and each antenna receives and transmits a respective RF modulated signal. Each modulator may include an inverse (fast) Fourier transform (IFFT) and a cyclic prefix generator. The IFFT generates time-domain representations of the modulation symbol vectors, and the cyclic prefix generator repeats a portion of the time-domain representation of each modulation symbol vector. The channel data streams are modulated using multi-carrier modulation, e.g., OFDM modulation. Time division multiplexing (TDM) may also be used to increase flexibility.
Methods and apparatus configure a femtoradio base station ( 28 f). A macroreceiver of the femtoradio base station ( 28 f) is used to acquire detected coverage information of a radio access network ( 24 ). The detected coverage information is used to determine an operation parameter for use by the macrotransceiver ( 52 ) of the femtoradio base station ( 28 f). In one embodiment, the detected coverage information is transmitted to a control node ( 26 ) of the radio access network. The control node ( 26 ) determines the operation parameter and communicates the operation parameter to the femto radio base station ( 28 f). The femto radio base station ( 28 f) is accordingly configured using the operation parameter for further operation towards UEs ( 30 ) accessing the femto radio base station ( 28 f).
Coexistence gaps may permit one radio access technology (RAT) to coexists with another RAT by providing period in which one RAT may be silent and another may transmit. Methods may account for the RAT traffic and for the presence of other secondary users in a channel. Methods may be provided to dynamically change the parameters of a coexistence gap pattern, such as the duty cycle, to adapt to both the RAT traffic and the presence of other secondary users. Methods may include PHY methods, such as synchronization signal (PSS / SSS) based, MIB based, and PDCCH based, MAC CE based methods, and RRC Methods. Measurements may be provided to detect the presence of secondary users, and may include reporting of interference measured during ON and OFF durations, and detection of secondary users based on interference and RSRP / RSRQ measurements.
Methods and systems for selecting and providing a relevant subset of Wi-Fi location information to a mobile client device so the client device may estimate its position with efficient utilization of resources.A method of providing a relevant subset of information to a client device is based in part on scanning for Wi-Fi access points within range of the client device, using a Wi-Fi database that covers a large target region to retrieve information about these access points, using this information to estimate the position of the mobile client device, selecting a limited region in the vicinity of the estimated location of the client device, and providing information about Wi-Fi access points within this limited region to the client. For efficient transfer and maintenance of data, the target region may be divided into a hierarchy of fixed geographical tiles.
A WiMAX network and communication method, the network including a plurality of WiMAX nodes deployed in micro or pico cells for providing access service to a plurality of mobile subscribers, a plurality of these nodes being arranged in a cluster, one of the nodes in each cluster being a feeder node coupled to a core network, the modes in each cluster being couple for multi-hop transmission to the feeder node. According to a preferred embodiment, each node includes a transceiver with associated modem, an antenna arrangement coupled to the modem and arranged for multiple concurrent transmissions, and a MAC controller for controlling the transceiver, modem and antenna arrangement for providing both access and backhaul communication.
A method for engineering management and planning for the design of a wireless communications network in three-dimensions (3-D) combines computerized organization, database fusion, and radio frequency (RF) site-specific planning models. The method enables a designer to keep track of wirelesssystem performance throughout the process of pre-bid design, installation and maintenance of a wirelesssystem. Using a database of information that defines the desired environment, predictions of antenna coverage, system coverage and interference, and other wireless system performance criteria, such as frame error rate and network throughput, can be made. Watch points are created to ensure, in real time, that any modifications to the design of the wireless system do not degrade the performance of the system with respect to the watch point locations.
A system includes a network controller to communicate with a telecommunications network. The network controller is coupled to one or more unlicensed wireless base stations serving one or more unlicensed wireless access areas. Each unlicensed wireless access area is mapped to one or more licensed wireless access areas. The system includes a mobile station to communicate with the telecommunications network using a licensed wireless communication channel serviced by the telecommunications network in a licensed wireless access area, and an unlicensed wireless communication channel in an unlicensed wireless access area. The mobile station is associated with a licensed wireless network identifier and a licensed wireless location identifier when the mobile station is in the licensed wireless access area and is associated with an unlicensed wireless network identifier and an unlicensed wireless location identifier when the mobile station is in the unlicensed wireless access area.
