Communication method, communication device, and computer program

• US 7,302,227 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakoda, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US10/544,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20060234740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/41.2, 455/422.1, 455/500, 455/507
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/53 based on regulatory allocation policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

In order to solve a problem of an accumulation on the transmission side, a delay on the reception side, and the like at the time of transmission in a communication system such as a wireless LAN system, each communication station in a network transmits a beacon in which information with respect to the network is written and sets a state in which a reception operation is performed during periods of time before and after the transmission of the beacon signal when performing access control not to make communication timing of a packet collide with that of another station by detecting a signal transmitted from another station. With performing such processing, a system can be formed based on minimum level of transmission and reception operation when transmission and reception data does not exist in each communication station in the network, and also a data transfer can be performed with latency as small as possible in a minimum necessary level of transmission and reception operation by making a transition of a transmission and reception state in accordance with a fluctuating volume of transmission and reception data.

Claims

1. A communication method of performing a wireless communication operation in a network including a plurality of communication stations having no relation of a control station and a controlled station, comprising:

transmitting from a communication station a beacon in which information with respect to the network is written;

setting by the communication station a state in which a reception operation is performed during a period of time before and after the transmission of said beacon signal;

exchanging by said communication station messages in order to transmit data with a communication station to which data should be transmitted when the data to be transmitted is generated;

setting by said communication station a state in which a reception operation is performed during a period of time in which said communication partner station transmits a beacon signal and during a neighboring period of time thereof;

judging by said communication station whether volume of data to be transmitted which is retained in a transmission station increases; and

generating at least one transmission trigger time between beacon signal transmission intervals when the volume of data to be transmitted which is retained in the transmission station increases,

wherein a transmission and reception procedure is started based on said transmission trigger time when the data to be transmitted exists in the transmission station.

2. A communication method according to claim 1,

wherein said communication station continuously performs reception operation or transmission operation when it is judged that the volume of data to be transmitted further increases.

3. A communication apparatus, which operates in a network built under a wireless communication environment of an autonomous distributed type, comprising:

communication means for transmitting and receiving wireless data;

beacon generation means for generating a beacon signal in which information with respect to the network is written to be transmitted by said communication means; and

control means for setting a state in which a reception operation is performed during periods of time before and after the transmission of the beacon signal generated by said beacon generation means,

wherein said control means controls an exchange of messages in order to transmit data with a communication partner to whom the data should be transmitted when the data to be transmitted is generated;

performs a reception operation by said communication means during a period of time in which said communication partner transmits a beacon signal and during a neighboring period of time thereof judges whether the retained volume of data to be transmitted increases;

generates at least one transmission trigger time between beacon signal transmission intervals when the volume of data to be transmitted increases, and starts transmission and reception in said communication means based on the transmission trigger time.

4. A communication apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said control means makes reception operation or transmission operation continuously performed by said communication means when it is judged that the volume of data to be transmitted further increases.