Patent Publication Number: US-7907580-B2

Title: LAN access by ultra-wideband system and method

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional application of U.S. Ser. No. 11/668,458 filed Jan. 29, 2007, which claims priority benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/762,973 filed Jan. 27, 2006. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is directed generally to data network communication. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Wi-Fi is used to identify a technology directed to wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications (including 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g). The technology can be used for mobile computing devices, such as laptops, in LANs, and other device connectivity. Both the 802.11 family of networking protocols and the 802.3 family of networking protocols involves an area of networking sometimes referred to as infrastructure networking that is related to networking other than peer-to-peer networking. 
     802.11 has a maximum bandwidth of 2 Mbps, which can be too small for many applications. 802.11b supports bandwidth up to 11 Mbps, which is comparable to traditional IEEE 802.3 and other Ethernet versions. 802.11a supports bandwidth up to 54 Mbps and signals in a regulated frequency spectrum around 5 GHz. Compared with 802.11b, 802.11a is faster, supports more simultaneous users, and uses regulated frequencies to prevent signal interference from other devices. 802.11a has a shorter range signal that is more easily obstructed than 802.11b. 802.11b uses the same radio signaling frequency as the original 802.11 standard whereas 802.11a uses higher frequency. 802.11g has bandwidth up to 54 Mbps with a comparably large number of simultaneous users, uses the 2.4 Ghz frequency for greater range and relatively high resistance to obstruction, and is backwards compatible with 802.11b. Unfortunately, since 802.11g uses the same unregulated frequency range as 802.11b it can also experience interference with appliances that has caused problem for 802.11b. 
     As defined by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), ultra-wideband (UWB) in general refers to a radio technology having bandwidth larger than 500 MHz or 25% of the center frequency. To its credit, UWB is able to share spectrum between users. In 2002, the FCC authorizes unlicensed use of UWB in a portion of the radio spectrum between 3.1 GHz and 10.6 GHz. Consequently, various communication technologies can share this portion of the radio spectrum due also to the inherent ability of UWB to share spectrum between devices. Some of these technologies can range from radar, imaging systems, and short range and long range data communication. 
     The short duration of UWB pulses allows for very high data rates and has allowed UWB technology to emerge in the area of wireless personal area network (WPAN) transmission systems with bandwidths of at least 500 MHz or a signal occupying an instantaneous fractional bandwidth (BW) of at least 20%. The WPAN technology utilizes point-to-point or peer-to-peer communication directly between two devices as opposed to other types of network traffic found on local area networks (LAN). UWB technology used for WPANs enables the transmission of very high data rates, such as up to 480 Mbps, at a range less than 10 meters, which is a range suitable for a WPAN. UWB also has the potential for upward scalability (up to 1 Gbps) and the throughput capability of multiple streams of simultaneous high definition video/multimedia/data payload. 
     The following key application areas for UWB technology have been identified in the UWB community: 1. wireless video connection between set top boxes and/or digital video disk (DVD) players and display devices such as monitors and projectors; 2. multiple high definition television (HDTV) video stream transmission from server to multiple clients/terminals; 3. synchronized transmission of HDTV video streams from video server to wide screen or multi-screen display systems; 4. computing equipment interconnection with universal serial bus (USB)-over-UWB (wireless USB); and 5. consumer equipment interconnection using IEEE1394-over-UWB (wireless IEEE1394) and/or co-existent wireless USB. 
     Standards for implementing WPANs using UWB radio transceivers are defined by the WiMedia Alliance and address issues such as data sharing and transmission within WPANs. The UWB/WiMedia conventional standards are directed toward peer-to-peer data sharing or transmission with WPANs. Pursuant to these standards, WPAN systems have been developed to provide methods of adaptation to standard protocol layers such as a peer-to-peer wireless universal serial bus (WUSB) such with a conventional UWB WUSB device  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . The UWB WUSB device  10  has a USB application layer  12  that passes data through a USB protocol adaptation layer (PAL)  14  and furthermore through a WiMedia WPAN UWB MAC layer  16  to transmit the data through a UWB physical layer  18  in the assigned UWB radio frequency spectrum. 
     The USB PAL  14  is used to enable communication between conventional USB application layer  12  that was originally designed for use with other forms of MACs for other physical media such as USB cabling. The USB PAL  14  packages data and instructions from the USB application layer  12  to conform with the WiMedia WPAN UWB MAC layer  16 . 
     In the WiMedia WPAN UWB MAC layer  16 , timing between UWB devices is based on super-frame time periods. Features of the WiMedia WPAN UWB MAC layer  16  include decentralized device operations and a combined use of a carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) protocol portion and time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol portion. A beacon portion of each super-frame time period serves as the initial timing portion of the super-frame period in which the UWB devices of a WPAN have autonomous access to the WPAN and identify themselves with individualized beacons. Through the TDMA protocol portion, reservations are announced during the beacon portion and a distributed reservation protocol (DRP) is used for isochronous data or other time-critical data. In turn, the CSMA protocol portion is used as the medium access method with prioritized contention access (PCA). Furthermore, each super-frame time period includes 256 medium access slots (MAS) with the WiMedia WPAN UWB MAC layer  16  providing security and encryption to prevent unauthorized access. 
