Wireless communication device, a wireless communication system and a wireless communication method

• US 20060056382A1
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Akira, Fujiwara, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A wireless communication device, a wireless communication system and a wireless communication method for preventing buffer over flow in the wireless communication device acting as a relay node, and for improving throughput within the whole system are disclosed. The wireless communication device includes an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information on the amount of data relay processing in the wireless communication device and/or a neighbor wireless communication device; a priority calculation unit configured to calculate transmission priority of the wireless communication device, based on the acquired information; and a priority determination unit configured to determine a priority related parameter for data transmission from the wireless communication device, based on the transmission priority.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device within a wireless ad-hoc network system, comprising:

an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information on the amount of data relay processing in said wireless communication device and/or a neighbor wireless communication device;

a priority calculation unit configured to calculate a transmission priority of said wireless communication device, based on the acquired information; and

a priority determination unit configured to determine a priority related parameter for data transmission from said wireless communication device, based on said transmission priority.

2. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an information exchanging unit configured to exchange said information on the amount of data relay processing with said neighbor wireless communication device.

3. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said information exchanging unit exchanges said information by means of unicast specifying said neighbor wireless communication device.

4. The wireless communication device as claimed 2, wherein:

said information exchanging unit exchanges said information by means of a periodic beacon packet or a broadcast packet not specifying said neighbor wireless communication device.

5. The wireless communication device as claimed 1, wherein:

said information on the amount of data relay processing is transmitted as an element in a packet.

6. The wireless communication device as claimed 1, wherein:

said information on the amount of data relay processing includes the number of stations within a coverage area of said wireless communication device.

7. The wireless communication device as claimed 1, wherein:

said information on the amount of data relay processing includes the number of wireless communication devices associated with said wireless communication device.

8. The wireless communication device as claimed 1, wherein:

said information on the amount of data relay processing includes the amount of data at a transmission buffer in said wireless communication device.

9. The wireless communication device as claimed 1, wherein:

said information on the amount of data relay processing includes the amount of transmission traffic in said wireless communication device.

10. The wireless communication device as claimed 1, wherein:

said information on the amount of data relay processing includes a peak value of traffic capacity which can be relayed by said wireless communication device.

11. The wireless communication device as claimed 9, wherein:

said amount of transmission traffic is monitored for each category of QoS (Quality of Service).

12. The wireless communication device as claimed 1, wherein:

said information on the amount of data relay processing includes the amount of received traffic in said wireless communication device.

13. The wireless communication device as claimed 1, further comprising:

a responding unit configured to return a response which includes the amount of traffic for which the data relay processing is requested, in response to receiving said information on the amount of data relay processing from the neighbor wireless communication device.

14. The wireless communication device as claimed 1, wherein:

said priority related parameter comprises a CW (Contention Window) parameter which controls occurrence of a Backoff time before transmitting a data packet.

15. The wireless communication device as claimed 1, wherein:

said priority related parameter comprises an AIFSN (Arbitrary Inter Frame Space Number) parameter which defines a waiting period before Backoff.

16. The wireless communication device as claimed 1, wherein:

said priority related parameter comprises a TXOP Limit (Transmission Opportunity Limit) parameter which defines a maximum duration for a reserved bandwidth.

17. A wireless ad-hoc network system in which one of a plurarity of wireless communication devices communicates data with a neighbor wireless communication device, and relays the data from a source wireless communication device to a destination wireless communication device, wherein

the one of the wireless communication devices comprises:

an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information on the amount of data relay processing in said neighbor wireless communication device; and

a setting unit configured to set transmission probability of both the one wireless communication device and the neighbor wireless communication device below a predetermined value, based on the acquired information.

18. A wireless communication method within a wireless ad-hoc network system, comprising the steps of:

acquiring information on the amount of data relay processing in a wireless communication device and/or a neighbor wireless communication device;

calculating a transmission priority of said wireless communication device, based on the acquired information; and

determining a priority related parameter for data transmission from said wireless communication device, based on said transmission priority.