Communication Device, Communication Method and Program

• US 20080043773A1
• Filed: 08/08/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: IHORI, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,701,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/460
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters

Abstract

The communication device according to the present invention includes a communication condition detection unit that detects communication conditions with regard to communication with other communication devices, a link adaptation decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not link adaptation needs to be executed in correspondence to the communication conditions, a link adaptation parameter selection unit that selects a link adaptation parameter to be used for the link adaptation when the link adaptation is judged to be necessary, a transfer rate decision-making unit that makes an advance decision as to whether or not the data transfer rate is to become, lower compared to the pre-link adaptation state if the link adaptation is executed based upon the selected link adaptation parameter and a link adaptation unit that executes the link adaptation based upon the selected link adaptation parameter if the data transfer rate is judged not to become lower.

Claims

1. A communication device capable of transferring time-division data and also capable of executing link adaptation for adjusting a communication method in correspondence to communication conditions with regard to communication with other communication devices, comprising:

a communication condition detection unit that detects the communication conditions;

a link adaptation decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the link adaptation needs to be executed based upon the communication conditions;

a link adaptation parameter selection unit that selects a link adaptation parameter to be used for the link adaptation if the link adaptation is judged to be necessary;

a storage unit that holds a communication management table containing setting information with regard to at least a data transfer rate to be used as a link adaptation parameter;

a transfer rate decision-making unit that makes an advance decision by, referencing a pre-link adaptation data transfer rate recorded in the communication management table as to whether or not the data transfer rate is to become lower compared to the pre-link adaptation state if the link adaptation is executed based upon the selected link adaptation parameter;

a transfer mode decision-making unit that makes a decision prior to execution of the link adaptation as to whether or not a currently selected data transfer mode includes a quality assurance mode in which communication quality needs to be assured;

a communication quality management unit that allocates a large, enough number of time slots to sustain the communication quality to transfer data if the data transfer mode is judged to include the quality assurance mode and the data transfer rate is judged to become lower after the execution of the link adaptation;

a communication management table update, unit that updates the communication management table based upon the link adaptation parameter selected by the link adaptation parameter selection unit if the data transfer rate is judged not to become lower after the execution of the link adaptation or the communication quality management unit adjusts the number of time slots allocated to the transfer data; and

a link adaptation unit that executes the link adaptation based upon the link adaptation parameter having been recorded in the communication management table.

2. A communication device capable of executing link adaptation for adjusting a communication method in correspondence to communication conditions with regard to communication with other communication devices, comprising:

a communication condition detection unit that detects the communication conditions with regard to communication with the other communication device;

a link adaptation decision-making unit that males a decision as to whether or not the link adaptation needs to be executed based upon the communication conditions;

a link adaptation parameter selection unit that selects a link adaptation parameter to be used for the link adaptation if the link adaptation is judged to be necessary;

a transfer rate decision-making unit that makes an advance decision as to whether or not a data transfer rate is to become lower compared to a pre-link adaptation state if the link adaptation is executed based upon the link adaptation parameter selected by the link adaptation parameter selection unit;

a transfer mode decision-making unit that makes a decision prior to execution of the link adaptation as to whether or not currently selected data transfer modes include a quality assurance mode in which communication quality needs to be assured; and

a link adaptation unit that executes the link adaptation by using the link adaptation parameter selected by the link adaptation parameter selection unit if the currently selected data transfer modes are judged to include the quality assurance mode and the data transfer rate is judged not to become lower.

3. A communication device according to claim 2, further includes

a storage unit having recorded therein a communication management table containing setting information based upon which at least a data transfer rate to be used as a link adaptation parameter is set;

and

a communication management table update unit that updates the link adaptation parameters contained in the communication management table, wherein;

the transfer rate decision-making unit makes a decision by referencing;

the pre-link adaptation, which is recorded in the communication management table, as to whether or not the data transfer rate is to become lower after the execution of the link adaptation;

the communication management table update unit records the selected link adaptation parameter selected by the link adaptation parameter selection unit into the communication management table if the data transfer rate is judged not to become lower after the execution of the link adaptation; and

the link adaptation unit executes the link adaptation based upon the link adaptation parameter having been recorded in the communication management table.

4. A communication device capable of transferring time-division data and also capable of executing link adaptation for adjusting a communication method in correspondence to communication conditions with regard to communication with other communication devices, comprising:

a communication condition detection unit that detects the communication conditions;

a storage unit that holds a communication management table containing setting information with regard to at least a data transfer rate to be used as a link adaptation parameter;

a transfer mode decision-making unit that makes a decision prior to execution of the link adaptation as to whether or not currently selected data transfer modes include a quality assurance mode in which communication quality should be assured;

a link adaptation decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the link adaptation needs to be executed based upon the communication conditions;

a link adaptation parameter selection unit that selects a link adaptation parameter to be used for the link adaptation if the link adaptation is judged to be necessary; and

a link adaptation unit that executes the link adaptation based upon the link adaptation parameter selected by the link adaptation parameter selection unit if the currently selected data transfer modes do not include the quality assurance mode.