     One implementation of the UWB physical layer  18  has a total frequency allocation of 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz, 14 bands each with a band width of 528 MHz. It uses 128 point orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with 100 data, ten guard, 12 pilot and six null subcarriers. Mandatory data rates of 53.3, 106.7 and 200 Mb/s are specified while 80, 160, 320, 400 and 480 Mb/s are optional. A total of five band groups are defined with group one being mandatory. There are four groups of three bands each and one group of two bands, yielding a total of 30 channels. 
     Other standard protocol layers, namely TCP and IP protocol layers, have been adopted for use with UWB for other peer-to-peer communication between devices so enabled such as shown in  FIG. 2  with a conventional peer IP device  20  having TCP/IP layers  22 . The TCP/IP layers  22  pass data through a WiNet peer IP PAL  24  and furthermore through the WiMedia WPAN UWB MAC layer  16  to transmit the data through the UWB physical layer  18 . The WiNet peer IP PAL  24  generates a WiNet frame  30  having a WiNet portion  32  to contain among other things peer-to-peer networking information such as peer-to-peer addressing, a destination address portion  34 , a source address  36 , and a data portion  38 . The WiNet peer IP PAL  24  places peer-to-peer information  40  that is above the IP layer, such as found in a peer-to-peer implementation of TCP into the data portion  38  of the WiNet Frame  30 . The WiNet peer IP PAL  24  places a WiNet destination IP address  42  and a WiNet source IP address  44  into the destination address portion  34  and the source address portion  36 . The WiNet peer IP PAL  24  passes the WiNet frame  30  on to the WiMedia WPAN UWB MAC  16 , which then processes the WiNet frame to be placed into a UWB super-frame  50  as positioned between the two beacon slots  52  of the super-frame to occupy a slot  54 . 
     Unfortunately, the high bandwidth of UWB technology remains dedicated to peer-to-peer communication being limited to the relatively small areas of individual personal area networks. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of a prior art ultra-wideband (“UWB”) wireless universal serial bus (“WUSB”) device. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram of a prior art Peer IP device having Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”) and Internet Protocol (“IP”) protocol layers. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a prior art WiNet frame having a WiNet portion, a destination address portion, a source address, and a data portion. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a prior art UWB super-frame including the WiNet frame of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram of a LAN-UWB hybrid device having TCP/IP protocol layers, a Local Area Network (“LAN”) Media Access Control (“MAC”) emulator, a peer IP Protocol Adaptation Layer (“PAL”), a wireless personal area network (“WPAN”) UWB MAC, and an UWB physical layer. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a package  118  of data including a WiNet Frame in which an authentication request frame is encapsulated in a data portion of the WiNet Frame. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram of a LAN UWB hybrid node for LAN access having a protocol stack, a bridge, a LAN MAC, and a LAN physical layer. 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram of a LAN-UWB hybrid multi-emulator node for LAN access having two of the same protocol stack found in the LAN UWB hybrid node of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram of a multi-access UWB device having the protocol stacks of the prior art UWB WUSB device of  FIG. 1 , the prior art Peer IP UWB device of  FIG. 2 , and the LAN-UWB hybrid device of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram of a multi-access UWB multi-function node for LAN access having a bridge, the protocol stacks of the LAN UWB hybrid node of  FIG. 8 , and the multi-access UWB device of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  depicts a wallplate having a cover plate and two RJ-45 jacks for connectivity with an IEEE 802 LAN such as LAN versions of IEEE 802.3. 
         FIG. 12  depicts components of the wallplate of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  depicts a couple of the wallplates of  FIG. 11  mounted on walls. 
         FIG. 14  is a diagram of a WiFi implementation of the multi-access UWB device of  FIG. 9  on a computer card. 
         FIG. 15  is a diagram of WiFi versions of the LAN-UWB hybrid device of  FIG. 5  and the LAN-UWB hybrid node of  FIG. 7  having upper level WiFi applications and an authentication server, respectively. 
         FIG. 16  is a diagram of a first exemplary topology including five computers, a projector, a wireless USB device, a peer WiNet device, a network switch, a firewall, and the Internet. 
         FIG. 17  is an UWB spectrum plot divided into five band groups, including a band group  1  noted as being mandatory and band groups  2 - 5  noted as optional. 
         FIG. 18  is a diagram of a multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node that includes the protocol stacks of the multi-access UWB device of  FIG. 9  that use a first UWB transceiver operating on a first one of the band groups of  FIG. 17  (indicated as band group A), and an additional meshing protocol stack that uses a second UWB transceiver operating on a second one of the band groups of  FIG. 17  (indicated as band group B). 
         FIG. 19  is a diagram of a multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node with LAN access having the protocol stacks of the UWB-UWB mesh node of  FIG. 18 , the bridge of  FIG. 10 , and the second LAN MAC emulator protocol stack of the multi-access UWB multi-emulator node of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 20  is a diagram of a multi-access UWB-WiFi mesh node that has the functionality of the multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node of  FIG. 18 , and a protocol stack for meshing that is based upon WiFi. 
