Wireless communication system, wireless communication device and wireless communication method, and computer program

• US 8,428,041 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakoda, Kazuyuki, Iwami, Hideki, Nishikawa, Kenzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Huy C
• Application Number:
  US10/971,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20050169232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,102 Days
• Field of Search: 370/234, 370/445, 370/319, 370/347
• US Class Current: 370/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1614 using bitmaps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1628 List acknowledgements, i.e. the acknowledgement message consisting of a list of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers H04L1/1614 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Access control based on CSMA is favorably carried out with the RTS/CTS method used together.

If the RTS/CTS procedure is used together, CTS information is transmitted in response to the reception of RTS information, and data is transmitted in response to the reception of CTS. The CTS transmitting station measures the quality of RTS receive signal, and thereby determines a transmission rate at which it can receive and notifies a station as the destination of CTS. The station as the destination of CTS transmits data in response to CTS information. As the transmission rate for this data, the transmission rate indicated in the RATE field in CTS is applied.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system in which random access is made concomitantly using an RTS/CTS method, wherein a first communication station as an origin of data transmission transmits a request to send frame RTS and starts transmission of a data block for which a response frame CTS has been received from a second communication station that receives the RTS as a destination of data transmission, the system comprising:

the first communication station as the origin of the data transmission, the first communication station including means for transmitting a frame in which any two or more subframes of a request to send RTS, a confirmative advice CTS, the data block for which the response frame CTS has been received, and an acknowledgement ACK are multiplexed into the frame,

wherein the transmitted frame includes a common header portion and a corresponding subheader portion for each of the two or more subframes.

2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the first communication station sets a time by which the second communication station'"'"'s transmission of a frame as an outcome of the transmission of a frame is completed, and describes it as medium reservation time information of the transmit frame.

3. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein a communication station which receives a frame containing RTS information transmits a frame containing CTS information in accordance with the contents of the RTS, and wherein a communication station which receives a frame containing CTS information transmits a frame containing the data block in accordance with the contents of the CTS.

4. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein in the RTS, first information is described which indicates whether RTS information may be added to a CTS transmitted as the outcome of the RTS or not.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 4,

wherein an RTS receiving communication station judges whether it may add RTS information to a frame returned or not, based on the first information in the RTS, and, if data to be transmitted to an RTS transmitting communication station is present, transmits a CTS to which RTS information is added for the purpose of transmitting the data or a frame containing RTS information for the purpose of transmitting the data.

6. The wireless communication system according to claim 4,

wherein an RTS receiving communication station, when a frame containing RTS information is received, and if data desired to transmit to an RTS transmitting communication station is present, transmits a CTS to which RTS information is added for the purpose of transmitting the data or a frame containing RTS information for the purpose of transmitting the data.

7. The wireless communication system according to claim 4,

wherein an RTS transmitting communication station determines first information based on information elements contained in the frames received from a communication station as the destination of the RTS in the past.

8. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein, if an RTS receiving communication station recognizes from the information in the RTS that an RTS transmitting communication station is trying to transmit data already received by the RTS receiving communication station, adds ACK information to the CTS.

9. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein, if a data receiving communication station receives data which requests an ACK from a data transmitting communication station and judges that it has not transmitted the ACK of the data, the data receiving communication station adds ACK information when it transmits a frame of some kind to the data transmitting communication station.

10. The wireless communication system according to claim 9, wherein the data receiving communication station does not add ACK information to a frame in which RTS information is solely transmitted.

11. The wireless communication system according to claim 9, wherein the first communication station transmits data which requests an ACK in a frame directed to two or more communication stations.

12. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein an RTS transmitting communication station transmits to an RTS receiving communication station an RTS in which an ACK request for requesting a return of the ACK of data it has transmitted so far is multiplexed.

13. The wireless communication system according to claim 1,

wherein, if an RTS transmitting communication station failed to receive the ACK of data it has transmitted so far, it transmits to an RTS receiving communication station an RTS in which an ACK request for requesting a return of an ACK is multiplexed.

14. The wireless communication system according to claim 12 or 13

wherein a communication station which receives the RTS with an ACK request multiplexed returns an ACK which indicates whether the reception of data transmitted from said RTS transmitting communication station has been completed or not, or, if it has failed to receive data transmitted from said RTS transmitting communication station, multiplexes a CTS which requests to retransmit the data and an ACK of the ACK request and returns them.

15. The wireless communication method of claim 1,

wherein the means for transmitting frames transmits frames, each of which includes at least one MAC header.

16. A first wireless communication device which makes random access concomitantly using an RTS/CTS method, wherein the first wireless communication device as an origin of data transmission transmits a request to send a packet RTS and starts transmission of a data block for which a response packet CTS has been received from a second communication device that receives the RTS as a destination of data transmission, first the wireless communication device comprising:

an information generating means for generating information of a request to send RTS, a confirmative advice CTS, the data block for which the response frame CTS has been received, and an acknowledgement ACK; and

a packet transfer communication means for transmitting a frame in which any two or more subframes of the request to send RTS, the confirmative advice CTS, the data block for which the response frame CTS has been received, and the acknowledgement ACK are multiplexed into the frame,

wherein the transmitted frame includes a common header portion and a corresponding subheader portion for each of the two or more subframes.

