Wireless communication method, wireless communication system, and wireless communication apparatus

• US 20020187783A1
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugaya, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 6,961,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/02 by periodical registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/06 De-registration or detaching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless communication system, which is a personal area network, includes a control station and a communication apparatus. The control station and the communication apparatus perform a connection confirmation method. A connection confirmation period, which is a connection cycle, is variable for each communication apparatus. When the connection confirmation period arrives, each communication apparatus sends connection confirmation information to the control station.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a control station; and

at least one wireless communication apparatus for performing connection confirmation with the control station,

wherein the wireless communication apparatus transmits connection confirmation information to the control station at a predetermined interval,

the control station detects the connection confirmation information, whereby the connection status of the wireless communication apparatus is monitored, and

the interval of transmitting the connection confirmation information is changed in accordance with the operating state of the wireless communication apparatus.

2. A wireless communication method for performing connection confirmation between a control station and at least one wireless communication apparatus, comprising the steps of:

determining, by the wireless communication apparatus, an interval of transmitting connection confirmation information; and

transmitting, by the wireless communication apparatus, the connection confirmation information to the control station by using a predetermined area of a transmission frame,

wherein the interval of transmitting the connection confirmation information is changed in accordance with the operating state of the wireless communication apparatus.

3. A wireless communication method according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined area of the transmission frame comprises an area allocated independently to each wireless communication apparatus.

4. A wireless communication method according to claim 3, wherein the area allocated independently to each wireless communication apparatus comprises any one area in a frame period of a connection cycle formed by a series of continuous frame periods, the area corresponding to the wireless communication apparatus.

5. A wireless communication method according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communication apparatus transmits the connection confirmation information once in every N connection cycle(s) in a series of continuous connection cycles, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

6. A wireless communication method according to claim 3, wherein it is determined that, when a transmission packet from the wireless communication apparatus belonging to a network formed by the control station is detected, the connection confirmation information from the wireless communication apparatus is received.

7. A wireless communication method according to claim 2, wherein the control station monitors the connection status of the wireless communication apparatus by detecting the connection confirmation information transmitted at the predetermined time interval from the wireless communication apparatus forming a network.

8. A wireless communication apparatus functioning as a control station of a wireless network, comprising:

wireless communication means for transmitting a signal for identifying the wireless network and for receiving a signal from a wireless communication apparatus belonging to the wireless network;

timing means for timing a predetermined time interval; and

an information storage unit for storing the predetermined time interval, which is a threshold for determining whether or not a connection is established, for each wireless communication apparatus included in the wireless network,

wherein the predetermined time interval is variable.

9. A wireless communication apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a controller for deleting the wireless communication apparatus included in the wireless network when no signal is transmitted from the wireless communication apparatus in the predetermined time interval.

10. A wireless communication apparatus for performing connection confirmation with a control station, comprising:

wireless communication means for receiving a signal from the control station and for transmitting connection confirmation information to the control station by using a predetermined area of a transmission frame; and

timing means for timing a predetermined time interval,

wherein the predetermined time interval is variable in accordance with the operating state of the wireless communication apparatus.

11. A wireless communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined area of the transmission frame comprises an area allocated independently to each wireless communication apparatus.

12. A wireless communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the area allocated independently to each wireless communication apparatus comprises any one area in a frame period of a connection cycle formed by a series of continuous frame periods, the area corresponding to the wireless communication apparatus.

13. A wireless communication apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a controller for controlling the wireless communication means to send the connection confirmation information to the control station at the predetermined time interval when no information is transmitted in the predetermined time interval.