         FIG. 21  is a diagram of a multi-access UWB-WiFi mesh node with LAN access that has the functionality of the multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node with LAN access of  FIG. 19  and uses WiFi for meshing. 
         FIG. 22  is a diagram of a hardware implementation of the multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node of  FIG. 19  and the multi-access UWB-WiFi mesh node of  FIG. 21  that includes a LAN interface, a physical layer component, a network processor, flash memory, DRAM, a first UWB transceiver radio for data transmission, and a second transceiver radio for meshing. 
         FIG. 23  is a diagram of an implementation of the network processor of  FIG. 22 . 
         FIG. 24  is a diagram of a second exemplary topology in which originated super-frames are sent to a plurality of wallplates of  FIG. 11  of the WPANs of the originating devices. 
         FIG. 25  is a diagram of a third exemplary topology having mesh WPAN nodes, mesh router nodes, and mesh bridge nodes. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As will be discussed in greater detail herein, versions of an ultra-wideband (UWB) system and method provide a local area network (LAN) and/or LAN access. LAN access versions of the UWB system includes an emulator layer and bridge that allow data to be transmitted between a LAN-UWB hybrid device and a LAN network switch, such as an IEEE 802 network switch, through in part a UWB node of a UWB WPAN that can receive UWB super-frames from the LAN-UWB hybrid device. In some implementations the LAN-UWB hybrid device uses WiFi protocol layers above the emulator layer and a WiNet Peer IP PAL layer below the emulator layer. 
     LAN versions of the UWB system can direct data communication between two LAN-UWB hybrid devices each within the same UWB WPAN of the same UWB node or separate WPANs of the different UWB nodes. LAN (WiFi for some implementations) packets are generated by one or both of the LAN-UWB hybrid devices and are sent between each other through a network switch, such as an IEEE 802 network switch. In a simple configuration, the LAN-UWB hybrid devices are each coupled with the network switch through a UWB node that functions as WPAN node and also includes a bridge to a LAN that contains the network switch. 
     In more complex configurations, each LAN-UWB hybrid device is coupled with the network switch through a series of UWB nodes that have mesh components to tie the UWB nodes together. The series of UWB nodes can include a mesh UWB WPAN node that is located within a WPAN range of a subject LAN-UWB hybrid device and can also include a mesh UWB bridge node that bridges to a LAN that contains the network switch. In some versions, one or more mesh UWB router nodes can be located between the mesh UWB WPAN node and the mesh UWB bridge node to better route traffic between the mesh UWB WPAN node and the mesh UWB bridge node. 
     Implementations enhanced and adapt communication protocol stacks, (standards-defined or proprietary) to the Ethernet LAN data network model and incorporate resulting UWB data network architecture into a custom wall plate, which then acts as a wireless access point or node, and also wired point of connection, to support both multimedia and other types of network traffic. These data types are currently carried over Ethernet and/or asynchronous transfer mode (“ATM”) wired networks in the typical office, commercial or home environment. 
     Implementations of a network wall plate includes one or more RJ45 jacks for connecting office equipment to the corporate or enterprise server network system. Implementations of the wall plate act as wired/wireless point of interface to a network switch/hub depending on whether the end-user is using such items as a wireless mobile device or a wired desktop computer. The unique characteristics of UWB, however, permit the compact design and packaging of a UWB access point or node in a single or dual gang wall plate. 
     By incorporating a compact UWB radio and its associated control/bridge modules, into a custom wall plate, the UWB-enabled wall plate acts as a wireless access point or node, as well as wired point of connection, through an RJ45 jack to the network. 
     When a wired device is not mobile, as with a desk top computer, it can be connected to the network by means of a Cat5/5e patch cord or other hard-wired connection. Both asynchronous network (TCP/IP) and multimedia/isochronous traffic can be carried over the UWB link or by wire to the end-user. By a method of protocol adaptation, a mobile or fixed computing device, such as a lap top or personal digital assistant (“PDA”), can access the same network through one or more UWB links to the network. 
     Implementations include flexibility with installation. UWB technology offers both LOS and Non-Line of Sight (“NLOS”) transmission for robust communication between wireless access points or nodes and end-user devices within the range of transmission. 
     Implementations also incorporate the WiFi/Media Access Control (“MAC”) emulation or protocol adaptation layers which are designed to support all MAC layer functions, such as scanning, Authentication, Association, security, Power Save Mode, Fragmentation, Clear To Send, Request To Send, and the like. In some implementations, the WiNet Protocol Adaptation Layer (“PAL”) is modified through the WiFi/MAC emulation layer to function as a true peer-to-peer protocol or as a true infrastructure protocol. And the WiFi/MAC emulation layer and the WiNET PAL are designed to automatically request adjustments to time slot allocations throughout the network to adapt to the varying Ethernet-based end-user actions. On the client side, in some implementations, a computer card (EMUCard) emulates the MAC functions of an IEEE802.11 NIC card through hardware and/or firmware and/or software enhancements, thus allowing computer operating systems to access networks, such as LANs and WANs, with little or no modifications to device drivers and applications. 