5. A communication device capable of transferring time-division data and also capable of executing link adaptation for adjusting a communication method in correspondence to communication conditions with regard to communication with other communication devices, comprising:

a condition detection unit that detects the communication conditions;

a link adaptation decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the link adaptation needs to be executed based upon the communication conditions;

a link adaptation parameter selection unit that selects a link adaptation parameter to be used for the link adaptation if the link adaptation is judged to be necessary;

a transfer rate decision-making unit that makes an advance decision as to whether or not a data transfer rate is to become lower compared to a pre-link adaptation state if the link adaptation is executed based upon the link adaptation parameter selected by the link adaptation parameter selection unit;

a transfer mode decision-making unit that makes a decision prior to execution of the link adaptation as to whether or not a currently selected data transfer mode includes a quality assurance mode in which communication quality needs to be assured;

a communication quality management unit that allocates a large enough number of time slots to sustain the communication quality to transfer data if the data transfer mode is judged to include the quality assurance mode and the data transfer rate is judged to become lower after the execution of the link adaptation; and

a link adaptation unit that executes the link adaptation by using the link adaptation parameter selected by the link adaptation parameter selection unit after the number of allocated time slots is adjusted.

6. A communication method that enables a time-division data transfer and also enables execution of link adaptation for adjusting a communication method in correspondence to communication conditions with regard to communication with other communication devices, comprising:

a communication condition detection step for detecting the communication conditions;

a link adaptation decision-making step for making a decision based upon the communication conditions as to whether or not the link adaptation needs to be executed;

a link adaptation parameter selection step for selecting a link adaptation parameter to be used for the link adaptation when the link adaptation is judged to be necessary;

a transfer rate decision-making step for making an advance decision by referencing a communication management table having recorded therein a pre-link adaptation data transfer rate as to whether or not the data transfer rate is to become lower compared to the pre-link adaptation state if the link adaptation is executed based upon the link adaptation parameter selected in the link adaptation parameter selection step;

a transfer mode decision-making step for making a decision prior to execution of the link adaptation as to whether or not a currently selected data transfer mode is a quality assurance mode in which communication quality should be assured;

a communication quality management step for allocating a large enough number of time slots to maintain the communication quality to transfer data if the currently selected data transfer mode is judged to be the quality assurance mode and the data transfer rate is judged to become lower after the execution of the link adaptation;

a communication management table update step for updating the communication management table based upon the link adaptation parameter selected by the link adaptation parameter selection step if the data transfer rate is judged not to become lower after the execution of the link adaptation or if the number of time slots allocated to the transfer data is adjusted in the communication quality management step; and

a link adaptation step for executing the link adaptation based upon the link adaptation parameter having been recorded in the communication management table.

7. A communication device capable of transferring time-division data and also capable of executing link adaptation for adjusting a communication method in correspondence to communication conditions with regard to communication with other communication devices, comprising:

a communication condition detection unit that detects the communication conditions;

a link adaptation decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the link adaptation needs to be executed based upon the communication conditions;

a link adaptation parameter selection unit that selects a link adaptation parameter to be used for the link adaptation if the link adaptation is judged to be necessary;

a transfer mode decision-making unit that makes a decision prior to execution of the link adaptation as to whether or not a currently selected data transfer mode includes a quality assurance mode in which communication quality needs to be assured;

a communication quality management unit that allocates a large enough number of time slots to sustain the communication quality to transfer data if the data transfer mode is judged to include the quality assurance mode; and

a link adaptation unit that executes the link adaptation by using the selected link adaptation parameter after the number of allocated time slots has been changed.

8. A program that enables a computer to achieve communication functions with which a time-division data can be transferred and link adaptation for adjusting a transfer method in correspondence to communication conditions with regard to communication with other communication devices can be executed, allowing the computer to achieve:

a communication condition detection function for detecting the communication conditions;

a link adaptation decision-making function for making a decision based upon the communication conditions as to whether or not the link adaptation needs to be executed;

a link adaptation parameter selection function for selecting a link adaptation parameter to be used for the link adaptation when the link adaptation is judged to be necessary;

a transfer rate decision-making function for making an advance decision by referencing a communication management table having recorded therein a pre-link adaptation data transfer rate as to whether or not the data transfer rate is to become lower compared to the pre-link adaptation state if the link adaptation is executed based upon the link adaptation parameter selected through the link adaptation parameter section function;

a transfer mode decision-making function for making a decision prior to execution of the link adaptation as to whether or not a currently selected data transfer mode is a quality assurance mode in which communication quality should be assured;

a communication quality management function for allocating a large enough number of time slots to maintain the communication quality to transfer data if the currently selected data transfer mode is the quality assurance mode and the data transfer rate is judged to become lower after the execution of the link adaptation;

a communication management table update function for updating the communication management table based upon the link adaptation parameter selected through the link adaptation parameter selection function if the data transfer rate is judged not to become lower after the execution of the link adaptation or if the number of time slots allocated to the transfer data is adjusted through the communication quality management function; and

a link adaptation function for executing the link adaptation based upon the link adaptation parameter having been recorded in the communication management table.