DECENTRALIZED WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, APPARATUS, AND ASSOCIATED METHODOLOGY

• US 20100290421A1
• Filed: 07/02/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morioka, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Communication stations select the channel which as many communication stations as possible can receive as a beacon sending channel based on interference information of each channel specified in a beacon signal. When there is a communication station which cannot receive a beacon, the beacon sending channel is changed. The communication stations can receive a beacon from all other communication stations by performing beacon receiving operation over a particular channel, avoiding the deadlock state.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus which operates under a wireless communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared, said apparatus comprising:

communication means for transmitting/receiving wireless data over each channel;

channel setting means for setting a data sending/receiving channel in said communication means;

communication control means for controlling transmission and reception of data in said communication means;

beacon generating means for generating a beacon signal including the level information of interference which the local station receives; and

beacon analyzing means for analyzing the beacon signal received from a peripheral station;

wherein said channel setting means determines a communication channel based on the interference level information included in the beacon received from a peripheral station following comprehending the interference situation of each channel at the peripheral station.

2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said channel setting means set a channel having the lowest interference level for the local station to the beacon sending channel of the local station, in the event that the beacon signal of the other station is not detected over any channel.

3. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said channel setting means extract a most frequent channel, which the most communication stations transmit a beacon, of peripheral stations, and set the most frequent channel to the beacon sending channel of the local station in the event that the peripheral stations including the local station do not receive great interference over the most frequent channel.

4. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said channel setting means set a channel of which the average interference level becomes the lowest to the beacon sending channel of the local station, in the event that any of the peripheral stations receives great interference over the most frequent channel.

5. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said channel setting means set the channel, which the other communication stations uses less, having a low interference level for the local station to the beacon sending channel of the local station, in the event that the local station requires wideband communication capacity.

6. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication control means transmits a request to send packet RTS over a channel having a low interference level in the communication station serving as a data sending destination, and starts data transmission in response to receiving a clear to send packet CTS from the communication station serving as the data destination.

7. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said beacon generating means generate a beacon including the information of a channel performing data communication.

8. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication control means return a clear to send packet in response to receiving a request to send packet RTS addressed to the local station or a beacon including the information of a channel performing data communication.

9. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication control means withhold transmission of data over the relevant receiving channel for a certain period in response to receiving a request to send packet RTS addressed to the other station, a beacon in which a request to send packet RTS addressed to the other station is superimposed, or a beacon including the information of a channel performing data communication.

10. A wireless communication apparatus which operates under a wireless communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared, said apparatus comprising:

communication means for transmitting/receiving wireless data over each channel;

channel setting means for setting a data sending/receiving channel in said communication means;

communication control means for controlling transmission and reception of data in said communication means;

beacon analyzing means for analyzing the beacon signal received from a peripheral station; and

communication control means for controlling communication operation over multi-channels;

wherein when said communication control means comprehend that the beacon sending timing of the other station approaches, said communication control means determine regarding whether or not said communication control means need to perform communication with the relevant beacon sending station, following which omit receiving operation of a beacon in the event that there is no need to receive a beacon, and also the channel which the local station now uses is different from the beacon sending channel.

11. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein under said wireless communication environment, the RTS/CTS method is employed for the communication station serving as a data sending source transmitting a request to send packet RTS, and also starting data transmission in response to receiving a clear to send packet CTS from the communication station serving as a data sending destination;

and wherein said communication control means, when omitting receiving operation of a beacon from the other station, estimate the sending timing of the RTS and CTS signals based on the beacon sending timing, and perform receiving operation in the channel, which the local station now uses, only for that timing.

12. A wireless communication method for operating under a wireless communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared, said method comprising:

a channel setting step for setting a data sending/receiving channel;

a communication control step for controlling transmission and reception of data;

a beacon generating step for generating a beacon signal including the level information of interference which the local station receives; and

a beacon analyzing step for analyzing the beacon signal received from a peripheral station;

wherein in said channel setting step, a communication channel is determined based on the interference level information included in the beacon received from a peripheral station following comprehending the interference situation of each channel at the peripheral station.

13. A wireless communication method for operating under a wireless communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared, said method comprising:

a beacon sending step for setting the beacon sending channel of the local station, and sending a beacon;

a beacon receiving control step for controlling beacon receiving operation from a peripheral station;

a beacon analyzing step for analyzing the beacon signal received from a peripheral station; and

a communication control step for setting a data communication channel, and controlling data communication operation;

wherein said beacon receiving control step including;

a sub step for comprehending that the beacon sending timing of the other station approaches;

a sub step for determining regarding whether or not there is the need to perform communication with the relevant beacon sending station; and

a sub step for omitting receiving operation of a beacon in the event that there is no need to receive a beacon, and also the channel which the local station now uses is different from the beacon sending channel.