     Implementations can include a translator function to bridge the Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) infrastructure to the ECMA/WiMedia WPAN-MultiBand Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Alliance domain (collectively “ECMA/WiMedia”). This translator function also implements the defined ECMA/WiMedia-Ethernet bridge behaviors in the same domain. This adaptation of the Ethernet infrastructure to the UWB based ECMA/WiMedia standards avoids the reinvention of a UWB network architecture for the integrated enterprise network and enables reuse of the mature resources (hardware and software) available for Ethernet standards. 
     Protocols of implementations also define a set of network layers for the UWB Radio architecture to model and emulate the behavior of the WiFi/Ethernet network both in infrastructure and ad-hoc frameworks. These extended protocols thus facilitate relatively seamless migration of LAN (IEEE 802) compatible applications to the UWB/WiMedia environments with little or no changes. Applications designed for Ethernet/WiFi environments, e.g. Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”), User Datagram Protocol (“UDP”) and Internet Protocol (“IP”)) function equally well in the UWB/WiMedia network. 
     Implementations extend range of conventional UWB communication through use of dedicated radio based meshing to improve efficiencies and reduce load on data transfers. 
     Implementations are also directed to extension of the range of the conventional UWB technology for deployment in an integrated enterprise network system. Implementations include extensions of transmission range through a pseudo-mesh network topology with at least one UWB node dedicated to the emulation of the WiFi protocols (802.11b/g) and the IEEE 802.3 standards. 
     Hybrid wireless mesh networking of implementations provides routing solutions. Routing systems of some implementations do not use conventional military peer-to-peer mesh paradigm where all mesh radios are on the same channel. Instead, these implementations include routing technology that is enabled by using two mutually exclusive radios for each access point or node to perform the routing functions. These separate radios are on different spectra thereby eliminating the meshing problems found with conventional military peer-to-peer mesh routing paradigm concerning issues such as traffic inefficiencies. Implementations include a routing models constructed as a bridged dual domain distributed control systems. 
     Some UWB-WiFi implementations have pluralities of hybrid nodes each having two co-located radios, a shorter-range UWB radio and a longer-range WiFi (IEEE 802.11) radio. The longer range WiFi radios are dedicated to the meshing management functions and updates to routing tables in all nodes through real time route calculations. The shorter-range UWB radios use the shared database information to route multimedia and network traffic payloads to the respective destinations. 
     Other implementations use dual UWB radios with the second UWB radio serving meshing functions similar to the implementations using WiFi as the second radio per node. These implementations address range limitations of conventional UWB wireless devices by incorporating dual radios with multiple UWB band groups into a hybrid wireless mesh networking architecture without necessarily altering primary operational characteristics of WPAN protocol stacks. Furthermore, in cases of ad-hoc mesh topologies, a node can have a dual function as a router and data consumer therefore unable to maintain network reliability or accurate tracking of changes in topology due to node mobility or availability. These implementations using dual band group hybrid wireless mesh extension enables enhanced route recovery and other management services. 
     A LAN-UWB hybrid device  100  is shown in  FIG. 5  as having the TCP/IP protocol layers  22  (OSI layers  3  and  4 ) above a LAN MAC emulator  102  (as part of OSI layer  2 ), above a peer IP PAL, such as the peer-to-peer WiNet peer IP PAL  24 . (as part of OSI layer  2 ), above a WPAN UWB MAC  106 , such as the WiMedia WPAN UWB MAC  16  (as part of OSI layer  2 ), above the UWB physical layer  18  (OSI layer  1 ). The LAN MAC emulator  102  processes data and other communication to pass between the IP layer  22  and the peer IP PAL  104 . The LAN MAC emulator  102  is able to process infrastructure networking instructions and information that contains networking instructions and information that is other than peer-to-peer networking instructions and information. This processing is of the LAN MAC emulator  102  is beyond the scope and capability of the peer IP PAL  104  since the peer IP PAL processes networking instructions and information related only to peer-to-peer networking and not infrastructure networking. The LAN MAC emulator  102  receives the infrastructure networking instructions and information from upper layers, such as the TCP/IP layers  22 , and from application layers farther above the TCP/IP layers and satisfies the TCP/IP layers and the other upper layers that the networking instructions and information are being handled properly. Since the peer IP PAL  104  does not process infrastructure networking instructions and information, the LAN MAC emulator  102  packages infrastructure networking instructions and information into the data portion  38  of the WiNet frame  30  to be later unpackaged by an equivalent LAN MAC emulator of another node or device. In implementations the LAN MAC emulator  102  processes infrastructure networking instructions and information to include WIFi protocols and/or known as the IEEE 802.11 family of protocols (referred to herein as WiFi). In other implementations the LAN MAC emulator  102  processes infrastructure networking instructions and information to include Ethernet protocols and/or known as the IEEE 802.3 family of protocols. 
