RADIO COMMUNICATION TERMINAL, MOBILE AD HOC NETWORK, AND NETWORK PARTICIPATION METHOD

• US 20150043381A1
• Filed: 03/18/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Funada, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,622,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

[Problem] A mobile ad hoc network (referred to as a “network” below) including the communication terminals (referred to as a “terminal” below) for cognitive radio communication in Patent Literature 1 has a problem that it takes time for the terminal to newly participate in the network.

[Solution] A radio communication terminal already participating in a mobile ad hoc network includes a pulse pilot generating unit which converts a pulse signal having a predetermined pattern into a radio signal and outputs the obtained radio signal at an unused frequency, after participating in the mobile ad hoc network. A radio communication terminal to participate in a mobile ad hoc network includes a pulse pilot checking unit which checks whether any pulse signal having a predetermined pattern exists in a radio signal for each predetermined frequency and performs a participation process for the frequency of each radio signal including the pulse signal, the participation process including inquiring whether the radio communication terminal can participate in the mobile ad hoc network.

Claims

1. A radio communication terminal comprising

a pulse pilot checking unit that, to participate in a mobile ad hoc network, checks whether any pulse signal having a predetermined pattern exists in a radio signal, for each predetermined frequency, and performs a participation process for the frequency of each radio signal including the pulse signal, the participation process including inquiring whether the radio communication terminal can participate in the mobile ad hoc network.

2. The radio communication terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

a beacon information acquiring unit that extracts, for the frequency of each radio signal determined by the pulse pilot checking unit that the radio signal includes the pulse signal, beacon information including characteristic of the mobile ad hoc network from the radio signal;

a participation-target network selecting unit that identifies the characteristic of the mobile ad hoc network from the beacon information, and determines the mobile ad hoc network with the characteristic satisfying a predetermined condition, as the mobile ad hoc network to participate in; and

a participation controlling unit that performs the participation process for the predetermined frequency of the mobile ad hoc network determined by the participation-target network selecting unit.

3. The radio communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein

the participation controlling unit outputs a start instructing signal to the pulse pilot checking unit at time of starting the participation process, and outputs a termination instructing signal to the pulse pilot checking unit at time of completing the participation process,

upon receipt of the start instructing signal from the participation controlling unit, the pulse pilot checking unit iterates checking, for the frequency of each radio signal determined by the pulse pilot checking unit itself that the radio signal includes the pulse signal, whether the pulse signal still exists in the radio signal, until receiving the termination instructing signal, and, when finding a frequency no longer including the pulse signal, outputs a signal corresponding to the frequency no longer including the pulse signal, and a process stop signal, to the participation controlling unit, and further,

upon receipt of the signal corresponding to the frequency no longer including the pulse signal, and the process stop signal, the participation controlling unit stops performing the participation process for the frequency no longer including the pulse signal.

4. The radio communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein

the beacon information acquiring unit outputs a start instructing signal to the pulse pilot checking unit upon receipt of the signal corresponding to the frequency of the radio signal including the pulse signal from the pulse pilot checking unit, and outputs a termination instructing signal to the pulse pilot checking unit when the mobile ad hoc network to participate in is determined,

upon receipt of the start instruction signal from the beacon information acquiring unit, the pulse pilot checking unit iterates checking, for the frequency of each radio signal determined by the pulse pilot checking unit itself that the radio signal includes the pulse signal, whether the pulse signal still exists in the radio signal, until receiving the termination instructing signal, and, when finding a frequency no longer including the pulse signal, outputs a signal corresponding to the predetermined frequency no longer including the pulse signal, and a process stop signal, to the beacon information acquiring unit, and further,

upon receipt of the signal corresponding to the frequency no longer including the pulse signal, and the process stop signal, the beacon information acquiring unit stops extracting the beacon information for the frequency no longer including the pulse signal.

5. A radio communication terminal comprising a pulse pilot generating unit that converts a pulse signal having a predetermined pattern into a radio signal, and outputs an obtained radio signal at an unused frequency, after participating in a mobile ad hoc network.

6. The radio communication terminal according to claim 5, comprising a beacon information generating unit that converts predetermined beacon information into a radio signal, and outputs an obtained radio signal at an unused frequency, the beacon information including characteristic of the mobile ad hoc network.

7. A mobile ad hoc network comprising radio communication terminals for cognitive radio communication, wherein

a radio communication terminal that is to participate in the mobile ad hoc network comprises

a pulse pilot checking unit that, to participate in a mobile ad hoc network, checks whether any pulse signal having a predetermined pattern exists in a radio signal, for each predetermined frequency, and performs a participation process for the frequency of each radio signal including the pulse signal, the participation process including inquiring whether the radio communication terminal can participate in the mobile ad hoc network, and

a radio communication terminal that is already participating in the mobile ad hoc network is the radio communication terminal according to claim 5.

8. A network participation method of participating in a mobile ad hoc network, the network participation method comprising, to participate in the mobile ad hoc network, checking whether any pulse signal having a predetermined pattern exists in a radio signal, for each predetermined frequency, and performing a participation process for the frequency of each radio signal including the pulse signal, the participation process including inquiring whether participation in the mobile ad hoc network is possible.

9. The network participation method according to claim 8, comprising:

extracting, for the frequency of each radio signal that includes the pulse signal, beacon information including characteristic of the mobile ad hoc network from the radio signal;

identifying the characteristic of the mobile ad hoc network from the beacon information;

determining the mobile ad hoc network with the characteristic satisfying a predetermined condition, as the mobile ad hoc network to participate in; and

performing the participation process for the predetermined frequency of the determined mobile ad hoc network.