RADIO COMMUNICATION DEVICE, RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND RADIO COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20130170429A1
• Filed: 09/05/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masahiro, Horiike, Yoshio, Koba, Yasuo, Watanabe, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US13/820,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20130170429A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0203 in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In a radio communication device used in a radio communication system of the present invention, a radio relay terminal (201) includes a timing information analyzing section (26) which analyzes intermittent reception timing information contained in a radio signal and relay-transmits the radio signal according to intermittent awaiting of reception of a radio adapter terminal (301), and the radio adapter terminal (301) includes a timing information transmission section (24) which creates timing (intermittent reception timing information) which identifies an intermittent reception timing at which the radio adapter terminal (301) intermittently awaits reception, and transmits the radio signal to the radio access point terminal (101) via the radio relay terminal (201). Thus, an increase in electric power consumption can be suppressed with a simple configuration, and communication is enabled at a suitable timing according to the intermittent reception timing of the radio adapter terminal (301) between the radio access point terminal (101) and the radio adapter terminal (301) via the radio relay terminal (201).

Claims

1. A radio communication device used as a radio adapter terminal which performs radio communication with a radio access point terminal via a radio relay terminal,

wherein the radio communication device is configured to receive a beacon signal transmitted regularly from the radio relay terminal, synchronize a clock of the radio communication device with a clock of the radio relay terminal, and intermittently await reception of a radio signal transmitted from the radio relay terminal, the radio communication device comprising:

a timing information transmission section which creates intermittent reception timing information which identifies an intermittent reception timing at which the radio communication device intermittently awaits reception of the radio signal, incorporates the intermittent reception timing information into the radio signal transmitted from the radio communication device, and transmits the radio signal to the radio access point terminal via the radio relay terminal;

wherein the radio communication device is configured to intermittently await the reception of the radio signal at the intermittent reception timing identified by the intermittent reception timing information.

2. A radio communication device which is located between a radio access point terminal and a radio adapter terminal and is used as a radio relay terminal which relays radio communication between the radio access point terminal and the radio adapter terminal;

wherein the radio adapter terminal is configured to receive a beacon signal transmitted regularly from the radio relay terminal, synchronize a clock of the radio adapter terminal with a clock of the radio relay terminal, and intermittently await reception of the radio signal transmitted from the radio relay terminal; and

wherein the radio signal transmitted from the radio adapter terminal contains intermittent reception timing information which identifies an intermittent reception timing at which the radio adapter terminal intermittently awaits reception of the radio signal;

the radio communication device comprising;

a timing information analyzing section which, upon reception of the radio signal directed to the radio adapter terminal, analyzes the intermittent reception timing information contained in the radio signal and relay-transmits the radio signal according to the intermittent reception timing of the radio adapter terminal.

3. A radio communication device which is used as a radio access point terminal which performs radio communication with a radio adapter terminal via a radio relay terminal,

wherein the radio relay terminal is configured to receive a beacon signal transmitted regularly from the radio access point terminal, synchronize a clock of the radio relay terminal with a clock of the radio access point terminal, and transmit the beacon signal regularly synchronously with the beacon signal from the radio access point terminal;

and

wherein the radio adapter terminal is configured to receive the beacon signal transmitted from the radio relay terminal, synchronize a clock of the radio adapter terminal with a clock of the radio relay terminal, and intermittently await reception of a radio signal transmitted from the radio relay terminal at an intermittent reception timing identified by intermittent reception timing information, the radio communication device comprising;

a beacon transmission section for transmitting the beacon signal;

a memory section for storing at least the intermittent reception timing information contained in the radio signal upon reception of the radio signal from the radio adapter terminal; and

a timing information transmission section which incorporates the intermittent reception timing information stored in the memory section into the radio signal, and transmits the radio signal, when the radio signal directed to the radio adapter terminal is transmitted.

4. A radio communication system including a plurality of radio adapter terminals, a radio access point terminal which performs radio communication with the plurality of radio adapter terminals, and a radio relay terminal which is located between the radio access point terminal and the plurality of radio adapter terminals and relays radio communication between the radio adapter terminals and the radio access point terminal;

wherein the radio adapter terminal is configured to receive a beacon signal transmitted regularly from the radio relay terminal, synchronize a clock of the radio adapter terminal with a clock of the radio relay terminal, and intermittently await reception of the radio signal transmitted from the radio relay terminal at an intermittent reception timing which is predetermined, and includes a timing information transmission section which creates intermittent reception timing information which identifies the intermittent reception timing, incorporates the intermittent reception timing information into a radio signal transmitted from the radio adapter terminal, and transmits the radio signal to the radio access point terminal via the radio relay terminal;

wherein the radio relay terminal is configured to transmit the beacon signal regularly synchronously with the beacon signal from the radio access point terminal and includes a timing information analyzing section which, upon reception of the radio signal directed to the radio adapter terminal, analyzes the intermittent reception timing information contained in the radio signal and relay-transmits the radio signal according to the intermittent reception timing of the radio adapter terminal; and

