WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHOD USING BLUETOOTH

• US 20090161602A1
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus which is capable of communicating with a first wireless terminal holding a first data packet by Bluetooth includes a search unit, a first transceiver transmitting, a first controller, and a scheduling unit. The search unit reserves a search, and executing the search. The first transceiver transmits the first and second control packets, and receives the first data packet and a second data packet. The first controller reserves a transmission of the second control packet to the first wireless terminal, the first controller giving instructions to transmit the second control packet to the first transceiver. The scheduling unit accepts the reservation from the first controller and the search unit, the scheduling unit preferentially allowing a transmission of the second control packet compared with the search, and allowing the search when no reservation of the transmission of the second control packet is made.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method comprising:

causing a second wireless terminal having a control function with respect to a first wireless terminal to transmit a first control packet to the first wireless terminal referring to a priority table holding a transmission priority order for each kind of the packet to be transmitted to the first wireless terminal, the first control packet being a packet for receiving a first data packet from the first wireless terminal making Bluetooth communications;

causing the first wireless terminal to transmit the first data packet to the second wireless terminal in response to the first control packet;

causing the second wireless terminal to further transmit a second control packet for receiving a second data packet to the first wireless terminal according to the priority table after receiving the first data packet; and

causing the second wireless terminal to search a third wireless terminal according to the priority table after the reception of the second data packet from the first wireless terminal ends.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting the first control packet includes:

reserving a transmission of the first control packet;

confirming whether or not a reservation except the first control packet is made at the same time;

referring to the priority table when the reservation is made;

selecting the reservation having the highest priority in the priority table; and

allowing an execution of a reservation when the reservation of transmitting the first control packet is selected, and

the transmitting the second control packet includes;

reserving a transmission of the second control packet;

confirming whether or not a reservation except the second control packet is made at the same time;

referring to the priority table when the reservation is made;

selecting the reservation having the highest priority in the priority table; and

allowing an execution of a reservation when the reservation of transmitting the second control packet is selected.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

causing the second wireless terminal to transmit a third control packet for receiving a third data packet to a fourth wireless terminal; and

causing the second wireless terminal to transmit a fourth control packet for receiving a fourth data packet to the fourth wireless terminal when the reservations of transmitting the first and second control packets and a reservation of the search are not made after receiving the third data packet,

wherein an execution of the reservation of transmission of the first control packet is preferentially allowed compared with an execution of the reservation of transmission of the second and fourth control packets and an execution of the reservation of search.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first and second data packets are streaming data, and the third and fourth data packets are non-streaming data.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless terminals use control data to recognize each other, and change a frequency band from 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz for each 625 μ

second to make an exchange of the first and second control packets and the data packet.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the transmitting the third packet includes:

reserving a transmission of the third control packet;

confirming whether or not a reservation except the third control packet is made at the same time;

referring to the priority table when a reservation is made;

selecting the reservation having the highest priority in the priority table; and

allowing an execution of a reservation when the reservation of transmitting the third control packet is selected, and

an execution of transmission of the third control packet has a priority high than an execution of transmission of the second and fourth control packets and an execution of the reservation of search.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first wireless terminal is an audio reproduction terminal, and the fourth wireless terminal is a character output terminal.

8. A wireless communication apparatus which is capable of communicating with a first wireless terminal holding a first data packet by Bluetooth, comprising:

a search unit reserving a search of a second wireless terminal different from the first wireless terminal, and executing the search when the reservation is allowed;

a first transceiver transmitting the first and second control packets to the first wireless terminal, and receiving the first data packet and a second data packet following the first data packet from the first wireless terminal, the first data packet transmitted from the first transceiver giving a notification of a transfer start of the first data packet, the second control packet giving a notification of a transfer start of the second data packet;

a first controller reserving a transmission of the second control packet to the first wireless terminal, the first controller giving instructions to transmit the second control packet to the first transceiver when the transmission of the second control packet is allowed; and

a scheduling unit accepting the reservation from the first controller and the search unit, the scheduling unit preferentially allowing a transmission of the second control packet compared with the search, and allowing the search when no reservation of the transmission of the second control packet is made.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the scheduling unit includes:

a reservation acceptor accepting the reservation from the search unit and the first controller;