     In the WiFi family implementations (referred to herein, the LAN MAC emulator  102  addresses various aspects of the WiFi protocols to insure that the originating applications found in higher OSI layers of the LAN-UWB hybrid device  100  are satisfied that their WiFi based requests and instructions are being properly treated by what appears to them as lower WiFi OSI layers, but in reality are lower OSI layers related to UWB., namely a peer IP PAL  102  layer also in OSI layer  2  directly below the LAN MAC emulator and a WPAN UWB MAC layer also in OSI layer  2  directly below the peer IP PAL. WiFi issues that are addressed by WiFi versions of the LAN MAC emulator  102  include scanning, authentication, association, request to send/clear to send(RTS/CTS), power save modes, and fragmentation. 
     Regarding scanning, the WiFi version of the LAN MAC emulator  102  configured as a PAL scans the peer IP PAL  104 , such as the WiNet peer IP PAL  24 , to sense the presence of TCP/IP data in media access slots of super-frames found in the UWB physical layer  18 . If TCP/IP data is present, the LAN MAC emulator  102  notes the emulated channels with corresponding signal strengths. The LAN MAC emulator  102  also captures information about one or more UWB nodes the LAN-UWB hybrid device  100  is communicating with including service set identifier (SSID), supported data rates, etc. The LAN-UWB hybrid device  100  can also use this information for selection of a UWB node for future use. Other functions regarding scanning include the LAN MAC emulator  102  emulating and broadcasting WiFi probe frame contents with a probe response being sent out by an equivalent LAN MAC emulator in a selected UWB node. 
     Regarding authentication, the WiFi version of the LAN MAC emulator  102  configured as a PAL initiates processes by creating an authentication request frame and passes the authentication request frame on to the peer IP PAL  104 , such as the WiNET peer IP PAL  24 , which encapsulates the authentication request frame into a data portion  38  of the WiNet Frame  30 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , to be received by the WPAN UWB MAC  106 , such as the WiMedia WPAN UWB MAC  16 , to be put into a slot  54  of a UWB super-frame  50  and subsequently sent out on the UWB physical layer  18 . A corresponding UWB node, such as discussed below regarding  FIG. 7 , also has the LAN MAC emulator  102  and processes the super-frame  50  and the WiNet frame  30  as received by the UWB node, generates an authentication response frame containing an approval or disapproval, which is then inserted into another one of the super-frames  50  for transmission back to the LAN-UWB hybrid device  100 . 
     Authentication processes with multi-stage procedures are processed in similar manner. With WiFi implementations an IEEE802.11i security standard may be addressed. Under this standard, Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP), Counter Mode with CBC-MAC Protocol (CCMP), Port-based authentication protocol (802.1x) with key management are processed in similar manner as described above. Other features such as secure IBSS, secure fast hand-off, secure deauthentication, disassociation and roaming functions are processed similarly. 
     Regarding association, the LAN MAC emulator  102  as a WiFi emulation PAL initiates the association process by emulating an association request frame containing elements such as SSID, supported data rates, etc. Furthermore, the LAN MAC emulator  102  creates an emulated response frame containing association identification and all relevant access point data. The response frame is passed on to the peer IP PAL  106 , such as the WiNET peer IP PAL  24  for transmission in the WUSB super frame. With the association process completed successfully, the LAN-UWB hybrid device  100  and associated UWB node can exchange data. In some implementations, a large number of the LAN-UWB hybrid devices  100  with the LAN MAC emulator  102  as WiFi emulation PALs can associate with a IEEE802.11 MAC agent in a WUSB node. 
     Regarding request to send/clear to send (RTS/CTS), if the maximum frame length threshold is set for the RTS/CTS, the LAN MAC emulator  102 , as a WiFi emulation PAL, initiates RTS/CTS process by emulating an RTS frame. The LAN MAC emulator  102  creates an emulated CTS response frame and forwards it to the peer IP PAL  104 , such as the WiNET peer IP PAL  24 , for insertion into a WUSB frame and subsequent transmission. 
     Regarding power save modes, the LAN MAC emulator  102 , as a WiFi emulation PAL, coordinates power save modes found in the IEEE 802.11 standard or equivalent standards with the WUSB/ECMA standard such that the modes of the latter supersede those of the former. 
     Regarding fragmentation, if the maximum frame length threshold is set, the LAN MAC emulator  102 , as the WiFi emulation PAL, activates a fragmentation algorithm which breaks single packet into multiple WiFi frames. The hand shake and data transmission is similar to RTS/CTS mode. 
     As discussed above, super-frames are used as the vehicle to transport data, instructions and other information in the UWB physical layer  18 .  FIG. 4  depicts in schematic form one copy of the UWB super-frame  50  that utilizes in particular the WiNet peer IP PAL  24  as evidenced by the WiNet frame  30  placed in the super-frame  50 . The LAN MAC emulator  102  as a WiFi emulation PAL is configured to output a package  118  of data, addressing, other instructions, and other information regarding infrastructure networking instructions and information received from higher layers regarding WiFi and other aspects so that the WPAN UWB MAC  106 , such as the WiMedia WPAN UWB MAC  16  is able to insert the package into the data portion  38  of the WiNet frame  30 . 
