Radio communication system and method

• US 6,718,159 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2000
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary, Erika
• Application Number:
  US09/495,945
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/15, 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/445, 455/517, 455/403, 455/422.1, 370/328, 370/338, 370/400, 370/351, 370/315, 370/277, 370/356, 370/465, 375/308, 375/329
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels

Abstract

In a radio communication system wherein a plurality of radio stations perform data exchange by radio communication, each of the radio stations has a function of outputting data to another radio station in the radio communication system, a function of receiving data from another radio station, and a function of relaying data in response to a request from another radio station. When the radio station outputs data to a specific target radio station but there is no acknowledgment from the target radio station, the radio station outputs relay requests to many unspecified radio stations. The radio stations, which have received the relay requests, relay and output the data simultaneously to the target radio station. Further, when the target radio station, which has received the data relayed by the many unspecified relay stations, acknowledges the receipt of the data, it selects an optimum radio station for relaying the data from the reception level status of radio packets which have been simultaneously transmitted from the many unspecified radio stations, and outputs acknowledgment data to the selected radio station.

Claims

1. A radio communication system in which a plurality of radio stations perform data exchange by radio communication, wherein:

each of said plurality of radio stations has a function of outputting data to another radio station in said radio communication system, a function of receiving data from another radio station, and a function of relaying data in response to a request from another radio station;

the function of relaying data in response to a request from another radio station has a normal mode which is utilized in a state where a line connection can be directly made, and a relay mode in which at least one relay station intervenes between the radio stations;

when the radio station outputs data to a specific target radio station but there is no acknowledgment from the target radio station, the radio station outputs relay request packets by inputting a non-modulation signal at a time position corresponding to addresses which are assigned to the radio station performing transmission so that the relay of the data is requested to many unspecified radio stations, and the other radio stations, which have received the relay request packets in a radio communication area of the radio station, output the relay request packets by inputting a non-modulation signal at a time position corresponding to addresses which are respectively assigned for each of the other radio stations at the same output timing simultaneously to the target radio station; and

when the target radio station, which has received the data relay request packets relayed by the many unspecified relay stations, acknowledges the receipt of the data to the relay request packets, it selects an optimum radio station for relaying the data from a reception level status of a signal indicating the address which is assigned to the radio station, the address being inputted into the relay request packets which have been simultaneously transmitted from the many unspecified radio stations, and outputs relay mode packets including the address which is assigned to the radio station, the address being firstly outputted as a target of acknowledging the receipt of the data to the selected optimum radio station.

2. The radio communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of radio stations comprises a DQPSK modem.

3. A radio communication system for performing data exchange by radio communication, said radio communication system comprising:

a plurality of radio stations, wherein each of said plurality of radio stations is operable to output data to at least one of said plurality of radio stations, receive data from at least one of said plurality of radio stations, and relay data to at least one of said plurality of radio stations;

wherein said radio communication system is operable to exchange data between a first one of said plurality of radio stations, operating as a calling station, and a second one of said plurality of radio stations, operating as a target station, in a normal mode and a relay mode as follows;

in the normal mode, data can be exchanged directly between the calling station and the target station; and

in the relay mode, data can be exchanged between the calling station and the target station through at least one relay station;

wherein, when the calling station outputs data to a target station and the calling station fails to receive a receipt acknowledgment from the target station, the calling station outputs relay request packets by inputting a non-modulation signal at a time position corresponding to addresses which are requested to many unspecified radio stations, and the other radio stations, which have received the relay request packets in a radio communication area of the radio stations, output the relay request packets by inputting a non-modulation signal at a time position corresponding to addresses which are respectively assigned for each of the other radio stations at the same output timing simultaneously to the target radio station; and

wherein, when the target radio station, which has received the relay request packets relayed by the many unspecified relay stations, acknowledges the receipt of the data to the relay request packets, it selects an optimum radio station for relaying the data from a reception level status of a signal indicating the addresses which are assigned to the radio stations, the addresses being inputted into the relay request packets which have been simultaneously transmitted from the many unspecified radio stations, and outputs relay mode packets including the address which is assigned to the radio station, the address being firstly outputted as a target of acknowledging the receipt of the data to the selected optimum station.

4. The radio communication system as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said plurality of radio stations comprises a DQPSK modem.

5. A radio communication method for performing data exchange by radio communication using a plurality of radio stations, wherein each of the plurality of radio stations is operable to output data to at least one of the plurality of radio stations, receive data from at least one of the plurality of radio stations, and relay data to at least one of the plurality of radio stations, said radio communication method comprising:

exchanging data between a first one of the plurality of radio stations, operating as a calling station, and a second one of the plurality of radio stations, operating as a target station, in a normal mode and a relay mode as follows;

in the normal mode, data is exchanged directly between the calling station and the target station; and

in the relay mode, data is exchanged between the calling station and the target station through at least one relay station;

wherein, when the calling station outputs data to a target station and the calling station fails to receive a receipt acknowledgment from the target station, the calling station outputs a relay request packets by inputting a non-modulation signal at a time position corresponding to addresses which are assigned to the radio station performing transmission so that the relay of the data is requested to many unspecified radio stations, and the other radio stations, which have received the relay request packets in a radio communication area of the radio station, output the relay request packets by inputting a non-modulation signal at a time position corresponding to addresses which are respectively assigned for each of the other radio stations at the same outputting timing simultaneously to the target radio station; and

wherein, when the target radio station, which has received the relay request packets relayed by the many unspecified relay stations, acknowledges the receipt of the data to the relay request packets, it selects an optimum radio station for relaying the data from a reception level status of a signal indicating the address which is assigned to the radio station, the address being inputted into the relay request packets which have been simultaneously transmitted from the many unspecified radio stations, and outputs relay mode packets including the addresses which are assigned to the radio stations, the addresses being firstly outputted as a target of acknowledging the receipt of the data to the selected optimum station.