COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, A COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND A COMMUNICATION APPARATUS

• US 20100067409A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Redwood Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: TAKANO, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/277
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance

Abstract

A communication system for carrying out data communication among a plurality of communication stations is disclosed in which a first communication station for transmitting to other communication stations a Request To Send (RTS) signal for requesting a transmission upon the start of the data transmission; and a plurality of second communication stations transmitting to other communication stations a Clear To Send (CTS) signal for notifying the completion of preparing the reception, wherein the first communication station transmits the RTS signal describing at least each of addresses the second communication stations that are desired to receive the data, and receives a plurality of CTS signals transmitted from each of the second communication stations in order to increase communication capacity.

Claims

1. A communication method for carrying out data communication among a plurality of communication stations, comprising:

transmitting a request to send signal frame from a first communication station to at least one other communication station, the request to send signal frame indicating a request to initiate data transmission;

receiving the request to send signal frame transmitted from said first communication station at a second communication station; and

transmitting a clear to send signal frame from said second communication station to at least one of the plurality of communication stations, in reply to the request to send signal frame, wherein

said first communication station receives the clear to send signal frame transmitted from said second communication station,

the clear to send signal frame received by said first communication station includes an address of said first communication station,

the clear to send signal frame includes at least a first section and a second section, the first section including information used to indicate an interval of time during which a third communication station having an address that is not included in the second section must stop its communication operation, and the second section including the address of said first communication station, and

said first section is a format that the communication station having an address that is not included in the clear to send signal frame can interpret, and said second section is a format that the communication station having an address that is not included in the clear to send signal frame can not interrupt.

2. A communication system for carrying out data communication among a plurality of communication stations, comprising:

a first communication station configured to transmit a request to send signal frame to at least one other communication station, the request to send signal frame indicating a request to initiate data transmission; and

a second communication station configured to receive the request to send signal frame transmitted from said first communication station, and to transmit a clear to send signal frame to at least one of the plurality of communication stations in reply to the request to send signal frame, wherein

said first communication station receives the clear to send signal frame transmitted from said second communication station,

the clear to send signal frame received by said first communication station includes an addresses of said first communication station,

the clear to send signal frame includes at least a first section and a second section, the first section including information used to indicate an interval of time during which a third communication station having an address that is not included in the second section must stop its communication operation, and the second section including the address of said first communication station, and

said first section is a format that the communication station having an address that is not included in the clear to send signal frame can interpret, and said second section is a format that the communication station having an address that is not included in the clear to send signal frame can not interrupt.

3. A communication apparatus for transmitting data to other communication stations, comprising:

data processing means for generating a request to send signal frame indicating a request to initiate data transmission, the request to send signal frame including an address of a second communication station that is intended to receive the data transmission; and

communication means for transmitting the request to send signal frame, and receiving a clear to send signal frame from said second communication station, in reply to the request to send signal frame, wherein

the clear to send signal frame includes at least a first section and a second section, the first section including information used to indicate an interval of time during which a third communication station having an address that is not included in the second section must stop its communication operation, and the second section including the address of said first communication station,

said second communication station transmits said clear to send signal frame.

4. A communication apparatus for receiving data transmitted from other communication stations, comprising:

communication means for transmitting and receiving data; and

data processing means for processing the data transmitted and received by the communication means, wherein

when the communication apparatus receives a request to send signal frame requesting a transmission upon the start of the data transmission in transmission origin station, said data processing means generates a clear to send signal frame,

the clear to send signal frame includes at least a first section and a second section, the first section including information used to indicate an interval of time during which a third communication station having an address that is not included in the second section must stop its communication operation, and the second section including the address of said first communication station, said communication means transmits said clear to send signal frame, and

the request to send signal frame describing at least an address of a communication station that is intended to receive the data transmission.