Communication apparatus enabling coexistence of systems

• US 8,774,159 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kuroda, Go, Kurobe, Akio, Ikeda, Koji, Koga, Hisao, Igata, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONGCHAU BA
• Application Number:
  US12/976,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 370/437, 370/445, 370/450, 370/462, 455/10, 455/13.1, 455/13.4, 455/62, 455/69, 455/440, 455/450, 455/511, 455/515, 455/546, 455/522
• US Class Current: 370/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence

Abstract

A frequency band is divided into N subchannels. Sub-channels are first allocated for a power line communication system having a higher priority, such as public communication or the like. Sub-channels for a power line communication system having a relatively low priority, such as in-home communication or the like, are allocated from free subchannels. In this case, the subchannels used by the power line communication system having the high priority are limited to a plurality of consecutive subchannels from an upper side or a lower side of the frequency band.

Claims

1. A first communication apparatus that belongs to a first communication system having a highest-priority with respect to using a frequency band including a first sub-frequency band and a second sub-frequency band, the first communication system being one of a plurality of communication systems coexisting on the same communication medium, each of the plurality of communication systems having a given predetermined priorities with respect to using the frequency band, an upper limit and a lower limit of the frequency band being respectively defined as F_MAX and F_MIN, the first communication apparatus comprising:

a coexistence signal generator that selects, out of a plurality of candidates, F_BOUND1 which is an upper limit of the first sub-frequency band which is used by the first communication system, and generates a coexistence signal indicating the first sub-frequency band from F_MIN to F_BOUND1 is occupied and used by the first communication system, F_BOUND1 being higher than F_MIN and F_BOUND1 being lower than F_MAX; and

a coexistence signal transmitter that transmits the coexistence signal to another communication system of the plurality of communication systems,

wherein the first sub-frequency band is usable by the first communication system or the other communication system, and the second sub-frequency band upper than the first sub-frequency band is usable only by the other communication system.

2. The first communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a period for data communication is divided into a plurality of time slots, and

the coexistence signal generator generates a coexistence signal having a matrix structure in which an occupied and used frequency band and a time slot are specified.

3. The first communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coexistence signal comprising:

a time slot indicating whether or not the first sub-frequency band from F_MIN to F_BOUND1 is used; and

a time slot specifying a value of F_BOUND1 when the frequency band from F_MIN to F_BOUND1 is used.

4. The first communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication medium used by the first communication system is a power line.

5. The first communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication medium used by the first communication system is a wireless medium.

6. The first communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first communication system is a system used as an access system, and the other communication system is a system used as an in-home system.

7. A second communication apparatus that belongs to a second communication system having other than a highest-priority with respect to using a frequency band including a first sub-frequency band and a second sub-frequency band, the second communication system being one of a plurality of communication systems coexisting on the same communication medium, each of the plurality of communication systems having a given predetermined priorities with respect to using the frequency band, an upper limit and a lower limit of the frequency band being respectively defined as F_MAX and F_MIN, the second communication apparatus comprising:

a coexistence signal receiver that receives, from a first communication system having the highest-priority use right, a first coexistence signal indicating that the first sub-frequency band from F_MIN to F_BOUND1 is occupied and used by the first communication system, F_BOUND1 being selected by the first communication system, F_BOUND1 being higher than F_MIN and F_BOUND1 being lower than F_MAX, and

a frequency band determiner that determines a third sub-frequency band which is to be occupied and used by the second communication system, the third sub-frequency band which is included in the second sub-frequency band upper than the first sub-frequency band indicated by the first coexistence signal,

wherein the first sub-frequency band is usable by one of the first communication system, the second communication system, and the other communication system, and the second sub-frequency band is usable by one of communication systems other than the first communication system.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising

a coexistence signal generator that generates a second coexistence signal indicating the third sub-frequency band;

and

a coexistence signal transmitter that transmits the second coexistence signal to a communication system other than the second communication system.

9. The second communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a period for data communication is divided into a plurality of time slots.

10. The second communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second coexistence signal comprising:

a time slot indicating whether or not the frequency band from F_MIN to F_BOUND1 is used; and

a time slot specifying a value of F_BOUND1 when the frequency band from F_MIN to F_BOUND1 is used.

11. The second communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the communication medium used by the second communication system is a power line.

12. The second communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the communication medium used by the second communication system is a wireless medium.

