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

• US 20060068820A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakoda, Kazuyuki, Suzuki, Mitsuhiro, Fujita, Chihiro, Morioka, Yuichi, Sugaya, Shigeru, Nishikawa, Kenzo
• Granted Patent: US 7,948,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/512
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless communication system in which each of communication stations performs networking operation in an autonomous, distributed manner, wherein each of the communication stations gathers information indicative of a band use situation in peripheral stations, grasps bands usable and unusable by the own station from the gathered information to set a band to be actually used by the own station, and mutually recognize bands to be used and unusable by the own station by informing to the peripheral stations.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system in which each of communication stations performs networking operation in an autonomous, distributed manner, wherein

each of the communication stations gathers information indicative of a band use situation in peripheral stations, grasps bands usable and unusable by the own station from the gathered information to set a band to be actually used by the own station, and mutually recognize bands to be used and unusable by the own station by informing to the peripheral stations.

2. A wireless communication system in which each of communication stations performs networking operation in an autonomous, distributed manner, wherein

each of the communication stations informs beacon information describing information relating to communication condition of the own station, and sets a band where a beacon transmitted from a peripheral station is received as a period unusable for communication by the own station.

3. A wireless communication system in which each of communication stations performs networking operation in an autonomous, distributed manner, wherein

each of the communication stations is allowed to communicate by reserving a band, and in a case where communication is completed before a reserved band expires, informs an open signal describing the end time.

4. A wireless communication system in which each of communication stations performs networking operation in an autonomous, distributed manner, wherein

each of the communication stations is able to set a prioritized communication band or a beacon reception band by informing beacon information describing information relating to communication condition of the own station, and allows the other station to use the band for communication when transmission is not performed for a predetermined time interval.

5. A wireless communication system in which each of communication stations performs networking operation in an autonomous, distributed manner, wherein

when performing transmission in the band set to perform a band reserved communication or a prioritised communication, each of the communication stations starts the transmission after an offset time set with a predetermined probability elapses.

6. A wireless communication system in which each of communication stations performs networking operation in an autonomous, distributed manner, wherein

each of the communication stations is able to temporarily secure a band for performing band reserved communication in a usable band by the own station, and does not perform own reservation in the band temporarily secured by the peripheral station.

7. A wireless communication apparatus performing data transmission under a wireless communication environment, comprising:

communication means for transmitting and/or receiving wireless data on a communication channel;

band usage information gathering means for gathering information designating band usage information in the peripheral stations;

usable band determining means for grasping bands usable and unusable by the own station by the gathered information;

usable band setting means for setting a band to be actually used by the own station based on the determination result;

unusable band setting means for setting a band unusable by the own station based on the determination result;

communication control means for controlling communication operation based on the usable and unusable bands set; and

band usage information informing means for informing information designating a use situation about the band set in the own station to the peripheral station.

8. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means describes in a beacon signal information designating the band use situation by the own station, and transmits at every predetermined frame duration.

9. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means describes information designating implementation of a band-reserved communication in the bands usable by the own station.

10. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means describes information designating reception of beacon information from other station in the bands usable by the own station.

11. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means describes information designating existence of beacon information from other station in the bands usable by the own station.

12. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means describes information designating implementation of prioritized transmission in the bands usable by the own station.

13. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means describes information designating tentative securing band for band-reserved communication in the bands usable by the own station.

14. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means describes information designating performing receiving operation in the bands usable by the own station.

15. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means describes information designating that the other station reserves the band in the bands unusable by the own station.

16. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means describes information designating a sleeping mode in the bands unusable by the own station.

17. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means describes information designating performing a band-reserved communication pursuant to an immediately preceding band in a band unusable by the own station.

18. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means sets a band reserved or prioritized by a peripheral station as a band unusable by the own station.

19. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the band usage information informing means sets a band for receiving a beacon from a peripheral station as a band unusable by the own station.

20. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, further comprising

open signal configuring means for configuring an open signal describing the end time in a case where communication is completed before a set and reserved band unusable by the own station expires.

21. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 20, wherein

the communication control means performs a predetermined access control after the end time elapses when receiving the open signal describing the end time of the communication in the band reserved by the peripheral station.

22. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the usable band setting means is able to set a band for prioritised communication or a band for beacon reception;

and

when transmission is not performed in these band for a predetermined time interval, the communication control means allows other station to utilize the band in the communication.

23. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

when performing transmission in the band set to perform a band reserved communication or a prioritised communication, the communication control means starts the transmission after an offset time set with a predetermined probability elapses.

24. The wireless communication apparatus as cited in claim 7, wherein

the usable band setting means is able to temporarily secure a band for performing band reserved communication in a usable band by the own station, and does not perform own reservation in the band temporarily secured by the peripheral station.

25. A wireless communication method performing data transmission under a wireless communication environment, comprising:

a band usage information gathering step of gathering information indicative of a band use situation in a peripheral station;

a usable band determining step of grasping bands unusable and usable by an own station from the information;

a usable band setting step of setting a band to be actually used by the own station based on a result of the determination;

an unusable band setting step of setting a band unusable by the own station based on the result of the determination;

a communication control step of controlling communication operation based on the usable and unusable bands set; and

a band usage information informing step of informing information indicative of a use situation about the band set by the own station to the peripheral station.

26. A computer program described in a computer-readable form for execution of control of a wireless communication operation for implementing data transmission under a wireless communication environment over a computer system, said computer program comprising:

a band usage information gathering step of gathering information indicative of a band use situation in a peripheral station;

a usable band determining step of grasping bands unusable and usable by an own station from the information;

a usable band setting step of setting a band to be actually used by the own station based on a result of the determination;

an unusable band setting step of setting a band unusable by the own station based on the result of the determination;

a communication control step of controlling communication operation based on the usable and unusable bands set; and

a band usage information informing step of informing information indicative of a use situation about the band set by the own station to the peripheral station.