a priority table holding a priority rank for allowing a plurality of different reservations; and

a second controller referring to the priority table to select any one reservation having a higher priority, the second controller allowing an execution of the reservation at an execution timing of the selected reservation.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second transceiver transmitting third and fourth control packets to a third wireless terminal, and receiving a third data packet and a fourth data packet following the third data packet from the third wireless terminal; and

a third controller reserving a transmission of the fourth control packet to the third wireless terminal, wherein the third control packet gives a notification of a transfer start of the third data packet, and the fourth control packet gives a notification of a transfer start of the fourth data packet,

the third controller gives instructions to transmit the fourth control packet to the second transceiver when a transmission of the fourth control packet is allowed,

the first controller reserves a transmission of the first control packet to the first wireless terminal, and gives instructions to transmit the first control packet to the first transceiver when the transmission of the first control packet is allowed, and

the scheduling unit preferentially allows an execution of the reservation of transmission of the first control packet compared with an execution of the reservation of transmission of the second and fourth control packets and an execution of the reservation of the search, and allows an execution of the reservation of the fourth control packet when neither reservation of transmitting the first and second control packets nor reservation of the search is made.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first and second data packets are streaming data, and the third and fourth data packets are non-streaming data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first and second wireless terminals use control data to recognize each other, and change a frequency band from 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz for each 625 μ

second to make an exchange of the first and second control packets and the data packet.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein an execution of transmission of the third control packet has a priority high than an execution of transmission of the second and fourth control packets and an execution of the reservation of search.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first wireless terminal is an audio reproduction terminal, and the fourth wireless terminal is a character output terminal.

15. A wireless communication method comprising:

causing a first wireless terminal making a Bluetooth communication to set a data transfer allowable period to a second wireless terminal having a control function with respect to the first wireless terminal;

causing the second wireless terminal to transmit a first control packet for receiving a first data packet from the first wireless terminal referring to a priority table holding a transmission priority rank for each kind of the packet with respect to a packet to be transmitted to the first wireless terminal within the data transfer allowable period;

causing the first wireless terminal to transmit the first data packet to the second wireless terminal in response to the first control packet;

causing the second wireless terminal to further transmit a second control packet for receiving a second data packet to the first wireless terminal according to the priority table after receiving the first data packet; and

causing the second wireless terminal to search a third wireless terminal according to the priority table after the reception of the second data packet from the first wireless terminal ends,

transmission of the first and second control packets and search of the third wireless terminal being carried out within the same data transfer allowable period.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the transmitting the first control packet includes:

reserving a transmission of the first control packet;

confirming whether or not a reservation except the first control packet is made at the same time;

referring to the priority table when the reservation is made;

selecting the reservation having the highest priority in the priority table; and

allowing an execution of a reservation when the reservation of transmitting the first control packet is selected, and

the transmitting the second control packet includes;

reserving a transmission of the second control packet;

confirming whether or not a reservation except the second control packet is made at the same time;

referring to the priority table when the reservation is made;

selecting the reservation having the highest priority in the priority table; and

allowing an execution of a reservation when the reservation of transmitting the second control packet is selected.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

causing the second wireless terminal to transmit a third control packet for receiving a third data packet from a fourth wireless terminal to a fourth wireless terminal; and

causing the second wireless terminal to transmit a fourth control packet for receiving a fourth data packet to the fourth wireless terminal when the reservations of transmitting the first and second control packets and a reservation of the search are not made after receiving the third data packet,

wherein an execution of the reservation of transmission of the first control packet is preferentially allowed compared with an execution of the reservation of transmission of the second and fourth control packets and an execution of the reservation of search.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first and second data packets are streaming data, and the third and fourth data packets are non-streaming data.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first and second wireless terminals use control data to recognize each other, and change a frequency band from 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz for each 625 μ

second to make an exchange of the first and second control packets and the data packet.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the transmitting the third packet includes:

reserving a transmission of the third control packet;

confirming whether or not a reservation except the third control packet is made at the same time;

referring to the priority table when a reservation is made;

selecting the reservation having the highest priority in the priority table; and

allowing an execution of a reservation when the reservation of transmitting the third control packet is selected,

an execution of transmission of the third control packet has a priority high than an execution of transmission of the second and fourth control packets and an execution of the reservation of search.