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for implementing spatial multiplexing in conjunction with the one or more multiple access protocols during the broadcast of information in a wireless network. A wirelesscellular network for transmitting subscriber datastream(s) to corresponding ones among a plurality of subscriber units located within the cellular network is disclosed. The wirelesscellular network includes base stations and a logic. The base stations each include spatially separate transmitters for transmitting, in response to control signals, selected substreams of each subscriber datastream on an assigned channel of a multiple access protocol. The logic communicates with each of the base stations. The logic assigns an available channel on which to transmit each subscriber datastream. The logic routes at least a substream of each datastream to at least a selected one of the base stations. The logic also generates control signals to configure the at least a selected one of the base stations to transmit the selected substreams to a corresponding one among the plurality of subscriber units on the assigned channel. A subscriber unit for use in a cellular system is also disclosed. The subscriber unit includes: spatially separate receivers, a spatial processor, and a combiner. The spatially separate receivers receive the assigned channel composite signals resulting from the spatially separate transmission of the subscriber downlink datastream(s). The spatial processor is configurable in response to a control signal transmitted by the base station to separate the composite signals into estimated substreams based on information obtained during the transmission of known data patterns from at least one of the base stations. The spatial processor signals the base stations when a change of a spatial transmission configuration is required. The combiner combines the estimated substreams into a corresponding subscriber datastream.
In a radio access network (24) a femtoradio base station (28f) comprises a resident receiver (54) which acquires system information broadcast in a radio access network (24). At least part of the system information is used for building, at the femtoradio base station (28f), a neighbor data structure (59) comprising information for neighboring cells. The neighbor data structure (59) is then used for building a neighbor list. The neighbor list is subsequently transmitted from the femtoradio base station (28f) to a user equipment unit (30) served by the femto radio base station (28f). In some example embodiments and modes, the femto radio base station (28f) reports the neighbor data structure to a network node (26, 100) other than the femto radio base station. The other node (26, 100) uses the neighbor data structure for building the neighbor list at the other node. In some example embodiments and modes, acquisition of the system information comprises scanning a surrounding macro coverage area of the femto radio base station for obtaining cell identity information for detected cells. In other example embodiments and modes, the acquisition of the system information can additionally comprise camping on a macrocell and using / consulting at least one system information block in the camped-on macrocell is consulted / used for obtaining information about at least one neighboring cell.
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a mobile broadband routable internet (MBRI) providing for carrier-grade, networked, broadband, IP-routable communication among a plurality of mobile devices, where the mobile devices may represent a plurality of nodes that are linked together through a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET). Mobile devices may operate as peers in a peer-to-peer network, with full IP routing capabilities enabled within each mobile device, thereby allowing routing of IP-based traffic, including deployment of applications, to the mobile device without need for infrastructure conventionally required for mobile ad hoc networks, such as cellular telephony infrastructure. Full IP-routing to mobile devices may allow seamless integration to the fixed Internet, such as through fixed or mobile access points, such as for backhaul purposes. Thus, the MBRI may function as a standalone mobile Internet, without connection to the fixed Internet, or as an IP-routable extension of another network, whether it be the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, a cellular network, a personal area network, or some other type of network that is capable of integration with an IP-based network.
A method and system for coordinated dynamic access to radio spectrum for wireless networking includes defining a coordinated access band (CAB) from which radio access network (RAN) managers may request spectrum allocations in the form of time bound spectrum leases for their respective requesting base stations. In one embodiment of the present invention, a DIMSUMnet architecture is implemented to make some fundamental choices and to centralize the collection of information, such as spectral occupancy, thermal and adjacent frequency interference. Such collected information is subsequently used by a spectrum broker in making spectrum allocation decisions. The DIMSUMnet architecture of the present invention also introduces a RAN manager element to centralize the task of acquiring time bound spectrum leases and for configuring the base stations.
A WiMAX network and communication method, the network including a plurality of WiMAX nodes deployed in micro or pico cells for providing access service to a plurality of mobile subscribers, a plurality of these nodes being arranged in a cluster, one of the nodes in each cluster being a feeder node coupled to a core network, the nodes in each cluster being coupled for multi-hop transmission to the feeder node. According to a preferred embodiment, each node includes a transceiver with associated modem, an antenna arrangement coupled to the modem and arranged for multiple concurrent transmissions, and a MAC controller for controlling the transceiver, modem and antenna arrangement for providing both access and backhaul communication.
