Method of constructing radio network radio communication system, and radio communication apparatus

• US 7,212,833 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2002
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugaya, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dean; Raymond S.
• Application Number:
  US10/333,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20030157950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,791 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/507, 455/509, 455518-519
• US Class Current: 455/519
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A method of constructing a radio network that enables the user to select an arbitrary radio communication apparatus as a control station and the thus selected radio communication apparatus preferentially constructs the radio network, wherein the radio communication apparatus that is desired to be arranged as a control station is set up so that it has the function of preferentially becoming a control station in advance. In case several radio communication apparatuses are designated as control stations, any of the radio communication apparatuses is selected as a control station based on the number of radio communication apparatuses with which the designated radio communication apparatus can communicate.

Claims

1. A radio communication system that includes a radio network having a plurality of radio communication apparatuses, each one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses being capable of operating as a control station of the radio network, and being capable of directly communicating with at least another of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses so that a given one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses directly communicates with a particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, said system comprising:

means for designating at least two of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses to be initial control stations; and

each one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses including;

means for receiving and storing a plurality of judgment values from the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with that radio communication apparatus such that a given one of the plurality of judgment values is received from and is associated with a specific one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, the given one of the plurality of judgment values indicating the number of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with the specific one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses,

means for determining the number of radio communication apparatuses in the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses by counting each of the radio communication apparatuses from which its associated judgment value was received,

means for generating a further one of the plurality of judgment values based on the number of radio communication apparatuses counted, the further one of the plurality of judgment values indicating the number of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with that radio communication apparatus,

means for transmitting the further one of the plurality of judgment values to each one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses,

means for selecting, when that radio communication apparatus is one of the at least two initial control stations, that radio communication apparatus to be the working control station of said radio network when the further one of the plurality of judgment values is greater than each one of the received judgment values that are associated with all other ones of the at least two initial control stations whereby that radio communication apparatus directly communicates with a greater number of communication apparatuses than any other one of the at least two initial control stations, and

means for transmitting, from that radio communication apparatus to each one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses when said means for selecting selects that communication apparatus to be the working control station, notification that it is the working control station.

2. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses includes associated switch means for designating that radio communication apparatus as one of the at least two initial control stations of the radio network.

3. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for receiving and storing, said means for determining, said means for generating, and said means for transmitting the further one of the plurality of judgment values each carry out at least two iterations before said means for selecting selects the working control station.

4. A radio communication apparatus for a radio network that includes a plurality of radio communication apparatuses, said radio communication apparatus comprising:

means for receiving and storing a plurality of judgment values from a particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with said radio communication apparatus such that a given one of the plurality of judgment values is received from and is associated with a specific one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, the given one of the plurality of judgment values indicating the number of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with the specific one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses;

means for determining the number of radio communication apparatuses in the particular portion of the plurality of other radio communication apparatuses by counting each of the radio communication apparatuses from which its associated judgment value was received;

means for generating a further one of the plurality of judgment values based on the number of radio communication apparatuses counted, the further one of the plurality of judgment values indicating the number of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with said radio communication apparatus;

means for transmitting the further one of the plurality of judgment values to each one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses;

means for selecting said radio communication apparatus to be the working control station of the radio network when the further one of the plurality of judgment values is greater than each received one of the plurality of judgment values whereby said radio communication apparatus directly communicates with a greater number of communication apparatuses than any other one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio apparatuses; and

means for transmitting, from that radio communication apparatus to each one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses when said means for selecting selects said radio communication apparatus as the working control station, notification that said radio communication apparatus is the working control station.

5. The radio communication apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said radio communication apparatus further comprises switch means for designating said radio communication apparatus as the working control station of the radio network.