,

the radio access point terminal comprising;

a beacon transmission section for transmitting the beacon signal;

a memory section for storing at least the intermittent reception timing information contained in the radio signal upon reception of the radio signal from the radio adapter terminal; and

a timing information transmission section which incorporates the intermittent reception timing information stored in the memory section into the radio signal, and transmits the radio signal, when the radio signal directed to the radio adapter terminal is transmitted.

5. The radio communication system according to claim 4,

wherein a transmission interval of the beacon signal is dividable into a plurality of time slots;

and

wherein the intermittent reception timing of the radio adapter terminal is set to an integral multiple of the time slot.

6. The radio communication system according to claim 4,

wherein when the radio communication is divided for each preset predetermined time, the predetermined time is one cycle of the radio communication and the one cycle is divided into n (n:

natural number) time slots;

the n time slots are assigned with slot numbers of 1 to n, respectively;

when a slot number of intervals at which the radio adapter terminal intermittently awaits reception of the radio signal is an intermittent reception cycle M and a reference slot number Y0 is expressed as the following formula (1);

Y0=(A×

M)+1 

 

(1)

(A is integer of any one of 0˜

(n−

1)/M),

the intermittent reception timing information is composed of two information which are the intermittent reception cycle M and Z used for deciding a standby slot number Y expressed as the following formula (2);

Y=Y0+(z−

1) 

 

(2)

(Z is any one of integers of 1˜

M).

7. A radio communication method for use with a radio adapter terminal which performs radio communication with a radio access point terminal via a radio relay terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a beacon signal transmitted regularly from the radio relay terminal and synchronizing a clock of the radio adapter terminal with a clock of the radio relay terminal;

creating intermittent reception timing information which identifies an intermittent reception timing at which the radio adapter terminal intermittently awaits reception of a radio signal transmitted from the radio relay terminal, incorporating the intermittent reception timing information into the radio signal transmitted from the radio adapter terminal, and transmitting the radio signal to the radio access point terminal via the radio relay terminal; and

intermittently awaiting the reception of the radio signal at an intermittent reception timing identified by the intermittent reception timing information.

8. A radio communication method for use with a radio relay terminal which is located between a radio access point terminal and a radio adapter terminal and relays radio communication between the radio access point terminal and the radio adapter terminal;

wherein the radio adapter terminal is configured to receive a beacon signal transmitted regularly from the radio relay terminal, synchronize a clock of the radio adapter terminal with a clock of the radio relay terminal, and intermittently await reception of a radio signal transmitted from the radio relay terminal; and

wherein the radio signal contains intermittent reception timing information which identifies an intermittent reception timing at which the radio adapter terminal intermittently awaits reception;

the radio communication method comprising the steps of;

receiving the beacon signal transmitted regularly from the radio access point terminal or the radio relay terminal;

upon reception of the radio signal directed to the radio adapter terminal, analyzing the intermittent reception timing information contained in the radio signal; and

relay-transmitting the radio signal according to the intermittent reception timing of the radio adapter terminal.

9. A radio communication method for use with a radio access point terminal which performs radio communication with a radio adapter terminal via a radio relay terminal,

wherein the radio relay terminal is configured to receive a beacon signal transmitted regularly from the radio access point terminal, synchronize a clock of the radio relay terminal with a clock of the radio access point terminal, and transmit the beacon signal regularly synchronously with the beacon signal from the radio access point terminal;

and

wherein the radio adapter terminal is configured to receive the beacon signal transmitted from the radio relay terminal, synchronize a clock of the radio adapter terminal with a clock of the radio relay terminal, create intermittent reception timing information which identifies an intermittent reception timing at which the radio adapter terminal intermittently awaits reception of the radio signal transmitted from the radio relay terminal, and intermittently await reception of the radio signal transmitted from the radio relay terminal at the intermittent reception timing;

the radio communication method comprising the steps of;

transmitting the beacon signal;

obtaining the intermittent reception timing information transmitted from the radio adapter terminal;

storing the obtained intermittent reception timing information; and

incorporating the intermittent reception timing information stored in the memory section into the radio signal, and transmitting the radio signal, when the radio signal directed to the radio adapter terminal is transmitted.