Communication system, wireless communication apparatus, and communication method

A wireless communication system comprising:

• first and second wireless communication apparatuses which belong to a wireless communication group and outside of the wireless communication group, respectively, the first wireless communication apparatus including:
• a first receiver unit configured to receive a first transmission frame from the second wireless communication apparatus, the first transmission frame having a first field in which a notifying security level is described;
• a first reference memory configured to store a reference security level assigned to the wireless communication group, the reference security level being selected from security levels which depend on one of encryption methods including non-encryption and encryption strengths;
• a frame generating unit, comparing the notifying security level with the reference security level, configured to determine either one of a connect rejection representing a rejection of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus and a connect permission representing a permission of connection to the second wireless communication apparatus using the notifying security level, and configured to generate a second transmission frame having a second field in which the one of the connect rejection and the connection permission is described;
• and
• a transmitting unit configure to transmit the second transmission frame to the second wireless communication apparatus.

A wireless communication method of determining a connection to a wireless communication unit with a reference security level peculiar to a wireless communication group, the method comprising:

• receiving a first transmission frame having a field in which a notifying security level is described;
• storing the reference security level, the reference security level being selected from security levels which depend on one of encryption methods including non-encryption and encryption strengths;
• generating a second transmission frame having a second field in which one of a connect rejection and a connection permission is described, the one of the connect rejection and the connect permission being determined by comparing the notifying security level with the reference security level, the connect rejection representing a rejection of connection to the communication unit and the connection permission representing a permission of connection to the communication unit using the notifying security level;
• and
• transmitting the second transmission frame to the wireless communication apparatus.