6. A method of radio communication, comprising:

constructing a radio network from a plurality of radio communication apparatuses, each one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses being capable of directly communicating with at least another of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses so that a given one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses directly communicates with a particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses;

for each one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses;

receiving and storing a plurality of judgment values from the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with that radio communication apparatus such that a given one of the plurality of judgment values is received from and is associated with a specific one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, the given one of the plurality of judgment values indicating the number of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with the specific one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses,

determining the number of radio communication apparatuses in the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses by counting each of the radio communication apparatuses from which its associated judgment value was received,

generating a further one of the plurality of judgment values based on the number of radio communication apparatuses counted, the further one of the plurality of judgment values indicating the number of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with that radio communication apparatus,

transmitting the further one of the plurality of judgment values to each one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, and

selecting that radio communication apparatus to be the working control station for the radio network when the further one of the plurality of judgment values is greater than each received one of the plurality of judgment values whereby that radio communication apparatus directly communicates with a greater number of communication apparatuses than the other ones of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses; and

transmitting, from the selected one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses to its particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, notification that it is the working control station.

7. A method of constructing a radio network comprised of a plurality of radio communication apparatuses that can each operate as a control station, each one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses being capable of directly communicating with at least another of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses so that a given one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses directly communicates with a particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, said method comprising:

designating one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses as an initial control station of the radio network;

for each one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses;

receiving and storing a plurality of judgment values from the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with that radio communication apparatus such that a given one of the plurality of judgment values is received from and is associated with a specific one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, the given one of the plurality of judgment values indicating the number of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with the specific one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses,

determining the number of radio communication apparatuses in the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses by counting each of the radio communication apparatuses from which its associated judgment value was received,

generating a further one of the plurality of judgment values based on the number of radio communication apparatuses counted, the further one of the plurality of judgment values indicating the number of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with that radio communication apparatus,

transmitting the further one of the plurality of judgment values to each one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, and

selecting that radio communication apparatus to be the working control station for the radio network when the further one of the plurality of judgment values is greater than each received one of the plurality of judgment values whereby indicating that that radio communication apparatus directly communicates with a greater number of communication apparatuses than the other ones of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses; and

transmitting, from the selected one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses to its particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, notification that it is the working control station.

8. The method of constructing a radio network as set forth in claim 7, wherein each one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses includes an associated switch which enables that radio communication apparatus to become the working control station of the radio network.

9. The method of constructing a radio network as set forth in claim 7, wherein said receiving and storing step, said determining step, said generating step, and said transmitting the further one of the plurality of judgment values step are each performed at least two times prior to carrying out said selecting step.

10. A method of constructing a radio network that includes a plurality of radio communication apparatuses, each one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses being capable of directly communicating with at least another of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses so that a given one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses directly communicates with a particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, said method comprising:

designating at least two of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses to be initial control stations;

for each one of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses;

receiving and storing a plurality of judgment values from the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with that radio communication apparatus such that a given one of the plurality of judgment values is received from and is associated with a specific one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, the given one of the plurality of judgment values indicating the number of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with the specific one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses,

determining the number of radio communication apparatuses in the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses by counting each of the radio communication apparatuses from which its associated judgment value was received,

generating a further one of the plurality of judgment values based on the number of radio communication apparatuses counted, the further one of the plurality of judgment values thereby indicating the number of radio communication apparatuses that directly communicate with that radio communication apparatus,

transmitting the further one of the plurality of judgment values to each one of the particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, and

when that radio communication apparatus is one of the at least two initial control stations, selecting that radio communication apparatus to be the working control station for said radio network when the further one of the plurality of judgment values is greater than each one of the received judgment values that are associated with all other ones of the at least two initial control stations whereby that radio communication apparatus directly communicates with a greater number of communication apparatuses than the other ones of the at least two initial control stations; and

transmitting, from the selected one of the at least two initial control stations to its particular portion of the plurality of radio communication apparatuses, notification that it is the working control station.

11. The method of constructing a radio network as set forth in claim 10, wherein said receiving and storing step, said determining step, said generating step, and said transmitting the further one of the plurality of judgment values step are each performed at least two times prior to carrying out said selecting step.