     Consequently, content of the destination address portion  34  and the source address portion  36  of the WiNet  30  is unaffected by addressing and other instructions generated by LAN related applications, such as WiFi related applications and other upper layer applications of the LAN-UWB hybrid device  100 . Content of the destination address portion  34  and the source address portion  36  are governed by processes related directly to the WiNet and may not be relevant with implementations since IP addressing related to WiNet may not be a factor in determining destinations. The PAN is serviced by the UWB physical layer  18  whether the WPAN is serviced by a standalone UWB node or whether other associated UWB nodes are interconnected through a meshing arrangement as discussed further below. 
     A LAN UWB hybrid node for LAN access  140  is shown in  FIG. 7  as having a bridge  142 , the LAN MAC  124 , such as an IEEE 802.3 family MAC (that can include any version of the IEEE 802.3 family of protocol implementations), and the LAN physical layer  126 , such as of the IEEE 802.3 family, that is coupled to a LAN, such as a LAN of the IEEE 802.3 family of implementations. The LAN UWB hybrid node  140  can communicate peer-to-peer with the LAN-UWB hybrid device  100  using UWB protocols. The LAN UWB hybrid node  140  uses the bridge  142  to establish LAN communication between the LAN UWB hybrid  100  and with a device on the LAN or another copy of the LAN UWB hybrid device  100  that can communicate with the same or another one of the LAN UWB hybrid nodes. The bridge  142  links to one or more layers of the TCP/IP  22 , the LAN MAC emulator  102 , the Peer IP PAL  104 , and the WPAN UWB MAC  106 . In implementations, the bridge  142  passes infrastructure networking instructions and information including addressing information that was stored in the data portion  38  of the WiNet frame  30  (or other equivalent frame generated by another type of the peer IP PAL  104 ) received by the LAN UWB hybrid node  140  to the LAN MAC  124 . LAN packets containing data and other information that was stored in the data portion  108  can then be sent on to the LAN physical layer  126 . 
     A LAN-UWB hybrid multi-emulator node for LAN access  150  is shown in  FIG. 8  as having two of the same protocol stack  152  found in the LAN UWB hybrid node  140 . Multiple copies of the protocol stack  152  provides flexibility in managing traffic from a plurality of LAN-UWB hybrid devices  100  through a single hardware configuration. 
     A multi-access UWB device  160  is shown in  FIG. 9  as having the protocol stacks of the UWB WUSB device  10 , the peer IP UWB device  20 , and the LAN-UWB hybrid device  100 . Consequently, the multi-access UWB device  160  has shares the same functionality as discussed above for these separate devices. 
     A multi-access UWB multi-function node for LAN access  170  having a bridge  172  is shown in  FIG. 10  as having the protocol stacks of the LAN UWB hybrid node  150  and the mulit-access UWB device  160 . Consequently, the multi-access UWB multi-function node  170  and the bridge  172  share the same functionality as discussed above. 
     A wallplate  180  is shown in  FIG. 11  as having a cover plate  182  and two RJ-45 jacks  184  for connectivity with an IEEE 802 LAN such as LAN versions of IEEE 802.3. As shown in  FIG. 12 , the wallplate  180  further contains a circuit board  186  that has components including a UWB radio  188  as part of one of the UWB nodes discussed herein. The wallplate  180  has a first cable connector  190  and a second cable connector  192  to receive cable sets  194  of network cable, such as from a Cat 5 or a Cat 5E network cable  196  connected with a LAN switch  198 . Patch cables  200  connect the jacks  184  to the first cable connector  190  and the UWB radio  188  is coupled to the second cable connector  190 . Use of the first connector  190  and the second connector  192  allow for circuit isolation for testing purposes. 
     A couple of the wallplates  180  are shown in  FIG. 13  as being mounted on walls  202 . Since the UWB radios  188  do not need line of sight for reception, the wallplates can be mounted at various desired heights without substantially affecting reception. 
     A WiFi implementation of the multi-access UWB device  160  on a computer card  210  is shown in  FIG. 14 . The computer card  210  is configured to be installed into a computer workstation or other type of computer. The computer card  210  has a UWB Physical component  210 , a WUSB component  214 , a WiNet  216 , and a WiFi MAC emulation component  218  that implement the layers discussed above. Further included is an interface management control  220  that handles communication with the computer system regarding USB, computer bus and other interfaces such as Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI). The interface management control  220  also handles communication with the computer operating system and applications of interest through software drivers, application program interfaces, etc. 
     A WiFi versions of the LAN-UWB hybrid device  100  and the LAN-UWB hybrid node  140  are shown in abbreviated form in  FIG. 15  as having upper level WiFi applications  222  and an authentication server  224 , respectively. The LAN-UWB hybrid device  100  first sends an authentication request  226  to the LAN-UWB hybrid node  140 . Once the authentication server  224  approves the authentication request  226 , the LAN-UWB hybrid device  100  can send data and other information  228  through the LAN-UWB hybrid node  140  to a LAN or Internet resource  226 . 
