Radio communication system, transmitting apparatus, radio communication control apparatus, receiving apparatus, and radio communication method

• US 6,430,172 B1
• Filed: 08/25/1998
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hiraiwa, Hisaki, Sugita, Takehiro, Usui, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cangialosi, Salvatore
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vanderpuye, Ken
• Application Number:
  US09/139,887
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 370/445, 370/449, 370/328, 370/337, 370/338, 370/493, 370/494, 370/495, 370/347, 370/346, 370/348, 370/514, 370/509
• US Class Current: 370/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6421 Medium of transmission, e.g. fibre, cable, radio, satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6459 Multiplexing, e.g. TDMA, CDMA

Abstract

A radio communication system where data is transferred by TDMA in one frame. A frame is formed of a control-data transfer time region and an information-data transfer time region. In the control-data transfer time region, polling is performed for each terminal and a transfer rate and whether transfer data exists are returned to a control station as an ACK. The control station assigns a channel to each terminal according to this information a time period for data transfer in the information-data transfer time region is assigned to each terminal which has made a transmission request. In the region, asynchronous data and isochronous data can be transferred together. Since data is transferred in the time period assigned in advance in a frame, a constant transfer rate is obtained without being affected by an increase or decrease of traffic.

Claims

1. A radio communication system comprising:

a plurality of radio communication means each having transmitting means and receiving means; and

radio communication control means having controlling means, transmitting means, and receiving means for controlling communications performed by said plurality of radio communication means,

wherein information data including at least one of asynchronous data and isochronous data is transferred by a radio signal over a radio communication path for communication among said plurality of said radio communication means, said radio signal having a frame configuration including a first transfer time region for transferring control data used for controlling said communication, and a second transfer time region for performing said communication among said plurality of said radio communication means and for transferring said information data, wherein each of said plurality of radio communication means transmits transmission-request information in said first transfer time region and said transmission-request information includes identification information indicating whether the information data is one of asynchronous data and isochronous data, and

said radio communication control means transmits in said first transfer time region as part of said control data assignment information indicating one of the transmission and a receiving timing within said second transfer time region for the information data of each of said plurality of said radio communication means, and a M-sequence code for acquiring synchronization to be used as a timing reference by said plurality of said radio communication means to detect one of said transmission and said receiving timing for said information data.

2. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein said first transfer time region is shared in time-division multiplexing by said radio communication control means and said plurality of said radio communication means and

said second transfer time region is shared in time-division multiplexing by said plurality of said radio communication means.

3. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission-request information includes address information of the radio communication means serving as a transmission source and address information of the radio communication means serving as a transmission destination.

4. The radio communication system according to claim 3, wherein said transmission-request information includes information related to one of said amount of the information data to be transmitted, and communication-rate information.

5. A transmitting apparatus for transmitting information data including at least one of asynchronous data and isochronous data in units of frames, comprising:

means for requesting information-data transmission by transmitting transmission-request information in a first time region of a frame and for transmitting information describing said information data in said first time region of a frame, wherein said transmission-request information includes identification information indicating whether the information data is one of asynchronous data and isochronous data;

means for receiving information indicating whether communication according to the request is allowed and if said communication is allowed, for receiving control information related to a second time region of the frame, in which said communication is allowed, said control information including assignment information indicating a transmission timing within said second time region for the information data, and an M-sequence code for acquiring synchronization to be used as a timing reference by said transmitting apparatus to detect said transmission timing for said information data; and

means for transmitting said information data in the second time region of the frame according to said control information.

6. The transmitting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said information data is asynchronous data.

7. The transmitting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said information data is isochronous data.

8. The transmitting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said information describing said information data is communication-rate information for said information data.

9. The transmitting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said information describing said information data is information related to the amount of said information data.

10. A radio communication control apparatus for controlling information-data communication including at least one of asynchronous data and isochronous data performed in units of frames among a plurality of radio communication terminals, comprising:

means for receiving a transmission request of information data in the form of transmission-request data and for receiving information describing said information data in a first time region of a frame, wherein said transmission-request information in said first time region includes identification information indicating whether the information data is one of asynchronous data and isochronous data;

determination means for determining whether transmission of said information data is allowed in a second time region of said frame, according to the received transmission request; and

means for transmitting in said first time region control data including assignment information indicating one of a transmission and a receiving timing within said second time region for the information data of each of said plurality of said radio communication terminals, and an M-sequence code for acquiring synchronization to be used as a timing reference by said plurality of said radio communication terminals to detect one of said transmission and said receiving timing for said information data, if said transmission is allowed according to the determination result of said determination means, and if said transmission is not allowed, for transmitting information to that effect.

