Radio communication system, device and method for radio communication, and computer program

• US 8,654,713 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugaya, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Renner, Brandon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhury, Faisal
• Application Number:
  US12/378,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20090161622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal

Abstract

A radio communication device which manages a network defines a predetermined transmission frame cycle, allocates in the frame specific access slots as timing with which the individual radio communication devices in the network concerned receive a transmission, puts the information of the allocation in a beacon signal, and transmits the signal. Each radio communication device performs receiving operation at access slots specific to the device itself defined by the beacon signal. When information transmission is made between arbitrary communication devices in the network, access slots for the device which is to receive the information are used.

Claims

1. A radio communication device that manages an ad-hoc wireless network, comprising:

a processor for

acquiring management information for an ad-hoc network in which the radio communication device participates;

allocating reception regions specific to each of a plurality of other radio communication devices participating in the network according to the management information;

setting a radio frame cycle for the network; and

transmitting allocation information to the other radio communication devices in the form of a beacon signal transmitted at the start of the radio frame cycle, the transmitted allocation information including at least information indicative of reception regions for the other radio communication devices in the network,

wherein for each device a plurality of device-specific access slots and at least one broadcast slot are allocated within a contention access period of the frame cycle such that at least two of the device-specific access slots are temporally separated by the at least one broadcast slot, and each device performs transmission processing operation utilizing device-specific access slots which are allocated to destinations of transmission.

2. A method for managing an ad-hoc wireless ad-hoc network, comprising:

acquiring management information for an ad-hoc network in which a radio communication device participates;

allocating reception regions specific to each of a plurality of other radio communication devices participating in the network according to the management information;

setting a radio frame cycle for the network; and

transmitting allocation information to the other radio communication devices in the form of a beacon signal transmitted at the start of the radio frame cycle, the transmitted allocation information including at least information indicative of reception regions for the other radio communication devices in the network,

wherein for each device a plurality of device-specific access slots and at least one broadcast slot are allocated within a contention access period of the frame cycle such that at least two of the device-specific access slots are temporally separated by the at least one broadcast slot, and each device performs transmission processing operation utilizing device-specific access slots which are allocated to destinations of transmission.

3. A radio communication device that conducts radio communication in an ad-hoc wireless network including a plurality of radio communication devices and operating according to a radio frame cycle set by one of the devices, comprising:

a processor for

receiving radio data through the wireless network;

acquiring information on reception regions allocated to the individual radio communication devices in the wireless network, the information on reception regions being acquired in the form of a beacon signal transmitted at the start of the radio frame cycle; and

starting reception processing in synchronism with a reception region allocated to the radio communication device,

wherein for each device a plurality of device-specific access slots and at least one broadcast slot are allocated within a contention access period of the frame cycle such that at least two of the device-specific access slots are temporally separated by the at least one broadcast slot, and each device performs transmission processing operation utilizing device-specific access slots which are allocated to destinations of transmission.

4. A method for a radio communication device to conduct radio communication in an ad-hoc wireless network including a plurality of radio communication devices and operating according to a radio frame cycle set by one of the devices, the method comprising:

receiving radio data through the wireless network;

acquiring information on reception regions allocated to the individual radio communication devices in the wireless network, the information on reception regions being acquired in the form of a beacon signal transmitted at the start of the radio frame cycle; and

starting reception processing in synchronism with a reception region allocated to the radio communication device,

wherein for each device a plurality of device-specific access slots and at least one broadcast slot are allocated within a contention access period of the frame cycle such that at least two of the device-specific access slots are temporally separated by the at least one broadcast slot, and each device performs transmission processing operation utilizing device-specific access slots which are allocated to destinations of transmission.

5. A radio communication device that conducts radio communication in an ad-hoc wireless network including a plurality of radio communication devices and operating according to a radio frame cycle set by one of the devices, comprising:

a processor for

receiving radio data through the wireless network;

transmitting radio data through the wireless network;

acquiring and managing information on reception regions allocated to the individual radio communication devices in the wireless network, the information on reception regions being acquired in the form of a beacon signal transmitted at the start of the radio frame cycle;

acquiring information on reception regions allocated to a device as the destination of data transmission in the wireless network; and

starting transmission processing in synchronism with a reception region allocated to the destination of transmission,

wherein for each device a plurality of device-specific access slots and at least one broadcast slot are allocated within a contention access period of the frame cycle such that at least two of the device-specific access slots are temporally separated by the at least one broadcast slot, and each device performs transmission processing operation utilizing device-specific access slots which are allocated to destinations of transmission.