Radio communication system, and apparatus, method, and computer program for said radio communication system

• US 20030186713A1
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugaya, Shigeru, Toyoshima, Masakatsu
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/501
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/69 Spread spectrum techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00

Abstract

This invention permits the coexistent of a plurality of UWB radio communication networks which use different signal systems. The object is achieved by using the same beacon signal and specifying the format of part of the control command among a plurality of UWB radio communication networks which use different signal systems (for impulse period, impulse width, spreading ratio, and spreading code). When one UWB network receives a beacon signal from another UWB network, it grasps, judging from the received beacon signal, the transmission parameter which is used by another party and performs time-division on the transmission frame period for one'"'"'s own system.

Claims

1. A radio communication system composed of a plurality of wireless networks which use different signal systems, wherein

control information is exchanged between the control station in one wireless network and the control station of another wireless network by means of the same signal system, thereby solving contention between them, and subsequently the transmission of information is accomplished in one wireless network without interference with another wireless network.

2. An apparatus for radio communication which operates in a wireless network environment in which there coexist a plurality of wireless networks which use different signal systems, said apparatus for radio communication comprising

a common signal reception means to receive control information transmitted from another network by means of a signal system common with that of another network,

a competition solving means to solve competition with one network on the basis of the control information from another network which has been received by said common signal reception means,

a control information generating means to generate the control information of one network in accordance with the result of competition solution achieved by said competition solving means, and

a common signal transmission means to transmit the control information in one network by means of a signal system common with that of another network.

3. The apparatus for radio communication as defined in claim 2, which uses a plurality of signal systems in which at least one of pulse period, pulse width, modulation scheme, and spreading scheme is switched over.

4. The apparatus for radio communication as defined in claim 2, which further comprises a radio transmission and reception means to transmit information to other apparatus for radio communication in one'"'"'s own network by means of the signal system used in one'"'"'s own network.

5. The apparatus for radio communication as defined in claim 2, wherein each wireless network operates with its respective transmission frame period, the control information contains the information of the period used in each network, and the contention solving means establishes the period used in one'"'"'s own network after it has confirmed the period used by another network from which the control signal has been received.

6. The apparatus for radio communication as defined in claim 2, wherein each wireless network operates with its respective transmission frame period, the control information contains the information of the period used in each network, and the contention solving means requests another network to set up the use period so as to avoid conflict with the use period in one'"'"'s own network.

7. A method for radio communication which works in a wireless network environment in which there coexist a plurality of wireless networks which use different signal systems, said method for radio communication comprising

a common signal reception step to receive control information transmitted from another network by means of a signal system common with that of another network,

a competition solving step to solve competition with one network on the basis of the control information from another network which has been received by said common signal reception step,

a control information generating step to generate the control information of one network in accordance with the result of competition solution achieved by said competition solving step, and

a common signal transmission step to transmit the control information in one network by means of a signal system common with that of another network.

8. An apparatus for radio communication which operates in a wireless network environment in which there coexist a plurality of wireless networks which use different signal systems, said apparatus for radio communication comprising

a common signal reception means to receive control information transmitted from another network by means of a signal system common with that of another network,

a radio transmission/reception means to exchange information with another radio communication apparatus within one network by means of the signal system which is used within one network, and

a radio transmission/reception control means to control the action for information transmission within one network on the basis of another network'"'"'s control information which has been received by said common signal reception means.

9. The apparatus for radio communication as defined in claim 8, which uses a plurality of signal systems in which at least one of pulse period, pulse width, modulation scheme, and spreading scheme is switched over.

10. A method for radio communication which works in a wireless network environment in which there coexist a plurality of wireless networks which use different signal systems, said method for radio communication comprising

a common signal reception step to receive control information transmitted from another network by means of a signal system common with that of another network, and

a radio transmission/reception step to execute the information transmission action within one'"'"'s own network on the basis of the control information from another network which has been received by said common signal reception step.

11. A computer program written in a computer-readable format to be executed on a computer system which does processing for operation in a wireless network environment in which there coexist a plurality of wireless networks which use different signal systems, said computer program comprising

a common signal reception step to receive control information transmitted from another network by means of a signal system common with that of another network,

a competition solving step to solve competition with one network on the basis of the control information from another network which has been received in said common signal reception step,

a control information generating step to generate the control information of one network in accordance with the result of competition solution achieved in said competition solving step, and

a common signal transmission step to transmit the control information in one network by means of a signal system common with that of another network.

12. A computer program written in a computer-readable format to be executed on a computer system which does processing for operation in a wireless network environment in which there coexist a plurality of wireless networks which use different signal systems, said computer program comprising

a common signal reception step to receive control information transmitted from another network by means of a signal system common with that of another network, and

a radio transmission/reception step to execute the information transmission action within one network on the basis of the control information from another network which has been received in said common signal reception step.