11. The radio communication control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said information data is asynchronous data.

12. The radio communication control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said information data is isochronous data.

13. The radio communication control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein information describing said information data is communication-rate information for said information data.

14. The radio communication control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said information describing said information data is amount information for said information data.

15. A radio communication method used between a plurality of radio communication terminals and a radio communication control terminal for controlling radio communication, comprising the steps of;

transferring, when communication is performed among said plurality of radio communication terminals by a radio signal over a communication path, information data including at least one of asynchronous data and isochronous data in said radio signal, said radio signal having a frame configuration including a first transfer time region for transferring control data used for controlling said communication, and a second transfer time region for performing said communication among said plurality of said radio communication means and for transferring said information data, wherein said information data in said first transfer time region includes transmission-request information having identification information indicating whether the information data is one of asynchronous data and isochronous data; and

transmitting, by said radio communication control terminal, in said first transfer time region as part of said control data assignment information indicating one of a transmission and a receiving timing within said second transfer time region for the information data of each of said plurality of said radio communication terminal, and an M-sequence code for acquiring synchronization to be used as a timing reference by said plurality of said radio communication terminals to detect one of said transmission and said receiving timing for said information data.

16. A transmitting method for transmitting information data including at least one of asynchronous data and isochronous data in units of frames, comprising the steps of:

requesting information-data transmission by transmitting transmission-request information in a first time region of a frame and transmitting information describing said information data in said first time region of a frame, wherein said transmission-request information includes identification information indicating whether the information data is one of asynchronous data and isochronous data;

receiving information indicating whether communication according to the request is allowed and if said communication is allowed, receiving control information related to a second time region of the frame, in which transmission is allowed, said control information including assignment information indicating a transmission timing within said second time region for the information data, and an M-sequence code for acquiring synchronization to be sued as at timing reference by said transmitting apparatus to detect said transmission timing for said information data; and

transmitting said information data in said second time region of the frame according to said control information.

17. A radio communication control method for controlling information-data communication including at least one of asynchronous data and isochronous data performed in units of frames among a plurality of radio communication terminals, comprising the steps of:

receiving a transmission request of said information data and receiving information describing said information data in a first time region of a frame, wherein said transmission request in the first time region includes identification information indicating whether the information data is one of asynchronous data and isochronous data;

determining whether transmission of said information data is allowed in a second time region of said frame, according to said received transmission request; and

transmitting in said first time region control data including assignment information indicating one of a transmission and a receiving timing within said second time region for the information data of each of said plurality of said radio communication terminals, and an M-sequence code for acquiring synchronization to be sued as a timing reference by said plurality of said radio communication terminals to detect one of said transmission and said receiving timing for said information data, if said transmission is allowed according to the determination result of said determination step, and if said transmission is not allowed, transmitting information to that effect.

18. A transmitting method for transmitting information data including at least one of asynchronous data and isochronous data in units of frames, comprising the steps of:

requesting information-data transmission by transmitting transmission-request information in a first time region of a frame and transmitting information describing said information data in said first time region of a frame, wherein said transmission-request information includes identification information indicating whether the information data includes one of asynchronous data and isochronous data;

receiving information indicating whether communication according to the request is allowed and if said communication is allowed, receiving control information related to a second time region of the frame, in which transmission is allowed, said control information including assignment information indicating a transmission timing within said second time region for the information data, and a predetermined sequence for acquiring synchronization to be used as a timing reference by said transmitting apparatus to detect said transmission timing for said information data; and

transmitting said information data in said second time region of the frame according to said control information.

19. A radio communication control method for controlling information-data communication including at least one of asynchronous data and isochronous data performed in units of frames among a plurality of radio communication terminals, comprising the steps of:

receiving a transmission request of said information data and receiving information describing said information data in a first time region of a frame, wherein said transmission request in the first time region includes identification information indicating whether information data includes one of asynchronous data and isochronous data;

determining whether transmission of said information data is allowed in a second time region of said frame, according to said received transmission request; and

transmitting in said first time region control data including assignment information indicating one of a transmission and a receiving timing within said second time region for the information data of each of said plurality of said radio communication terminal, and a predetermined sequence for acquiring synchronization to be used as a timing reference by said plurality of said radio communication terminals to detect one of said transmission and said receiving timing for said information data, if said transmission is allowed according to the determination result of said determination step, and if said transmission is not allowed, transmitting information to that effect.