I claim:
1. A method for attaining access to a wireless communication network configured in a star layout utilizing a base station and a remote station wherein a packet frame is transmitted and received throughout the network, the method comprising the steps of:
discovering the network;
requesting access to the network by transmitting a registration packet;
granting access to the network by transmitting a grant packet;
assigning a temporary identifier to the remote station, the temporary identifier being associated with the remote station for a predetermined number of dwell periods;
monitoring the dwell periods during a transmission of a broadcast packet;
requesting to extend the use of the temporary identifier by transmitting a renewal request packet from the remote station, the requesting to extend the use of the temporary identifier further comprising:
providing a handle field populated with the temporary identifier of the remote station requesting renewal of its temporary identifier; and,
providing a renewal constant, the renewal constant being utilized by the base station to distinguish the renewal packet from the registration packet;
granting the request to extend the use of the temporary identifier; and,
removing the temporary identifier.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the registration packet comprises:
a packet identifier;
a request handle;
a serial number field including a factory assigned identifier;
a previous network identifier representing a previous network accessed by the remote station;
a receive sequence number for cooperating with an automatic-repeat request message utilized to ensure delivery of the registration packet during network communication with the remote station; and,
a transmit sequence number for cooperating with the automatic-repeat request message utilized to ensure delivery of the registration packet during network communication with the remote station.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the granting access to the remote station to enter the network comprises:
assigning a new handle to the remote station;
assigning a serial number field to the remote station, the serial number field comprising a unique serial number to the remote station; and,
assigning a time slot to be utilized by the remote station during network communication.
4. A protocol for a wireless communication network having a plurality of stations including a base station and a plurality of remote stations, the network being configured in a star layout for transmitting and receiving a plurality of packets of information throughout the network, the protocol comprising:
a broadcast message packet for providing global information of a network’s configuration and status, the broadcast message packet being exclusively transmitted from the base station;
an acknowledge message packet for informing a transmitting station that a one of a plurality of packets of information was successfully received;
a data message packet for providing a higher-level application data;
a registration request message packet for requesting access to the network, the registration packet being sent from a one of the plurality of remote stations;
a grant message packet for granting access to the network, the grant packet being transmitted from the base station to the one of the plurality of remote stations; and,
a renewal message packet for requesting renewal of access to the network.
5. The protocol of claim 4 wherein the broadcast message packet comprising:
a packet identifier field for distinguishing the broadcast message packet from the plurality of packets of information;
a duty cycle field for specifying a duty cycle parameter for the plurality of remote stations to power down during a dwell period;
a dwell length field for specifying a length of the dwell period to be utilized by the plurality of remote stations;
a timing field for timing registration events;
a time slot field for communicating a size of a time slot to the plurality of remote stations; and,
a partition field for determining an amount of sections the dwell period should be partitioned.
6. The protocol of claim 4 wherein the data message packet comprises;
a handle field for specifying a one of the plurality of remote stations the data message packet is received from or destined for;
a sequence field having an automatic repeat-request sequence number;
a payload field; and,
a length field for specifying a number of bits in the payload field, the payload field ranging from 0-255 bytes as specified by the length field.
7. The protocol of claim 4 further comprising an access control packet selected from the group consisting of registration, renewal and grant packets.
8. The protocol of claim 7 wherein the registration packet comprises:
a packet identifier field;
a handle field for requesting a handle preferred by a one of the plurality of remote stations;
a previous network field for informing the base station of the previous network to which the one of the plurality of remote stations requesting access may have belonged;
a receive sequence field being set to an initial value for a receive automatic repeat-request sequence number to be utilized for communication with the one of the plurality of remote stations;
a transmit sequence field being set to an initial value for a transmit automatic repeat-request sequence number to be utilized for communication with the one of the plurality of remote stations; and,
a serial number field comprising a factory assigned unique identifier for the one of the plurality of remote stations.
9. The protocol of claim 7 wherein the grant packet comprising:
a packet identifier;
a serial number field for specifying a unique serial number associated with the one of the plurality of remote stations being granted permission to access the network;
a grant handle field for specifying a handle being assigned to the one of a plurality of remote stations;
a grant slot field for specifying a time slot utilized by the one of a plurality of remote stations;
a renewal handle field for specifying the one of the plurality of remote stations renewed by the base station; and,
a renewal slot field for specifying a renewal time slot assigned to the renewed one of the plurality of remote stations.
10. The protocol of claim 7 wherein the renewal packet comprises:
a handle field comprising a handle identifier of a one of the plurality of remote stations transmitting the renewal request; and,
a constant field having a constant utilized by the base station to distinguish the renewal packet from the registration packet.
11. The protocol of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of packets of information comprises:
a header having a first byte and a second byte, the second byte further including a station identifier and a network number; and,
a trailer having an end-of-file (EOF) byte and a 24 bit checksum.