     A first exemplary topology  230  is shown in  FIG. 16  as having a first computer  232 , a second computer  234 , a third computer  236 , a fourth computer  238 , a fifth computer  240 , a projector  242 , a wireless USB device  244 , a peer WiNet device  246 , a network switch  248 , a firewall  250 , and the Internet  252 . The first computer  232  and the second computer  234  are communicatively linked to the wallplates  180  through patch cables and consequently the LAN of the network switch  248  without need of bridging since LAN protocols are communicated across the patch cables through the wall plates and the network cable  196  to the LAN network switch  198 . The third computer  236 , the fourth computer  238 , the fifth computer  240 , and the projector  242  are communicatively linked to the wallplates  180  through UWB super-frames  256  as instances of the LAN-UWB hybrid device  100 . As explained above, the UWB super-frames  256  contain infrastructure tye LAN instructions and information including addressing in the data portions  38  of WiNet frames  30  (or equivalent frames generated by other of the peer IP PALs  104 ). The wallplates  180  are configured as having at least the functionality of the LAN-UWB hybrid node  140  with the bridge  142 . 
     As an example, the third computer  236  is to send data to the fourth computer  238 . First, the third computer  236  as one of the LAN-UWB hybrid devices  100  originates one of the UWB super-frames  110  to contain infrastructure LAN addressing in the data portion  38  of the WiNet frame (or equivalent frame generated by another type of the peer IP PALs  104 ). The wallplate  180  of the third computer  236  receives the UWB super-frame  110 . The LAN MAC emulator  102  of the wallplate  180  extracts the infrastructure LAN addressing from the WiNet frame  30  and sends data and other information as one or more LAN packets to the network switch  198  through the bridge  142  with the LAN addressing by processed via LAN routing protocols. The network switch  148  then reads the LAN destination address of the LAN packets and switches the LAN packets to be sent out on the network cable  196  that is connected the wallplate  180  of the fourth computer  238 . 
     The LAN MAC emulator  102  of the walllplate  180  of the fourth computer  238  uses a table to translate the infrastructure LAN address to a UWB destination address to be placed in the super-frame  50  to be sent to the fourth computer  238  so that other UWB devices in the WPAN of the fourth computer  238  do not need to also receive the super-frame. The table is kept up to date by having the bridge  142  observe the UWB source addresses and corresponding LAN source addresses found in the super-frames  50  being received by the bridge from UWB devices on the WPAN of the bridge. 
     For discussion purposes below, a UWB spectrum plot  260  is shown in  FIG. 17  as being divided into five band groups. Band group  1  is noted as being mandatory and the other band groups are noted as being optional. 
     A multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node  270  includes the protocol stacks of the multi-access UWB device  160  that uses a first UWB transceiver operating on a first one of the band groups indicated as band group A and additional meshing protocol stack  272  that use a second UWB transceiver operating on a second one of the band groups indicated as band group B and different than the band group A. Since band group  1  is mandatory, in some implementations band group  1  is assigned as band group A and one of the other five band groups is assigned as band group B. 
     In some of the implementations, the band group A is used for sending data between various of the UWB-UWB mesh nodes  270  and the band group B is used to update and coordinate routing information between each of the UWB-UWB mesh nodes  270 . The meshing protocol stack  272  include mesh upper layer functions  274 , a mesh adaptation layer  276 , mesh protocols  278 , and a UWB physical layer  18  for band group B. The mesh upper layer functions  274  include routing algorithms. 
     The mesh adaptation layer  276  is a PAL that can act as a bridge between the two independent UWB physical layers  18  and provides a mechanism to share between the two. The mesh adaptation layer  276  can have a common data base that contains maximal path information and media access coordination to be maintained. The mesh adaptation layer  276  feeds routing information to the WPAN UWB MAC  106  routing table for relatively fast and up to date routing parameters. 
     The mesh adaptation layer  276  includes a routing table that is updated through meshing functions of the meshing protocol stack  272  as the UWB-UWB mesh nodes  270  update each other as to their status and recommend routing. The routing table of the mesh adaptation layer  276  is shared with the WPAN UWB MAC  106  to determine UWB destination addresses for UWB super-frames  110  being originated by the WPAN UWB MAC. The mesh protocols  298  can serve as a MAC to implement such wireless mesh protocol functions as mesh topology learning, path selection and forwarding, mesh network measurements, mesh media access coordination, mesh security (proprietary or standard protocols, e.g, IEEE802.11i). 
     Shown in  FIG. 19  is a multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node with LAN access  280  has the protocol stacks of the UWB-UWB mesh nodes  270  with the addition of the bridge  172  and the second LAN MAC emulator protocol stack of the multi-access UWB multi-emulator node  170 . The multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node  280  consequently has the functionality of the multi-access UWB multi-emulator node  170  with the additional of the meshing functionality of the UWB-UWB mesh node  270 . 
     Shown in  FIG. 20  is a multi-access UWB-WiFi mesh node  290  that has the functionality of the multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node  270 , but has a protocol stack  292  for meshing that is based upon WiFi. The protocol stack  292  has a mesh upper layer function  294 , a mesh adaptation layer  276 , a mesh protocols layer  278 , and a WiFi physical layer  300  that uses a WiFi transceiver. Shown in  FIG. 21  is a multi-access UWB-WiFi mesh node with LAN access  310  that has the functionality of the multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node with LAN access  280  but uses WiFi for meshing similar to the multi-access UWB-WiFi mesh node  290 . 
