WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS

• US 20120220228A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: TANDAI, Tomoya, Adachi, Tomoko, Tomizawa, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,958,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

According to one embodiment, there is provided a wireless communication apparatus for making wireless connection in the first connection attempt state wherein a connection request is attempted using a predetermined frequency channel or the second connection attempt state wherein a connection request is attempted using a plurality of frequency channels. A frame generation unit generates a connection request frame which includes the first field for requesting a search of the plurality of frequency channels in response to occurrence of interference, and the second field indicating whether a corresponding frequency channel is a channel wherein occurrence of interference has been detected. A transmission unit transmits the connection request frame using the predetermined frequency channel in the first connection attempt state, and transmits the connection request frame using the plurality of frequency channels in the second connection attempt state.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus for making wireless connection in a first connection attempt state in which a connection request is attempted using a predetermined frequency channel or a second connection attempt state in which a connection request is attempted using a plurality of frequency channels, the apparatus comprising:

an interference detection unit configured to detect occurrence of interference in one of the plurality of frequency channels;

a frame generation unit configured to generate a connection request frame which includes a first field for requesting a search of the plurality of frequency channels in response to occurrence of interference, and a second field for indicating whether a corresponding frequency channel is a channel in which occurrence of interference has been detected;

a transmission unit configured to transmit the connection request frame using the predetermined frequency channel in the first connection attempt state, and transmit the connection request frame using the plurality of frequency channels in the second connection attempt state; and

a control unit configured to transit to the second connection attempt state in response to occurrence of interference.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a reception unit configured to receive a response frame for requesting d connection attempt to the plurality of frequency channels,

wherein the control unit transits to the second connection attempt state in response to reception of the response frame.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a counter configured to count the number of times a first time interval has elapsed after start of a connection request,

wherein the control unit transits to the second connection attempt state when the number of times becomes a predetermined value.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein for a connection request frame transmitted using a frequency channel in which no interference has been detected, upon receiving a response frame containing information which indicates that no interference has been detected in the frequency channel, the reception unit stands by for reception of a connection response frame in the frequency channel.

5. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

an interference detection unit configured to detect occurrence of interference in one of a plurality of frequency channels;

a control unit configured to stand by in a first search state in which a predetermined frequency channel is searched, or a second search state in which a plurality of frequency channels are searched; and

a reception unit configured to receive a connection request frame which includes a first field for requesting a search of the plurality of frequency channels, and a second field for indicating whether a corresponding frequency channel is a channel in which occurrence of interference has been detected,

wherein the control unit transits to the second search state when occurrence of interference is detected or the first field indicates that a search of the plurality of frequency channels is requested.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising

a frame generation unit configured to generate a response frame which includes a third field for requesting a connection attempt to the plurality of frequency channels in response to occurrence of interference, and a fourth field for indicating whether the corresponding frequency channel is a channel in which interference has been detected;

and

a transmission unit configured to transmit the response frame in response to reception of the connection request frame.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising

a counter configured to count the number of times a second time interval has elapsed after start of a search,

wherein the control unit transits to the second search state when the number of times becomes a predetermined value.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transmission unit transmits the response frame using the corresponding frequency channel, when the second field of the connection request frame indicates that the corresponding frequency channel is not a channel in which occurrence of interference has been detected, and the interference detection unit has detected no interference in the corresponding frequency channel.