Master station of communication system and access control method

• US 8,520,599 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohmi, Shinichiro, Yoshizawa, Kensuke, Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US13/098,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20110206060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/188 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A communication bandwidth is divided into a beacon period in which all master stations compete for transmission of a beacon packet, a first carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) period in which only authorized specific stations are allowed to compete for access, and a second CSMA period in which all stations are allowed to compete for access. The master stations exchange information with each other about a communication bandwidth being used in the first CSMA period, thereby calculating a communication bandwidth which can be used by each communication system in the first CSMA period, based on the information.

Claims

1. A master station which manages a terminal station of a communication system, the

master station comprising:

a receiver operable to receive a beacon packet from another master station which manages another terminal station of another communication system which shares a same channel with the communication system, the other master station periodically allocating a beacon period and a CSMA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access) period of the other communication system to the channel, the beacon packet being transmitted from the other master station during the beacon period, the beacon packet including information indicating an offset which is a period from a start time of the beacon period to a start time of the transmission of the beacon packet, the CSMA period of the other communication system being a time period during which the master stations and the terminal stations of the communication system and the other communication system obtain a right of access in competition with one another to perform communication, and

a bandwidth manager operable to periodically allocate a beacon period and a CSMA period of the communication system to the channel, the beacon period and the CSMA period of the communication system being set to be the same as the beacon period and the CSMA period of the other communication system.

2. A method performed by a master station which manages a terminal station of a communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a beacon packet from another master station which manages a terminal station of another communication system which shares a same channel with the communication system, the other master station periodically allocating a beacon period and a CSMA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access) period of the other communication system to the channel, the beacon packet being transmitted from the other master station during the beacon period, the beacon packet including information indicating an offset which is a period from a start time of the beacon period to a start time of the transmission of the beacon packet, the CSMA period of the other communication system being a time period during which the master stations and the terminal stations of the communication system and the other communication system obtain a right of access in competition with one another to perform communication, and

periodically allocating a beacon period and a CSMA period of the communication system to the channel, the beacon period and the CSMA period of the communication system being set to be the same as the beacon period and the CSMA period of the other communication system.