Wireless communication system, wireless access point, communication control method and computer-readable medium

• US 20080013482A1
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Platforms, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kurokawa, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 8,625,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/122 by minimising distances, e.g. by selecting a route with minimum of number of hops
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The traffic of wireless communication between wireless access points can be lowered without requiring a change in the access point to which an associated station belongs, to thereby efficiently use a band for the wireless communication. For this purpose, (1) a station sends a packet, and a wireless access point and a wired access point receives the packet; (2) the wired access point stores an identifier indicating proxy transmission in an ACK packet and then transmits the ACK packet, and (3) the wireless access point confirms the proxy processing identifier of the ACK packet from wired access point and stops delivery of packets to the backhaul. The wired access point delivers the packet to a destination of the packet.

Claims

1. A wireless access point, comprising:

a wireless receiving unit that receives a packet through wireless communication;

a judge unit that determines whether a wireless transmission path for a transmission of the packet received by the wireless receiving unit from the wireless access point to a destination address of the packet is shorter than a wireless transmission path of the packet determined according to the packet; and

a transmission control unit that transmits the packet to the destination address if the judge unit determines that the wireless transmission path from the wireless access point to the destination address of the packet is shorter than the wireless transmission path of the packet determined according to the packet.

2. The wireless access point in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the wireless access point is connected via a wired communication line to a backbone communication line and is coupled wirelessly to a second wireless access point linked via wireless communication to the backbone communication line;

if the wireless receiving unit receives a packet sent from a station belonging to the second wireless access point to an address assigned to the wireless access point, the judge unit determines whether the wireless transmission path for transmission from the wireless access point to the destination address of the packet is shorter than a wireless transmission path for transmission of the packet via the second wireless access point to the destination address; and

the transmission control unit transmits the packet to the backbone communication line according to a determination by the judge unit.

3. The wireless access point in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a transmission notifying unit that notifies, if the judge unit determines that the wireless transmission path for transmission from the wireless access point to the destination address of the packet is shorter, an event that the wireless access point sends the packet to the destination address to other wireless access points on the wireless transmission path determined according to the packet.

4. The wireless access point in accordance with claim 3, the information notified by the transmission notifying unit including a reception confirmation packet for the packet received by the wireless receiving unit and an identifier indicating that the transmission control unit conducts the transmission.

5. The wireless access point in accordance with claim 1, wherein the wireless access point is coupled through wireless communication with a first wireless access point connected to a backbone communication line, the wireless access point further comprising a transmission stop unit that terminates, if a packet from a station belonging to the wireless access point is received and a notification to send the packet to the backbone communication line is received from the first wireless access point, transmission of the packet through wireless communication to other wireless access points.

6. A wireless access point, comprising:

a wireless receiving unit that receives a packet through wireless communication;

a judge unit that determines whether the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to a destination address of a packet received by the wireless receiving unit than a wireless access point to which a source unit of the packet belongs; and

a transmission control unit that transmits the packet to the destination address if the judge unit determines that the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to the destination address.

7. The wireless access point in accordance with claim 6, wherein:

the source unit comprises a station;

the wireless access point is connected via a wired communication line to a backbone communication line and is coupled wirelessly to a second wireless access point linked via wireless communication to the backbone communication line;

if the wireless receiving unit receives a packet sent from a station belonging to the second wireless access point to an address assigned to the wireless access point, the judge unit determines whether the wireless access point is nearer to the destination address than the second wireless access point; and

the transmission control unit transmits the packet to the backbone communication line according to a determination by the judge unit.

8. The wireless access point in accordance with claim 6, further comprising a transmission notifying unit that notifies, if the judge unit determines that the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to the destination address, an event that the wireless access point sends the packet to the destination address to the wireless access points to which the source unit belongs.

9. The wireless access point in accordance with claim 8, the information notified by the transmission notifying unit including a reception confirmation packet for the packet received by the wireless receiving unit and an identifier indicating that the transmission control unit conducts the transmission.

10. The wireless access point in accordance with claim 9, wherein the reception confirmation packet is transmitted as a packet from a wireless access point to which the source unit of the packet received by the wireless receiving unit belongs.

11. The wireless access point in accordance with claim 6, wherein:

the source unit comprises a station; and

the wireless access point is coupled through wireless communication with a first wireless access point connected to a backbone communication line, the wireless access point further comprising a transmission stop unit that stops, if a packet from a station belonging to the wireless access point is received and a notification to send the packet to the backbone communication line is received from the first wireless access point, transmission of the packet through wireless communication to other wireless access points.

12. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a first wireless access point connected via a wired communication line to a backbone communication line; and

a second wireless access point coupled through wireless communication to the backbone communication line, wherein

the first wireless access point comprises a transmission control unit that transmits, if a packet sent to an address assigned to the first wireless access point is received from a station belonging to the second wireless access point, the packet to the backbone communication line.

13. The wireless communication system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the first wireless access point comprises a transmission notifying unit that notifies, when the transmission control unit transmits the packet to the backbone communication line, an event of the transmission to the second wireless access point.

14. The wireless communication system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the second access point comprises a transmission stop unit that stops on a basis of the notification, when the notification is received from the transmission notifying unit, transmission of the packet sent from the first wireless access point from the second wireless access point to other wireless access points.

15. The wireless communication system in accordance with claim 13, the notification of the transmission notifying unit including a reception confirmation packet that is sent in response to the packet from the station and is sent from the second wireless access point to which the station belongs and an identifier indicating that the transmission control unit conducts the transmission.

16. A communication control method, comprising the steps of judging by a wireless access point a packet through wireless communication;

determining whether a wireless transmission path for transmission from the wireless access point to a destination address of a packet received by the wireless receiving step is shorter than a wireless transmission path of the packet determined according to the packet; and

transmitting, if the judging step determines that the wireless transmission path for transmission from the wireless access point to the destination address of the packet is shorter, the packet to the destination address.

17. The communication control method in accordance with claim 16, wherein:

the wireless access point is connected via a wired communication line to a backbone communication line and is coupled wirelessly to a second wireless access point linked via wireless communication to a backbone communication line;

if the wireless receiving step receives a packet sent from a station belonging to the second wireless access point to an address assigned to the wireless access point, the judging step determines whether a wireless transmission path to transmit the packet from the wireless access point is shorter than a wireless transmission path to transmit the packet via the second wireless access point to the destination address; and

the transmitting step transmits the packet to the backbone communication line according to a determination by the judging step.

18. The communication control method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising a transmission notifying step of notifying, if the judging step determines that the wireless transmission path to transmit the packet from the wireless access point is shorter, an event that wireless access point transmits the packet to the destination address to other wireless access points on a wireless transmission path of the packet determined according to the packet received by the wireless receiving step.

19. The communication control method in accordance with claim 18, the information notified by the transmission notifying step including a reception confirmation packet for the packet received by the wireless receiving step and an identifier indicating that the transmission control step conducts the transmission.

20. The communication control method in accordance with claim 16, wherein:

the wireless access point is coupled through wireless communication with a first wireless access point connected to a backbone communication line, the communication control method further comprising a transmission stop step of stopping, if a packet from a station belonging to the wireless access point is received and a notification to send the packet to the backbone communication line is received from the first wireless access point, transmission of the packet through wireless communication to other wireless access points.

21. A communication control method, comprising the steps of:

judging by a wireless access point a packet through wireless communication;

determining whether or not the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to a destination address of a packet received by the wireless receiving step than a wireless access point to which a source unit of the packet belongs; and

transmitting the packet to the destination address if the judging step determines that the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to the destination address of the packet.

22. The communication control method in accordance with claim 21, wherein:

the source unit comprises a station;

the wireless access point is connected via a wired communication line to a backbone communication line and is coupled wirelessly to a second wireless access point linked via wireless communication to the backbone communication line;

if the wireless receiving step receives a packet sent from a station belonging to the second wireless access point to an address assigned to the wireless access point, the judging step determines whether the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to the destination address of the packet than the second wireless access point; and

a transmission control step transmits the packet to the backbone communication line according to a determination by the judging step.

23. The communication control method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising the transmission notifying step of notifying, if the judge step determines that the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to the destination address, an event that the wireless access point sends the packet to the destination address to the wireless access point to which the source unit of the packet belongs.

24. The communication control method in accordance with claim 23, the information notified by the transmission notifying step including a reception confirmation packet for the packet received by the wireless receiving step and an identifier indicating that the transmission control step conducts the transmission.

25. The communication control method in accordance with claim 24, wherein the reception confirmation packet is transmitted as a packet from a wireless access point to which the source unit of the packet received by the wireless receiving step belongs.

26. The communication control method in accordance with claim 21, wherein:

the source unit comprises a station; and

the wireless access point is coupled through wireless communication with a first wireless access point connected to a backbone communication line, the method further comprising a transmission stop step for stopping, if a packet from a station belonging to the wireless access point is received and a notification to send the packet to the backbone communication line is received from the first wireless access point, transmission of the packet through wireless communication to other wireless access points.

27. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that cause a wireless access point to perform:

wireless receiving processing for receiving a packet through wireless communication;

judge processing for determining whether a wireless transmission path for transmission from the wireless access point to a destination address of a packet received by the wireless receiving step is shorter than a wireless transmission path of the packet determined according to the packet; and

transmission control processing for transmitting the packet to the destination address if the judge processing determines that the wireless transmission path for transmission from the wireless access point to the destination address of the packet is shorter.

28. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 27, wherein:

the wireless access point is connected via a wired communication line to a backbone communication line and is coupled wirelessly to a second wireless access point linked via wireless communication to the backbone communication line;

if the wireless receiving processing receives a packet sent from a station belonging to the second wireless access point to an address assigned to the wireless access point, the judge processing determines whether a wireless transmission path to transmit the packet from the wireless access point is shorter than a wireless transmission path to transmit the packet via the second wireless access point to the destination address; and

the transmission control processing transmits the packet to the backbone communication line according to a determination by the judge processing.

29. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 27, said instructions further causing the wireless access point to perform transmission notifying processing for notifying, if the judge processing determines that the wireless transmission path to transmit the packet from the wireless access point is shorter, an event that the wireless access point sends the packet to the destination address to other wireless access points on a wireless transmission path of the packet determined according to the packet received by the wireless receiving processing.

30. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 29, the information notified by the transmission notifying processing includes a reception confirmation packet for the packet received by the wireless receiving processing and an identifier indicating that the transmission control processing conducts the transmission.

31. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 27, wherein:

the wireless access point is coupled through wireless communication with a first wireless access point connected to a backbone communication line, the communication control program further making the wireless access point execute transmission stop processing for stopping, if a packet from a station belonging to the wireless access point is received and a notification to send the packet to the backbone communication line is received from the first wireless access point, transmission of the packet through wireless communication to other wireless access points.

32. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that cause a wireless access point to perform:

wireless receiving processing for receiving a packet through wireless communication;

judge processing for determining whether or not the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to a destination address of a packet received by the wireless receiving processing than a wireless access point to which a source unit of the packet belongs; and

transmission control processing for transmitting the packet to the destination address if the judge processing determines that the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to the destination address of the packet.

33. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 32, wherein:

the source unit comprises a station;

the wireless access point is connected via a wired communication line to a backbone communication line and is coupled by wireless to a second wireless access point linked via wireless communication to the backbone communication line;

if the wireless receiving processing receives a packet sent from a station belonging to the second wireless access point to an address assigned to the wireless access point, the judge processing determines whether the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to the destination address of the packet than the second wireless access point; and

the transmission control processing transmits the packet to the backbone communication line according to a determination by the judge processing.

34. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 32, the instructions further causing the wireless access point to perform:

transmission notifying processing for notifying, if the judge processing determines that the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to the destination address, an event that the wireless access point sends the packet to the destination address to the wireless access point to which the source unit of the packet belongs.

35. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 34, the information notified by the transmission notifying processing including a reception confirmation packet for the packet received by the wireless receiving processing and an identifier indicating that the transmission control processing conducts the transmission.

36. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 35, wherein the reception confirmation packet is transmitted as a packet from a wireless access point to which the source unit of the packet received by the wireless receiving processing belongs.

37. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 32, wherein:

the source unit comprises a station; and

the wireless access point is coupled through wireless communication with a first wireless access point connected to a backbone communication line, the program making the wireless access point execute transmission stop processing for stopping, if a packet from a station belonging to the wireless access point is received and a notification to send the packet to the backbone communication line is received from the first wireless access point, transmission of the packet through wireless communication to other wireless access points.

38. A wireless access point, comprising:

wireless receiving means for receiving a packet through wireless communication;

judge means for determining whether a wireless transmission path for transmission of a packet received by the wireless receiving means from the wireless access point to a destination address of the packet is shorter than a wireless transmission path of the packet determined according to the packet; and

transmission control means for transmitting the packet to the destination address if the judge means determines that the wireless transmission path from the wireless access point to the destination address of the packet is shorter than the wireless transmission path of the packet determined according to the packet.

39. A wireless access point, comprising:

wireless receiving means for receiving a packet through wireless communication;

judge means for determining whether the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to a destination address of a packet received by the wireless receiving means than a wireless access point to which a source unit of the packet belongs; and

transmission control means for transmitting the packet to the destination address if the judge means determines that the wireless access point is nearer on a transmission path to the destination address.

40. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a first wireless access point connected via a wired communication line to a backbone communication line; and

a second wireless access point coupled through wireless communication to a backbone communication line, wherein the first wireless access point comprises transmission control means for transmitting, if a packet sent to an address assigned to the first wireless access point is received from a station belonging to the second wireless access point, the packet to the backbone communication line.