Radio communication method, radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus, and radio communication terminal

• US 8,023,476 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Imamura, Daichi, Hirano, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Mahendra
• Application Number:
  US10/571,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20070109981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: 370/315, 370/335, 370/329, 370/338, 370/337, 370/325, 370/445, 455/417, 455/414, 455/566, 455/528, 455/13, 455/25, 375/211, 375/267, 375/347
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A technique for enabling a configuration of an entire radio communication system to be grasped in a manner of bird'"'"'s-eye is disclosed. In the radio communication system provided with one radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus 101 and a plurality of radio communication terminals 102a to 102e accommodated in this radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus by using the technique, each radio communication terminal transmits identification information of a self-terminal, and monitors a radio transmission medium, and then acquires identification information of a different radio communication terminal transmitted from a different radio communication terminal. Then, each radio communication terminal reports the acquired identification information of the different radio communication terminal to the radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus, and the radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus generates information indicating a relation of a detection of an existence between the plurality of radio communication terminals, in accordance with the report of those identification information, and grasp the configuration of the entire radio communication system in the manner of the bird'"'"'s-eye.

Claims

1. A radio communication terminal which is accommodated in a radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus and carries out a communication with a different radio communication terminal, the radio communication terminal comprising:

a reception section that receives identification information of said different radio communication terminal;

a detection section that detects information related to the communication with said different radio communication terminal by the reception of said identification information of said different radio communication terminal; and

a transmission section that transmits identification information of said radio communication terminal, said received identification information of said different radio communication terminal and said detected information related to the communication with said different radio communication terminal, to said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus,

wherein said detected information related to the communication with said different radio communication terminal includes any one of;

an electric power level of a signal which said radio communication terminal receives from said different radio communication terminal;

an error rate of the signal which said radio communication terminal receives from said different radio communication terminal;

a variation amount in said electric power level or said error rate;

a direction from a position of said radio communication terminal to a position of said different radio communication terminal; and

a variation amount in said direction.

2. The radio communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said transmission section further transmits information related to communication performance of said radio communication terminal to said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus.

3. The radio communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said transmission section periodically transmits said received identification information of said different radio communication terminal to said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus.

4. The radio communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said transmission section periodically transmits said detected information related to the communication with said different radio communication terminal to said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus.

5. The radio communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein said information related to the communication performance of said radio communication terminal includes any one of:

a movement direction or movement speed of said radio communication terminal;

a kind of a communication interface possessed by said radio communication terminal;

a transmission directivity that can be generated by said radio communication terminal; and

a reception directivity.

6. The radio communication terminal according to claim 2, further comprising:

a communication performance information acquiring section that acquires the information related to the communication performance of said radio communication terminal;

wherein

said transmission section transmits said acquired information related to the communication performance of said radio communication terminal to said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus.

7. A radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus, which carries out a communication with a radio communication terminal, the radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus comprising:

a reception section that receives identification information of said radio communication terminal, identification information of a different radio communication terminal, which carries out a communication with said radio communication terminal, and first information related to a communication between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal, from said radio communication terminal;

a detection section that detects the existence of radio communication terminals, in accordance with said identification information of said radio communication terminal and said identification information of said different radio communication terminal;

a correlation generation section that, based on the detected existence, generates information indicating a relation between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal; and

a communication information generation section that generates second information related to said communication between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal, in accordance with said first information related to the communication between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal,

wherein said first information related to the communication between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal includes any one of;

an electric power level of a signal which said radio communication terminal receives from said different radio communication terminal;

an error rate of the signal which said radio communication terminal receives from said different radio communication terminal;

a variation amount in said electric power level or said error rate;

a direction from a position of said radio communication terminal to a position of said different radio communication terminal; and

a variation amount in said direction.

8. The radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein;

the reception section further receives information related to communication performance of said radio communication terminal from said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus; and

the communication information generation section generates the second information related to said communication between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal, in accordance with said first information related to the communication between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal and said information related to said communication performance of said radio communication terminal.

9. The radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the reception section periodically receives said identification information of said different radio communication terminal from said radio communication terminal; and

the correlation generation section generates information indicating a time change in said relation of said detected existence between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal.

10. The radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the reception section periodically receives said first information related to the communication with said different radio communication terminal from said radio communication terminal; and

the communication information generation section generates information indicating a time change in communication state between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal.

11. The radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an acquirement section that acquires third information related to a communication between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal, in accordance with said received first information related to the communication between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal, and is located around said radio communication terminal.

12. The radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said information related to the communication performance of said radio communication terminal includes any one of:

a movement direction or movement speed of said radio communication terminal;

a kind of a communication interface possessed by said radio communication terminal;

a transmission directivity that can be generated by said radio communication terminal; and

a reception directivity.

13. The radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a communication control section that determines whether a first communication between a first radio communication terminal and a second radio communication terminal does not overlap with a second communication between a third radio communication terminal and a fourth radio communication terminal, by referring to said information indicating the relation between said radio communication terminals, and if it is determined that said first radio communication does not overlap with said second radio communication, allows said first communication and said second communication to be communicated simultaneously and independently.

14. A radio communication method performed in a radio communication terminal which is accommodated in a radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus and carries out a communication with a different radio communication terminal, the method comprising:

receiving identification information of said different radio communication terminal;

detecting information related to the communication with said different radio communication terminal by the reception of said identification information of said different radio communication terminal; and

transmitting identification information of said radio communication terminal, said received identification information of said different radio communication terminal and said detected information related to the communication with said different radio communication terminal, to said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus,

wherein said detected information related to the communication with said different radio communication terminal includes any one of;

an electric power level of a signal which said radio communication terminal receives from said different radio communication terminal;

an error rate of the signal which said radio communication terminal receives from said different radio communication terminal;

a variation amount in said electric power level or said error rate;

a direction from a position of said radio communication terminal to a position of said different radio communication terminal; and

a variation amount in said direction.

15. A radio communication method performed in a radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus which carries out a communication with a radio communication terminal, the method comprising:

receiving identification information of said radio communication terminal, identification information of a different radio communication terminal, and first information related to a communication between said radio communication terminal and the different radio communication terminal, from said radio communication terminal;

detecting an existence of radio communication terminals, in accordance with said identification information of said radio communication terminal and said identification information of said different radio communication terminal;

generating information indicating a relation of said detected existence between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal; and

generating second information related to said communication between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal, in accordance with said first information related to the communication between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal,

wherein said first information related to the communication between said radio communication terminal and said different radio communication terminal includes any one of;

an electric power level of a signal which said radio communication terminal receives from said different radio communication terminal;

an error rate of the signal which said radio communication terminal receives from said different radio communication terminal;

a variation amount in said electric power level or said error rate;

a direction from a position of said radio communication terminal to a position of said different radio communication terminal; and

a variation amount in said direction.