Communication method, wireless base station, server, and wireless distribution system

A wireless base station connected to a server via a network, and connected to at least one or more wireless terminals via a wireless network using a channel, the wireless base station comprising:

• a receiver that receives a packet from the server, the packet including priority data indicating a first priority;
• a processor that determines a wireless transmission rate to be applied for the received packet when transmitting the received packet to the wireless terminal based on the priority data of the packet, different wireless transmission rates being applied to different packets of different priorities;
• a transmitter that transmits the packet by multicast or broadcast to the wireless terminal at the wireless transmission rate;
• and
• a measurer that measures a channel-used time at the wireless base station, the channel-used time being time where the channel is used per unit time at the wireless base station other than for transmission of the packet,
• wherein the wireless transmission rate to be applied to the packet is based on the priority data included in the packet and the measured channel-used time, and
• wherein another packet including priority data indicating a second priority different from the first priority is transmitted at a different wireless transmission rate.

A server that transmits a packet by multicast or broadcast via a wireless base station to at least one or more wireless terminals connected to the wireless base station via a wireless network using a channel, the server comprising:

• a generator that generates the packet including priority data indicating a priority has been set beforehand, the priority data of the packet indicating a first priority;
• an acquirer that acquires channel-used time that is time over which the channel is used per unit time at the wireless base station;
• a first calculator that calculates channel-usable time that is time over which the channel is available to be used per unit time, for the wireless base station to transmit the packet to the wireless terminal, based on the channel-used time;
• a second calculator that calculates a channel usage estimated time that is time estimated to be used for the wireless base station to use the channel to transmit the packet to the wireless terminal, and calculates a wireless transmission rate to be applied when the wireless base station transmits the packet to the wireless terminal, based on the priority indicated by the priority data included in the packet, to where the channel usage estimated time is within the channel-usable time;
• and
• a transmitter that transmits the packet, and information indicating the wireless transmission rate, to the wireless base station,
• wherein the information indicating the wireless transmission rate causes the wireless base station to transmit the packet to the wireless terminal in accordance with the calculated wireless transmission rate, and
• wherein another packet including priority data indicating a second priority different from the first priority is transmitted at a different wireless transmission rate.

A wireless distribution system comprising:

• a server;
• a wireless base station connected to the server by a network;
• and
• at least one or more wireless terminals connected to the wireless base station via a wireless network using a channel
• wherein the server includes
• a generator that generates the packet including priority data indicating a priority has been set beforehand, the priority data of the packet indicating a first priority,
• an acquirer that acquires channel-used time that is time over which the channel is used per unit time at the wireless base station,
• a first calculator that calculates channel-usable time that is time over which the channel is available to be used per unit time, for the wireless base station to use the channel to transmit the packet to the wireless terminal, based on the channel-used time,
• a second calculator that calculates a channel usage estimated time that is time estimated to be used for the wireless base station to use the channel to transmit the packet to the wireless terminal, and calculates a wireless transmission rate to be applied when the wireless base station transmits the packet to the wireless terminal, based on the priority indicated by the priority data included in the packet, to where the channel usage estimated time is within the channel-usable time, and
• a first transmitter that transmits the packet, and information indicating the wireless transmission rate, to the wireless base station,
• and wherein the wireless base station includes
• a receiver that receives the packet and the information from the server,
• a processor that determines the wireless transmission rate based on the information indicating the wireless transmission rate, and
• a second transmitter that transmits the packet by multicast or broadcast to the wireless terminal, at the determined wireless transmission rate,
• wherein another packet including priority data indicating a second priority different from the first priority is transmitted at a different wireless transmission rate.