     A hardware implementation  320  of the mulit-access UWB-UWB mesh node  280  and the multi-access WUB-WiFi mesh node  310  is shown in  FIG. 22  to include a LAN interface, a physical layer component  324 , a network processor  326 , flash memory  328 , and DRAM  330 , and first UWB transceiver radio  332  for data transmission and a second transceiver radio  334  for meshing. The second transceiver radio  334  has a UWB version for the multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node  280  and a WiFi version for the multi-access UWB-WiFi mesh node  310 . An implementation of the network processor  326  is shown in  FIG. 23  as having a CPU  336 , flash controllers  338 , 1-cache  340 , 0-cache  342 , SRAM  344 , and an I/O controller  346 . 
     An exemplary topology  350  is shown in  FIG. 24  in which originated super-frames  352  are sent to the wallplates  180  of the WPANs of the originating devices. The originated super-frames  352  are sent on to others of the wallplates as forwarded super-frames  354  based upon routing determined by the UWB meshing protocol stacks  272  and/or WiFi meshing protocol stacks  292  depending upon which radio technology the wallplates  180  are using for meshing. 
     An exemplary topology  360  is shown in  FIG. 25  as having mesh WPAN nodes  362 , mesh router nodes  364 , and mesh bridge nodes  366 . Depending upon whether the UWB or WiFi is used with the meshing protocol stack, the mesh WPAN nodes  362  and the mesh router nodes  364  use the multi-access UWB-UWB mesh nodes  270  when UWB is used for meshing and use the multi-access UWB-WiFi mesh nodes  290  when WiFi is used for meshing. The mesh bridge nodes  366  use the multi-access UWB-UWB mesh node  280  when UWB is used for meshing and use the multi-access UWB-WiFi mesh node  310  when WiFi is used for meshing. 
     In one or more various embodiments, related systems include but are not limited to circuitry and/or programming for effecting the foregoing-referenced method embodiments; the circuitry and/or programming can be virtually any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the foregoing-referenced method embodiments depending upon the design choices of the system designer. 
     The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity; simplifications, generalizations and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is NOT intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the devices and/or processes described herein, as defined solely by the claims, will become apparent in the non-limiting detailed description set forth herein. Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the environment depicted has been kept simple for sake of conceptual clarity, and hence is not intended to be limiting. 
     Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the state of the art has progressed to the point where there is little distinction left between hardware and software implementations of aspects of systems; the use of hardware or software is generally (but not always, in that in certain contexts the choice between hardware and software can become significant) a design choice representing cost vs. efficiency tradeoffs. Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that there are various vehicles by which processes and/or systems described herein can be effected (e.g., hardware, software, and/or firmware), and that the preferred vehicle will vary with the context in which the processes are deployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed and accuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for a hardware and/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, if flexibility is paramount, the implementer may opt for a solely software implementation; or, yet again alternatively, the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Hence, there are several possible vehicles by which the processes described herein may be effected, none of which is inherently superior to the other in that any vehicle to be utilized is a choice dependent upon the context in which the vehicle will be deployed and the specific concerns (e.g., speed, flexibility, or predictability) of the implementer, any of which may vary. 
     The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams and examples. Insofar as such block diagrams and examples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will be understood as notorious by those within the art that each function and/or operation within such block diagrams or examples can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the present invention may be implemented via application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments disclosed herein, in whole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in standard integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more data processing systems), as one or more programs running on one or more controllers (e.g., microcontrollers) as one or more programs running on one or more processors e.g., microprocessors, as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art in light of this disclosure. 
     Furthermore, although the various protocol stacks were presented as having individual protocol layers e separate entities involved, for instance, one example would be that the LAN MAC emulator  102 , the Peer IP PAL  104 , and the WPAN UWB MAC were presented in certain implementations as being separate protocol layers. However, this is not be interpreted as the separately presented protocol layers could not be implemented in a reduced number of entities or a single entity as an option to implementing each separately presented protocol layer in individual entities. For instance, the functions of the above described PALs can be accomplished within an associated MAC layer and is applicable to technologies including pure WUSB protocols and also to WUSB certralized architecture models and decentralized distributed architecture models. 
     In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the present invention are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that an illustrative embodiment of the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of signal bearing media include, but are not limited to, the following: recordable type media such as floppy disks, hard disk drives, CD ROMs, digital tape, and computer memory; and transmission type media such as digital and analogue communication links using TDM or IP based communication links (e.g., packet links). 
     In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various embodiments described herein which can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof can be viewed as being composed of various types of “electrical circuitry.” Consequently, as used herein “electrical circuitry” includes, but is not limited to, electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g., forms of random access memory), and electrical circuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communications switch, or optical-electrical equipment). 
     Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the art to describe devices and/or processes in the fashion set forth herein, and thereafter use standard engineering practices to integrate such described devices and/or processes into data processing systems. That is, the devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into a data processing system via a reasonable amount of experimentation. 
     The foregoing described embodiments depict different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality. 
     From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.