12. A method of communicating on a wireless network configured in a star layout having a base station and a plurality of remote stations wherein a packet frame is transmitted and received throughout the wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of control packets for network control wherein the base station utilizes the plurality of control packets to regulate access to the wireless network;
providing a plurality of message packets for transmitting information throughout the wireless network;
assigning a sequence number to a first message packet;
transmitting the first message packet;
receiving the first message packet;
transmitting the first message packet in response to a failure to receive an acknowledgment message packet; and,
transmitting the acknowledgment message packet.
13. The method of claim 12 further including:
requesting access to the wireless network by transmitting a registration packet from a one of the plurality of remote stations;
granting access to the wireless network by transmitting a grant packet from the base station;
assigning a temporary identifier to the one of the plurality of remote stations, the temporary identifier being a handle associated with the one of the plurality of remote stations for a predetermined number of dwell periods; and,
monitoring the dwell periods during transmission of a broadcast packet.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
transmitting a renewal request packet requesting to extend the use of the temporary identifier;
granting the request to extend the use of the temporary identifier; and,
removing the temporary identifier.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for thermal protection, the method comprising:
providing a cap, having at least one exposed surface and a cap interface surface spaced apart from the cap exposed surface, where the cap has at least one polygonal or curvilinear depression and one or more bosses at the cap interface surface, each boss having at least one threaded buttress or keyway in the cap, the cap having a material composition including carbon and silicon and having at least first and second spaced apart depressions in the cap interface surface;
providing a cap surface layer, positioned at the cap exposed surface, having a surface layer thickness in a selected range of about 1-2.5 mm, and having a material composition comprising a first selected fraction of tantalum disilicide, a second selected fraction of molybdenum disilicide, a third selected fraction of tungsten disilicide and a fourth selected fraction of glass, wherein the cap surface layer is subjected to a HETC treatment;
providing an insulator base having an insulator base interface surface including at least one polygonal or curvilinear projection, which mates with the respective at least one depression in the cap interface surface and which compensates for a difference in thermal expansion between the cap and the insulator base at the insulator base interface surface, where the insulator base has an insulator base second surface spaced apart from the insulator base interface surface, has at least one insulator base aperture that extends from the insulator base interface surface to the insulator base second surface, and has a material composition including alumina and including at least one of silica, boron or other refractory material;
providing a transition region, positioned between, and contiguous to, the cap interface surface and the insulator base interface surface, having a thickness of about 1.2 mm or more, having a material composition comprising glass, a selected polymer and a selected mixture of at least two of TaSi2, MoSi2, WSi2, and B2O3.SiO2, and having at least one transition region aperture at a location corresponding to the at least one insulator base aperture;
extending at least one pin that through the at least one insulator base aperture and through the at least one transition region aperture, that has a plate or key at a first pin end that is received in the at least one threaded buttress or keyway, that is bonded to the cap at the first pin end, and that is bonded to the insulator base second surface at a second pin end, the pin having a material composition that is substantially the same as the material composition of the insulator base component; and
providing a coating, having a selected thickness in a range of about 10-50 \u03bcm, of reaction cured glass formulation covering exposed surfaces of at least one of the cap, the insulator base, the transition region and the pin.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising choosing said material composition of said cap to withstand temperatures up to or above 3000\xb0 F. over a selected time interval.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising choosing said selected time interval to be at least 16 minutes.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising choosing said material composition of said cap to withstand temperatures up to or above 3100\xb0 F. for a time interval of at least 4 minutes.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising choosing said reaction cured glass formulation to include a first volume fraction of about 0.94-1.00 of silica and a second volume fraction of about 0-0.06 of borosilicate glass.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing said cap surface as a functionally gradient layer.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising choosing said first fraction, said second fraction and said fourth fraction within respective ranges 5-70 percent, 0-30 percent and 10-95 percent.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising choosing said cap material to be primarily ROCCI.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising choosing said glass in said cap coating material to be primarily borosilicate glass.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising choosing said cap material to be primarily silicon carbide.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising choosing said cap material to be primarily silicon-oxy-carbide.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an insulator base surface layer, positioned at said insulator base interface surface, having a surface layer thickness in a selected range 1-2.5 mm, and having a material composition comprising a fifth selected fraction of tantalum disilicide, a sixth selected fraction of molybdenum disilicide, a seventh selected fraction of tungsten disilicide and an eighth selected fraction of glass; and
subjecting the insulator base surface layer to a HETC treatment.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing said insulator base surface layer as a functionally gradient layer.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing said fifth fraction, said sixth fraction and said eighth selected fractions in respective ranges 5-70 percent, 0-30 percent and 10-95 percent.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing said glass in said insulator base coating material is primarily borosilicate glass.
16. The method of claim 1, further comprising choosing said insulator base material to be primarily TUFI.