A method is presented for determining optimal or preferred configuration settings for wireless or wired network equipment in order to obtain a desirable level of network performance. A site-specific network model is used with adaptive processing to perform efficient design and on-going management of network performance. The invention iteratively determines overall network performance and cost, and further iterates equipment settings, locations and orientations. Real time control is between a site-specific Computer Aided Design (CAD) software application and the physical components of the network allows the invention to display, store, and iteratively adapt any network to constantly varying traffic and interference conditions. Alarms provide rapid adaptation of network parameters, and alerts and preprogrammed network shutdown actions may be taken autonomously. A wireless post-it note device and network allows massive data such as book contents or hard drive memory to be accessed within a room by a wide bandwidth reader device, and this can further be interconnected to the internet or Ethernet backbone in order to provide worldwide access and remote retrieval to wireless post-it devices.
A method and system for creating, using, and managing a three-dimensional digital model of the physical environment combines outdoor terrain elevation and land-use information, building placements, heights and geometries of the interior structure of buildings, along with site-specific models of components that are distributed spatially within a physical environment. The present invention separately provides an asset management system that allows the integrated three-dimensional model of the outdoor, indoor, and distributed infrastructure equipment to communicate with and aggregate the information pertaining to actual physical components of the actual network, thereby providing a management system that can track the on-going performance, cost, maintenance history, and depreciation of multiple networks using the site-specific unified digital format.
Beam selection is provided. A method for handover in a mobile station includes sending a scan request message for scanning a downlink (DL) beam with respect to a serving base station (BS) and a neighboring BS, to the serving BS, and receiving a scan response message; determining the DL beam for the MS by performing scanning with the serving BS and the neighboring BS based on the scan response message; sending a scan report message comprising a result of the scanning to the serving BS; when receiving an air-HO request message from the serving BS, generating an air-HO response message comprising information of a neighboring BS to which the MS hands over based on the air-HO request message; performing beam selection with the neighboring BS of the handover based on the air-HO request message; and performing the handover.
An apparatus, system and method to dynamically manage an allocation of communication resources for direct device-to-device communications between a plurality of wireless communication devices in a wireless communication system. In one embodiment, the apparatus (410) includes a communication resource allocator (420) configured to: (1) select a master communication device of a plurality of wireless communication devices that form a device-to-device group, (2) provide an allocation of communication resources for device-to-device group that facilitate direct device-to-device communications therebetween. The apparatus (410) also includes a message generator (430) configured to assemble messages that include the allocation of the communication resources.
A system and method of operation for efficiently reusing and / or sharing at least a portion of the frequency spectrum between a first satellitespot beam and a second satellitespot beam, and / or an underlay terrestrial network associated with a second satellitespot beam. The spectrum is efficiently reused and / or shared between respective spot beams and / or associated underlay terrestrial systems in a manner minimizes interference between the respective satellite and terrestrial systems.
A vehicle fleet managementinformation system for identification of location and direction of movement of each vehicle in the fleet in real-time and automatic communication directly with management offices to report its location and heading, and status of predetermined events in which the vehicle may be engaged. One example is a cement delivery truck which monitors location, speed and status information such as start pour, pouring, end pour, wash and leave job, and automatically transmits this information with a management office without requiring affirmative action by the vehicle operator.
A method and system for locating an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) subscriber. The method enables a user of a mobile station comprising a hand-set or the like that supports voice and data access via both licensed and unlicensed radio spectrums to be located. Accordingly, services requiring location information, such as 911 services, may be accessed when operating the mobile station under both UMA and licensed wireless network (e.g., cellular) sessions.
A distributed antenna system is provided for communicating with a plurality of base stations. The distributed antenna system includes a system controller and a master unit communicating with at least one of the plurality of base stations. A remote unit communicates over a high data rate media with the master unit and / or a downstream remote unit. Alternatively, the distributed antenna system includes a controller and a digital time / space crosspoint switch controlled by the controller. A digitizing transceiver is in communication with the digital time / space crosspoint switch. The crosspoint switch is configured to transmit and receive digital data through the digitizing transceiver.
Methods and systems for dynamic spectrum access (DSA) in a wireless network are provided. A DSA-enabled device may sense spectrum use in a region and, based on the detected spectrum use, select one or more communication channels for use. The devices also may detect one or more other DSA-enabled devices with which they can form DSA networks. A DSA network may monitor spectrum use by cooperative and non-cooperative devices, to dynamically select one or more channels to use for communication while avoiding or reducing interference with other devices.