Wireless LAN system, communication terminal, LAN control apparatus and QoS control method

A communication terminal in a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) system, which is connected to a LAN control apparatus via a wireless LAN in such a manner as to be able to exchange communication data with said communication terminal, comprising:

• policy request means which requests of said LAN control apparatus for a QoS (Quality of Service) management table as a QoS policy to manage QoS of said communication data at a time of establishing connection to said wireless LAN;
• analyzing/setting means which analyzes said QoS management table sent from said LAN control apparatus in response to a request made by said policy request means and sets QoS setting data of said communication terminal in an updatable manner based on a result of that analysis;
• and
• setting-data transmission means which sends said QoS setting data, set by said analyzing/setting means, to said LAN control apparatus.

A LAN (Local Area Network) control apparatus in a wireless LAN system, which is connected to a communication terminal via a wireless LAN in such a manner as to be able to exchange communication data with said communication terminal, comprising:

• table holding means which holds a QoS (Quality of Service) management table in an updatable manner as a QoS policy to manage QoS of said communication data;
• table transmission means which sends said QoS management table in response to a request from said communication terminal;
• policy reconstruction means which updates QoS setting data, sent from said communication terminal in response to said table transmission means and set through analysis on said QoS management table, to reconstruct said QoS policy;
• and
• QoS control means which executes QoS control on said communication data with said communication terminal in accordance with said QoS policy which is determined by said QoS management table.

A QoS (Quality of Service) control method for a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) system having a communication terminal connectable to a wireless LAN and a LAN control apparatus to be connected to said communication terminal via said wireless LAN in such a manner as to be able to exchange communication data with said communication terminal, said method comprising the steps of:

• causing said LAN control apparatus to hold a QoS management table in an updatable manner as a QoS policy to manage QoS of said communication data;
• causing said communication terminal to request of said LAN control apparatus for said QoS management table at a time of establishing connection to said wireless LAN;
• causing said LAN control apparatus to send said QoS management table in response to a request from said communication terminal;
• causing said communication terminal to analyze said QoS management table sent from said LAN control apparatus in response to said request and set QoS setting data of said communication terminal in an updatable manner based on a result of that analysis;
• causing said communication terminal to send said set QoS setting data to said LAN control apparatus;
• causing said LAN control apparatus to update said QoS setting data, sent from said communication terminal, on said QoS management table to reconstruct said QoS policy;
• and
• causing said LAN control apparatus to execute QoS control on said communication data with said communication terminal in accordance with said QoS policy which is determined by said QoS management table.