Channel selection method, and wireless station and wireless terminal employing it

• US 7,263,366 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Miyashita, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ewart; James D
• Application Number:
  US10/911,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20050032537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1, 455/63.3, 455/434, 455/447, 455450-454, 455/455, 455/463, 455/464, 455/509, 455/515, 455/516, 455/517, 370/329, 370/330, 370/332, 370/338, 370/341, 370/343, 370/431, 370/437, 370/464, 370/480
• US Class Current: 455/452.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point

Abstract

At the time of a normal operation, a second channel change message 30b is transmitted from the AP to each terminal before a time T0 until a channel change that is included in a first channel change message 30a elapses, thereby all terminals that received this message 30b, and the AP stop changing the channel. At the time of interference occurrence, setting a time until a channel change to be filed in a third channel change message 30d to a time equal to or less than a lapse time until the channel change at the time point of transmitting this message 30d to transmit it to each terminal from the AP allows the terminal that failed to receive the message at the time of the interference occurrence to make a channel change without causing a connection to the AP to be disconnected.

Claims

1. A channel selection method in a communication system for making communication between a first wireless station and one or each of a plurality of second wireless stations different from said first wireless station by employing one of a plurality of wireless channels, wherein:

said first wireless station performs the steps of;

transmitting a first channel change notification including a first time until a channel change and a change destination channel to said second wireless station; and

prior to a lapse of said first time, transmitting a second channel change notification including a second time until a channel change and a change destination channel to said second wireless station; and

said first and second wireless stations perform a step of assuming the time until the channel change to be said second time,

further comprising setting said second time to be included in said second channel change notification that is transmitted after interference occurrence to a time equal to or less than said first time,

further comprising said first wireless station;

prior to a lapse of said second time, transmitting a third channel change notification including a third time until a channel change and a change destination channel to said second wireless station;

setting said third time to a time that becomes identical to a channel change timing that is indicated by said second time;

in a case where an interference improvement was detected before a lapse of said second time since the interference occurrence, transmitting a fourth channel change notification including a fourth time until a channel change and a change destination channel to said second wireless station; and

setting said fourth time to a time longer than said second time.

2. A wireless station for making communication with one or a plurality of other wireless stations by employing one of a plurality of wireless channels, said wireless station comprising:

means for transmitting a first channel change notification including a first time until a channel change and a change destination channel to said other wireless station;

means for, prior to a lapse of said first time, transmitting a second channel change notification including a second time until a channel change and a change destination channel to said other wireless station;

means for assuming the time until the channel change to be said second time, wherein in a case of transmitting said second channel change notification after an interference occurrence, said second time is set to a time equal to or less than said first time;

means for, prior to a lapse of said second time, transmitting a third channel change notification including a third time until a channel change and said change destination channel to said other wireless station;

means for setting said third time to a time that becomes identical to a channel change timing that is indicated by said second time;

means for, in a case where an interference improvement was detected prior to a lapse of said second time since interference occurrence, transmitting a fourth channel change notification including a fourth time until a channel change and a change destination channel to said other wireless station; and

means for setting said fourth time to a time longer than said second time.

3. A wireless terminal for, by employing a wireless channel designated by a wireless station, making communication with said wireless station, said wireless terminal comprising:

means for receiving a first message including a first channel change time and a first change destination channel from said wireless station;

means for, after said first message was received, assuming said first change destination channel to be a channel that is employed for communication after a lapse of said first channel change time; and

means for, in a case where a second message including a second channel change time and a second change destination channel was received from said wireless station prior to a lapse of said first channel change time, assuming said second change destination channel to be a channel, which is employed for communication, after a lapse of said second channel change time since said second message was received.

4. The wireless terminal according to claim 3, further comprising means for making a channel switchover based upon an instruction for switching a channel that is an object of observation in order to observe the interference status, said instruction being given by the wireless station.

5. The wireless terminal according to claim 3, wherein said wireless station is a wireless base station connected to its own wireless terminal with a wireless channel.