13. The second communication apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the first communication system is a system used as an access system, and each of the second communication system and the other communication system is a system used as an in-home system.

16. The second communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the coexistence signal has a matrix structure in which an occupied and used frequency band and a time slot are specified.

14. An integrated circuit used in a first communication apparatus that belongs to a first communication system having a highest-priority with respect to using a frequency band including a first sub-frequency band and a second sub-frequency band, the first communication system being one of a plurality of communication systems coexisting on the same communication medium, each of the plurality of communication systems having a given predetermined priorities with respect to using the frequency band, an upper limit and a lower limit of the frequency band being respectively defined as F_MAX and F_MIN, wherein

circuits functioning as the following sections are integrated on the integrated circuit:

a coexistence signal generating section that selects, out of a plurality of candidates, F_BOUND1 which is an upper limit of the first sub-frequency band which is used by the first communication system, and generates a coexistence signal indicating the first sub-frequency band from F_MIN to F_BOUND1 is occupied and used by the first communication system, F_BOUND1 being higher than F_MIN and F_BOUND1 being lower than F_MAX; and

a coexistence signal transmitting section that transmits the coexistence signal to another communication system of the plurality of communication systems,

wherein the first sub-frequency band is usable by the first communication system or the other communication system, and the second sub-frequency band upper than the first sub-frequency band is usable only by the other communication system.

15. An integrated circuit used in a second communication apparatus that belongs to a second communication system having other than a highest-priority with respect to using a frequency band including a first sub-frequency band and a second sub-frequency band, the second communication system being one of a plurality of communication systems coexisting on the same communication medium, each of the plurality of communication systems having a given predetermined priorities with respect to using the frequency band, an upper limit and a lower limit of the frequency band being respectively defined as F_MAX and F_MIN, wherein

circuits functioning as the following sections are integrated on the integrated circuit:

a coexistence signal receiving section that receives, from a first communication system having the highest-priority use right, a first coexistence signal indicating that the first sub-frequency band from F_MIN to F_BOUND1 is occupied and used by the first communication system, F_BOUND1 being selected by the first communication system, F_BOUND1 being higher than F_MIN and F_BOUND1 being lower than F_MAX; and

a frequency band determining section that determines a third sub-frequency band which is to be occupied and used by the second communication system, the third sub-frequency band which is included in the second sub-frequency band upper than the first sub-frequency band indicated by the first coexistence signal,

wherein the first sub-frequency band is usable by one of the first communication system, the second communication system, and the other communication system, and the second sub-frequency band is usable by one of communication systems other than the first communication system.

17. A communication method used in a first communication system, having a highest-priority use right, of a plurality of communication systems, which are given predetermined priorities with respect to a right to use a frequency band of which an upper limit and a lower limit are respectively defined as F_MAX and F_MIN, coexist on the same communication medium, the method comprising:

selecting, out of a plurality of candidates, F_BOUND1 which is an upper limit of the first sub-frequency band which is used by the first communication system;

generating a coexistence signal indicating the first sub-frequency band from F_MIN to F_BOUND1 is occupied and used by the first communication system, F_BOUND1 being higher than F_MIN and F_BOUND1 being lower than F_MAX; and

transmitting the coexistence signal to another communication system of the plurality of communication systems,

wherein the first sub-frequency band is usable by the first communication system or the other communication system, and the second sub-frequency band upper than the first sub-frequency band is usable only by the other communication system.

18. A communication method used in a first communication system, having a use right other than a highest-priority use right, of a plurality of communication systems, which are given predetermined priorities with respect to a right to use a frequency band of which an upper limit and a lower limit are respectively defined as F_MAX and F_MIN, coexist on the same communication medium, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first communication system having the highest-priority use right, a first coexistence signal indicating a frequency band from F_MIN to F_BOUND1, F_BOUND1 being selected by the first communication system, F_BOUND1 being higher than F_MIN and F_BOUND1 being lower than FMAX, which is occupied and used by the first communication system; and

determining a third sub-frequency band which is to be occupied and used by the second communication system, the third sub-frequency band which is included in the second sub-frequency band upper than the first sub-frequency band indicated by the first coexistence signal,

wherein the first sub-frequency band is usable by one of the first communication system, the second communication system, and the other communication system, and the second sub-frequency band is usable by one of communication systems other than the first communication system.