Path setting method, and network, relay station and parent station employing the path setting method

A network including a plurality of relay stations and a parent station which are connected with each other through a transmission line, the network being configured to generate paths from the parent station to respective ones of the relay stations,

• wherein each of the relay stations comprises:
• a first communication section operable to transmit and receive a communication signal to/from the network, and detect a receiving state of the communication signal;
• a first processing section operable to transmit a basic-information notification signal to the network using the first communication section at a first time interval by means of a repetitive broadcast, the basic-information notification signal containing basic information which includes an identifier identifying its own station and the status of the path setting to its own station;
• a second processing section operable to calculate a transmission quality on a transmission line interconnecting with the station which has transmitted the basic-information notification signal, in accordance with the receiving state;
• a third processing section operable to create or update a receiving-environment table correlating the basic information contained in the basic-information notification signal to the transmission quality on the transmission line interconnecting with the station which has transmitted the basic-information notification signal, and store the created or updated receiving-environment table in a receiving-environment-table storage section thereof;
• a fourth processing section operable to repeatedly refer to the path-setting status in the receiving-environment table at a second time interval greater than the first time interval, and, when the reference result shows that temporary-path setup information representing the completion of setting a temporary path exists in the path-setting status, transmit a receiving-environment-table communication signal containing the receiving-environment table of its own station through the transmission line used for transmitting the basic-information notification signal containing the temporary-path setup information;
• and
• a fifth processing section operable, in response to receiving the receiving-environment-table communication signal, to forward the received receiving-environment-table communication signal to the parent station through use of the temporary path, and
• the parent station comprises:
• a second communication section operable to transmit and receive a communication signal to/from the network, and detect a receiving state of the communication signal;
• a sixth processing section operable to transmit a basic-information notification signal to the network using the second communication section at the first time interval by means of a repetitive broadcast, the basic-information notification signal containing basic information which includes an identifier identifying its own station and the status of the path setting to its own station;
• a seventh processing section operable to calculate a transmission quality on a transmission line interconnecting with the station which has transmitted the basic-information notification signal, in accordance with the receiving state;
• an eighth processing section operable to create or update a receiving-environment table correlating the basic information contained in the basic-information notification signal to the transmission quality on the transmission line interconnecting with the station which has transmitted the basic-information notification signal, and store the created or updated receiving-environment table in a receiving-environment-table storage section thereof;
• a ninth processing section operable, in response to receiving the receiving-environment-table communication signal, to create or update a transmission-quality table correlating the inter-station transmission line to the transmission quality thereof, in accordance with the identifier and the transmission quality contained in the receiving-environment-table communication signal, and store the created or updated transmission-quality table in a transmission-quality-table storage section thereof;
• a tenth processing section operable, in response to receiving the receiving-environment-table communication signal, to set a temporary path to the relay station which has transmitted the receiving-environment-table communication signal, and return a temporary-path notification communication signal containing the temporary path to the relay station using the second communication section;
• and
• an eleventh processing section operable, in response to a lapse of a third time period greater than the second time interval, to set the paths to respective ones of the plurality of relay stations, in accordance with the transmission qualities in the transmission-quality table, and transmit the set paths to respective ones of the plurality of relay stations using the second communication section.

A relay station applicable to a network including a plurality of relay stations and a parent station which are connected with each other through a transmission line, the network being configured to generate paths from the parent station to respective ones of the relay stations, the relay station comprising:

• a first communication section operable to transmit and receive a communication signal to/from the network, and detect a receiving state of the communication signal;
• a first processing section operable to transmit a basic-information notification signal to the network using the first communication section at a first time interval by means of a repetitive broadcast, the basic-information notification signal containing basic information which includes an identifier identifying its own station and the status of the path setting to its own station;
• a second processing section operable to calculate a transmission quality on a transmission line interconnecting with the station which has transmitted the basic-information notification signal, in accordance with the receiving state;
• a third processing section operable to create or update a receiving-environment table correlating the basic information contained in the basic-information notification signal to the transmission quality on the transmission line interconnecting with the station which has transmitted the basic-information notification signal, and store the created or updated receiving-environment table in a receiving-environment-table storage section thereof;
• a fourth processing section operable to repeatedly refer to the path-setting status in the receiving-environment table at a second time interval greater than the first time interval, and, when the reference result shows that temporary-path setup information representing the completion of setting a temporary path exists in the path-setting status, transmit a receiving-environment-table communication signal containing the receiving-environment table of its own station through the transmission line used for transmitting the basic-information notification signal containing the temporary-path setup information;
• and
• a fifth processing section operable, in response to receiving the receiving-environment-table communication signal, to forward the received receiving-environment-table communication signal to the parent station by use of the temporary path.

A parent station applicable to a network including a plurality of relay stations and a parent station which are connected with each other through a transmission line, the network being configured to generate paths from the parent station to respective ones of the relay stations, the parent station comprising:

• a second communication section operable to transmit and receive a communication signal to/from the network, and detect a receiving state of the communication signal;
• a sixth processing section operable to transmit a basic-information notification signal to the network using the second communication section at the first time interval by means of a repetitive broadcast, the basic-information notification signal containing basic information which includes an identifier identifying its own station and the status of the path setting to its own station;
• a seventh processing section operable to calculate a transmission quality on a transmission line interconnecting with the station which has transmitted the basic-information notification signal, in accordance with the receiving state;
• an eighth processing section operable to create or update a receiving-environment table correlating the basic information contained in the basic-information notification signal to the transmission quality on the transmission line interconnecting with the station which has transmitted the basic-information notification signal, and store the created or updated receiving-environment table in a receiving-environment-table storage section thereof;
• a ninth processing section operable, in response to receiving a receiving-environment-table communication signal containing the receiving-environment table of the relay station, to create or update a transmission-quality table correlating the inter-station transmission line to the transmission quality thereof, in accordance with the identifier and the transmission quality contained in the receiving-environment-table communication signal, and store the created or updated transmission-quality table in a transmission-quality-table storage section thereof;
• a tenth processing section operable, in response to receiving the receiving-environment-table communication signal, to set a temporary path to the relay station which has transmitted the receiving-environment-table communication signal, and return a temporary-path notification communication signal containing the temporary path to the relay station using the second communication section;
• and
• an eleventh processing section operable, in response to a lapse of a third time period greater than the second time interval, to set the paths to respective ones of the plurality of relay stations, in accordance with the transmission qualities in the transmission-quality table, and transmit the set paths to respective ones of the plurality of relay stations using the second communication section.