Radio communication system, and apparatus, method, and computer program for said radio communication system

• US 7,233,804 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugaya, Shigeru, Toyoshima, Masakatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/375,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20030186713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 455 42- 45, 455/422.1, 455/466, 455/500, 455/39, 455/501, 455/502, 455/507, 455/509, 455/450, 370/466, 370/465, 370/336, 370/337, 370/347, 370/345, 375/132, 375/130
• US Class Current: 455/501
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/69 Spread spectrum techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7183 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00

Abstract

A communication system that permits the coexistent of a plurality of ultrawide band (UWB) radio communication networks that use different signal systems is achieved by using the same beacon signal and specifying the format of part of the control command among a plurality of UWB radio communication networks that use different signal systems, as defined, for example, by impulse period, impulse width, spreading ratio, and spreading code. When one UWB network receives a beacon signal from another UWB network, it grasps, judging from the received beacon signal, the transmission parameter that is used by another party and performs time-division on the transmission frame period for its own system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for radio communication that operates in a wireless network environment in which there coexist a plurality of wireless networks that use different signal systems, said apparatus for radio communication comprising

common signal reception means to receive control information transmitted from one wireless network of said plurality of wireless networks by using a signal system common with a signal system of another wireless network,

competition solving means to solve competition with said one wireless network based on control information from said another wireless network that has been received by said common signal reception means,

control information generating means to generate the control information of said one network in accordance with a result of a competition solution achieved by said competition solving means, and

common signal transmission means to transmit the control information in said one network by using a signal system common with a signal system of said another network.

2. The apparatus for radio communication as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of pulse period, pulse width, modulation scheme, and spreading scheme is switched over by said common signal transmission means.

3. The apparatus for radio communication as defined in claim 1, further comprising a radio transmission and reception means to transmit information to an other apparatus for radio communication in its own network by using the signal system used in its own network.

4. The apparatus for radio communication as defined in claim 1, wherein each wireless network operates with its respective transmission frame period, the control information contains the information of the transmission frame period used in each network, and the contention solving means establishes the period used in its own network after confirming the transmission frame period used by another network from which the control signal has been received.

5. The apparatus for radio communication as defined in claim 1, wherein each wireless network operates with its respective transmission frame period, the control information contains the information of the transmission frame period used in each network, and the contention solving means requests another network to set up a use period so as to avoid conflict with a use period in its own network.

6. A method for radio communication that works in a wireless network environment in which there coexist a plurality of wireless networks that use different signal systems, said method for radio communication comprising

a common signal reception step to receive control information transmitted from one wireless network of said plurality of networks by using a signal system common with a signal system of another wireless network,

a competition solving step to solve competition with one network based on the control information from said another network that has been received by said common signal reception step,

a control information generating step to generate control information of one network in accordance with a result of a competition solution achieved by said competition solving step, and

a common signal transmission step to transmit the control information in said one wireless network by using a signal system common with a signal system of said another wireless network.

7. An apparatus for radio communication that operates in a wireless network environment in which there coexist a plurality of wireless networks that use different signal systems, said apparatus for radio communication comprising

common signal reception means to receive control information transmitted from one wireless network of said plurality of wireless networks by using a signal system common with a signal system of another wireless network of said plurality of wireless networks,

radio transmission/reception means to exchange information with another radio communication apparatus within said one wireless network by using the signal system that is used within said one wireless network, and

radio transmission/reception control means to control an action for information transmission within said one wireless network based on control information of said another wireless network that has been received by said common signal reception means.

8. The apparatus for radio communication as defined in claim 7, wherein at least one of pulse period, pulse width, modulation scheme, and spreading scheme is switched over by said radio transmission reception control means.

9. A computer readable memory having stored therein a program written in a computer-readable format to be executed on a computer system that does processing for operation in a wireless network environment in which there coexist a plurality of wireless networks that use different signal systems, said program comprising

a common signal reception step to receive control information transmitted from one wireless network of said plurality of wireless networks by means of a signal system common with a signal system of another wireless network of said plurality of wireless networks,

a competition solving step to solve competition with one network based on the control information from said another network that has been received in said common signal reception step,

a control information generating step to generate control information of said one network in accordance with a result of a competition solution achieved in said competition solving step, and

a common signal transmission step to transmit the control information in said one wireless network by using a signal system common with a signal system of said another wireless network.