Wireless LAN device having terminal function, wireless LAN device having base station function, and wireless network having the wireless LAN device

• US 8,000,290 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Socionext Inc.
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsui, Takayuki, Mikami, Taro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mattis; Jason E
• Application Number:
  US11/597,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20080192709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,276 Days
• Field of Search: 370/278, 370/329, 370/445
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/021 adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation

Abstract

In a wireless network including a wireless LAN device having a base station function compatible with the IEEE 802.11e standard and a wireless LAN device having a terminal function compatible with the standard, a band-guaranteed data reception check timer 104′ starts measuring a preset time when the terminal receives band-guaranteed data from the base station after a band acquisition response signal is transmitted from the base station to the terminal and a band-guaranteed data transfer is established between the base station and the terminal. If band-guaranteed data is not received from the base station before the measurement of the preset time is completed, the terminal determines that the wireless network connection has been disconnected to request the base station for re-connection of the wireless network after passage of the preset time. Therefore, even if the power supply to the base station is cut off to disconnect the wireless network connection between the wireless LAN devices, it is possible to immediately detect the disconnection of the wireless network connection and to re-connect the wireless network.

Claims

1. A wireless LAN device having a terminal function, for constructing a wireless network with one wireless LAN device having a base station function compatible with an IEEE 802.11e standard being a generic standard to an IEEE 802.11 standard and having a data transfer band guarantee function and at least one wireless LAN device having a terminal function compatible with the IEEE 802.11e standard, the wireless LAN device having a terminal function comprising:

a signal output circuit for, after a band is guaranteed for data transfer between the wireless LAN device having a terminal function and the wireless LAN device having a base station function, outputting a base station confirmation signal to the wireless LAN device having a base station function by using a signal of the IEEE 802.11 standard or a signal of the IEEE 802.11e standard for which there is no band guarantee; and

a confirmation circuit for, when the wireless LAN device having a base station function transmits a confirmation response signal in response to the base station confirmation signal output from the signal output circuit, receiving the confirmation response signal to confirm that the wireless LAN device having a terminal function is connected to the wireless LAN device having a base station function,

wherein the signal output circuit includes a confirmation timer that starts measuring a preset time when a band acquisition response signal being a signal of the IEEE 802.11e standard is received from the wireless LAN device having a base station function and a band for data transfer is guaranteed, and a band acquisition request signal being a signal of the IEEE 802.11e standard is output to the wireless LAN device having a base station function as the base station confirmation signal after the preset time expires.

3. The wireless LAN device having a terminal function of claim 1 or 2, wherein the signal output circuit outputs a connection request signal being a signal of the IEEE 802.11 standard to the wireless LAN device having a base station function when the band acquisition response signal is not received from the wireless LAN device having a base station function as the confirmation response signal.

2. A wireless LAN device having a terminal function, for constructing a wireless network with one wireless LAN device having a base station function compatible with an IEEE 802.11e standard being a generic standard to an IEEE 802.11 standard and having a data transfer band guarantee function and at least one wireless LAN device having a terminal function compatible with the IEEE 802.11e standard, the wireless LAN device having a terminal function comprising:

a signal output circuit for, after a band is guaranteed for data transfer between the wireless LAN device having a terminal function and the wireless LAN device having a base station function, outputting a base station confirmation signal to the wireless LAN device having a base station function by using a signal of the IEEE 802.11 standard or a signal of the IEEE 802.11e standard for which there is no band guarantee; and

a confirmation circuit for, when the wireless LAN device having a base station function transmits a confirmation response signal in response to the base station confirmation signal output from the signal output circuit, receiving the confirmation response signal to confirm that the wireless LAN device having a terminal function is connected to the wireless LAN device having a base station function,

wherein the signal output circuit includes a confirmation timer that starts measuring a preset time when a band acquisition response signal being a signal of the IEEE 802.11e standard is received from the wireless LAN device having a base station function and a band for data transfer is guaranteed, and a dummy band acquisition request signal being a signal of the IEEE 802.11e standard for which a data transfer bandwidth is narrow is output to the wireless LAN device having a base station function as the base station confirmation signal after the preset time expires.