17. The first wireless communication device according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for setting a time by which the second communication device'"'"'s transmission of a frame as an outcome of the transmission of a frame is completed, and describes the set time information as a reservation time information of a transmit frame.

18. The first wireless communication device according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for, in response to the reception of a frame containing RTS information, transmitting a frame containing CTS information in accordance with contents of the RTS; and

means for, in response to the reception of a frame containing CTS information, transmitting a frame containing the data block in accordance with the contents of the CTS.

19. The first wireless communication device according to claim 16,

wherein, when generating RTS information, said information generating means describes first information which indicates whether RTS information may be added to CTS transmitted as the outcome of the RTS.

20. The first wireless communication device according to claim 19,

wherein, when transmitting a return frame, said packet transmitting means judges whether RTS information may be added to CTS based on the first information in the causal RTS, and, if data it desires to transmit to an RTS transmitting communication device is present, transmits a CTS to which RTS information is added for the purpose of transmitting the data or a frame containing RTS information for the purpose of transmitting the data.

21. The first wireless communication device according to claim 20,

wherein said packet transmitting means, when transmitting a return frame in response to the frame containing RTS information, if data desired to transmit to the RTS transmitting communication device is present, transmits a CTS to which RTS information is added for the purpose of transmitting the data or a frame containing RTS information for the purpose of transmitting the data.

22. The first wireless communication device according to claim 19,

wherein said information generating means determines first information based on information elements contained in the frames received from the second communication device as the destination of the RTS in the past.

23. The first wireless communication device according to claim 16,

wherein, if said packet transfer communication means recognizes from the information in the RTS that a causal RTS transmitting communication device is trying to transmit data already received by the first wireless communication device itself when transmitting a CTS, the packet transfer communication means adds ACK information to the CTS.

24. The first wireless communication device according to claim 16,

wherein, if said packet transfer communication means receives data which requests an ACK from a data transmitting communication device in response to the reception of a data frame and judges that it has not transmitted the ACK of the data, the packet transfer communication means adds ACK information when it transmits a frame of some kind to the data transmitting communication device.

25. The first wireless communication device according to claim 24,

wherein said packet transfer communication means does not add ACK information to a frame in which RTS information is solely transmitted.

26. The first wireless communication device according to claim 24,

wherein said packet transfer communication means transmits data which requests an ACK in a frame directed to two or more communication device.

27. The first wireless communication device according to claim 16,

wherein, when transmitting an RTS, said packet transfer communication means multiplexes an ACK request for requesting a return of the ACK of data it has transmitted so far.

28. The first wireless communication device according to claim 16,

wherein, if said packet transfer communication means failed to receive the ACK of data it has transmitted so far, it multiplexes an ACK request for requesting a return of the ACK of data it has transmitted so far when transmitting an RTS.

29. The first wireless communication device according to claim 27 or 28,

wherein, in response to the reception of an RTS with an ACK request multiplexed, said information generating means generates an ACK which indicates whether the reception of data transmitted from an RTS transmitting communication device has been completed or not, and

wherein said packet transfer communication means returns an ACK which indicates whether the reception of data transmitted from the RTS transmitting communication device has been completed or not, or, if it has failed to receive data transmitted from said RTS transmitting communication station, multiplexes a CTS which requests to retransmit the data and an ACK of the ACK request and returns them.

30. A wireless communication method for making random access concomitantly using an RTS/CTS method, wherein a first communication station as an origin of data transmission transmits a request to send a packet RTS and starts transmission of a data block for which a response packet CTS has been received from a second communication station that receives the RTS as a destination of data transmission, the method comprising:

generating information of a request to send RTS, a confirmative advice CTS, the data block for which the response frame CTS has been received, and an acknowledgement ACK; and

transmitting, by the first communication station, a frame in which any two or more subframes of the request to send RTS, the confirmative advice CTS, the data block for which the response frame CTS has been received, and the acknowledgement ACK are multiplexed into the frame,

wherein the transmitted frame includes a common header portion and a corresponding subheader portion for each of the two or more subframes.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions which cause a computer to execute a method of controlling communication in a communication environment in which random access is made concomitantly using an RTS/CTS method, wherein a first communication station as an origin of data transmission transmits a request to send a packet RTS and starts transmission of a data block for which a response packet CTS has been received from a second communication station that receives the RTS as a destination of data transmission, the method comprising:

generating information of a request to send RTS, a confirmative advice CTS, the data block for which the response frame CTS has been received, and an acknowledgement ACK; and

transmitting, by the first communication station, a frame in which any two or more subframes of the request to send RTS, the confirmative advice CTS, the data block for which the response frame CTS has been received, and the acknowledgement ACK are multiplexed into the frame,

wherein the transmitted frame includes a common header portion and a corresponding subheader portion for each of the two or more subframes.