Mitsubishi Electric shows 802.15-based location system
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(InfoWorld) - Researchers at Mitsubishi Electric have developed a location finding and ranging system based on an emerging short-range wireless technology. The system is capable of determining the location of an object to an accuracy of 15 centimeters over a distance of up to 30 meters and uses the IEEE802.15.4a ultra wideband (UWB) technology that's approaching in the final stages of standardization. It could be used in a hospital, for example, where sensors continuously monitor patients and alert doctors to any problems. The doctors could be sent directly to wherever the patient is in the hospital. The research was presented on Thursday at Mitsubishi Electric's R&D Center here, but the development work has been going on at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the U.S. The location of an object is found through triangulation, said Jin Zhang, group manager of the digital communication and networking technology lab, at the U.S. research center. This involves measuring the time it takes a transmitted signal to be picked up by several receivers. By comparing the time difference between at least three radios -- the location of which is fixed -- the location of the transmitter can be determined within a two dimensional space, such as the floor of a building or warehouse. It can also work for a three dimensional space with the addition of a fourth fixed receiver, said Zhang. The IEEE802.15.4a standard on which the system operates is being developed for just such ranging and location services with the added ability to transmit high-speed data at low power. Communication should be possible at speeds of between 100Kbps and 26Mbps using the technology, said Zhang. The company's prototype system is currently working at the lower speed. With the location finding and data aspects combined it makes possible a system whereby sensors can communicate between themselves and also with a base computer. Should the sensors alert to something that needs human intervention their location can quickly be determined even if they are part of a mobile device, she said. "The specification is almost finished and will be published in the summer," said Zhang. "After the specification is complete we'll finalize our design. The next step is chip design and system design. She anticipates the publication of the standard will spur Mitsubishi Electric and a handful of competitors to begin working on semiconductors based on the technology. The first commercial products could follow within a year or two.
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The U.S. FCC is working to ensure that wireless carriers meet E911 location accuracy requirements within five years.
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New sensor technology is not limited to tracking mileage.
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Fans of wireless internet access can now find their nearest wi-fi hotspot using their mobile phone.
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WIRELESS Internet service is not only the wave of the future, but the wave of the present. Wi-Fi hot spots are everywhere, and mobile Internet devices are so numerous, it's impossible to keep track of them.
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AT&T is offering RFID active tags that send a Wi-Fi signal at regular intervals, as well as software to find the tags via a Web browser.
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(InfoWorld) - Devicescape SoftwareÂ says it has a solution for the problem of using Wi-Fi hot spots with devices that don't have browsers. Devicescape's free software, formally unveiled on Tuesday atÂ the Demo conference in Palm Desert, California, lets users set up log-in information for multiple Wi-Fi networks and then get on those networks automatically from any supported device. Publicly available Wi-Fi networks, both free and subscription-based, are proliferating in airports, hotels and shopping areas and even around cities. Carriers and other service providers give users access at many hotspots through the same account, but that often still requires entering a log-in and password. That may be hard or impossible to do on a specialized device such as a phone, handheld game console, or camera. Devicescape lets users give their subscription information for all the networks they want to use and register their Wi-Fi devices. When they want to use a given hotspot, that data is exchanged in the background in a patented way before the device gets on the network, according to Glenn Flinchbaugh, vice president of products at Devicescape. Currently, if the user tries to get online in a place where they have more than one choice of operator, the device will automatically choose the network with the strongest signal, Flinchbaugh said. In the future, Devicescape plans to let users set priorities based on the cost of different networks or other factors, he added. Although the service is aimed at consumers, it doesn't conflict with use of a corporate VPN because the log-in process happens before the device goes on the public network, he said. The system works with many of the world's hotspots, including ones provided by AT&T, EarthLink, Google, T-Mobile, and WayPort, according to Devicescape. Devicescape is focused on North America today, but its system will work with network operators in other parts of the world, such as Orange in the U.K. and Softbank and NTT in Japan. The company doesn't need special arrangements with those operators to allow easy log-ins, but it hopes to set up revenue-sharing agreements with them for cases in which new subscribers sign up because of Devicescape, said CEO David Fraser. The San Bruno, California, startup is also working on licensing its software for non-PC devices, either built in or as an add-on. The software, currently in beta testing, is available now as a free download from Devicescape's Web site. It already works with Microsoft Windows XP PCs and Windows Mobile 5 phones, as well as two other devices: the NokiaÂ 770 Web tablet and the CiscoÂ Linksys WIP 300 VoIP phone. It's relatively easy to develop software for those two devices because of available interfaces, but most nonbrowser devices would require a licensing deal, Fraser said.
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Company preps single chip WiMax compliant part for use in wireless broadband gear.
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Newer Technology will show a wireless router and variety of adapters for 802.11b, g, and n networks.
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Blog: JiWire says it has the right model to make advertising on citywide Wi-Fi networks really work.
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The University of Calgary in Alberta is on its way to achieving of deploying 1,500 wireless access points with plans  for an even more ambitious deployment that would allow staff and students to carry their wireless access over to other institutions.
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Corporate wireless networking specialist Aruba this week unveiled what it calls a new architecture for enterprise WLANs: the Wi-Fi grid.
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Technology behind super-fast wireless networks is close to getting official approval.
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AUSTIN, Texas, June 25  /PRNewswire/ -- Interoperability certification for high-performance Wi-Fi gear is now underway.
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Prepares to enter broadband era with Wi-Fi adaptor
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Upcoming chip set will support 802.11a, b, and g networks.
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JiWire's service now lets iPhone users locate nearby public Wi-Fi networks.