Radio communication system, radio communication apparatus, radio communication method, and computer program

A wireless communication device for operating under a communication environment constructed by communication stations transmitting beacons describing network-related information to each other at predetermined time intervals, with no controlling-station/controlled-station relations, said device comprising:

• communication means for transmitting and receiving wireless data;
• beacon signal generating means for generating beacon signals describing information relating to the local station;
• beacon signal analyzing means for analyzing beacon signals received from nearby stations by said communication means;
• timing control means for controlling the beacon transmission timing with said communication means;
• and
• collision avoiding means for avoiding beacon collisions occurring with other stations.

A wireless communication method for performing wireless communication operations under a communication environment constructed by communication stations transmitting beacons describing network-related information to each other at predetermined time intervals, with no controlling-station/controlled-station relations, said method comprising:

• a beacon signal generating step for generating beacon signals describing information relating to a local station;
• a beacon signal analyzing step for analyzing beacon signals received from nearby stations;
• a timing control step for controlling the beacon transmission timing;
• and
• a collision avoiding step for avoiding beacon collisions occurring with other stations.

A computer program described in a computer-readable format so as to execute, on a computer system, processing for performing wireless communication operations under a communication environment constructed by communication stations transmitting beacons describing network-related information to each other at predetermined time intervals, with no controlling-station/controlled-station relations, said program comprising:

• a beacon signal generating step for generating beacon signals describing information relating to a local station;
• a beacon signal analyzing step for analyzing beacon signals received from nearby stations;
• a timing control step for controlling the beacon transmission timing;
• and
• a collision avoiding step for avoiding beacon collisions occurring with other stations.

A wireless communication device for performing communication operations at each predetermined time interval under a communication environment with no controlling-station/controlled-station relations, said device comprising:

• communication means for transmitting and receiving wireless data;
• communication control means for performing control of signal transmission/reception operations with said communication means and processing of transmission/reception signals, and also controlling periodic signal transmission/reception operations at said each predetermined time interval;
• and
• collision detecting means for attempting reception of transmission signals from other stations at least at one of prior to said periodic signal transmission/reception and following said periodic signal transmission/reception, so as to detect whether or not there is collision between said periodic signal transmission/reception and transmission signals of other stations.

A wireless communication device for operating under a communication environment constructed by communication stations transmitting beacons describing network-related information to each other at predetermined time intervals, with no controlling-station/controlled-station relations, said device comprising:

• communication means for transmitting and receiving wireless data;
• beacon signal generating means for generating beacon signals describing information relating to the local station;
• beacon signal analyzing means for analyzing beacon signals received from nearby stations by said communication means;
• timing control means for controlling the beacon transmission timing with said communication means;
• and
• collision detecting means for detecting collisions occurring with signals of other stations;
• wherein, in the event of performing periodic signal transmission/reception at each said predetermined time interval, relative point-in-time information from the beacon transmission point-in-time is described in a part of signals periodically transmitted/received;
• and wherein said collision detecting means detect collision between signals transmitted and received by nearby stations and other stations, based on relative point-in-time information described in signals received from nearby stations.

A wireless communication method for operating under a communication environment constructed by communication stations transmitting beacons describing network-related information to each other at predetermined time intervals, with no controlling-station/controlled-station relations, said method comprising:

• a beacon signal generating step for generating beacon signals describing information relating to a local station;
• a beacon signal analyzing step for analyzing beacon signals received from nearby stations;
• a signal transmission/reception step for describing, in a part of signals, relative point-in-time information from the beacon transmission point-in-time, and performing periodic signal transmission/reception at each said predetermined time interval;
• and
• a collision detecting step for detecting collision between a beacon from a nearby station and signals transmitted/received by other stations, based on the point-in-time information described in the signals received from said nearby station.

A computer program described in a computer-readable format so as to execute, on a computer system, processing for performing wireless communication operations under a communication environment constructed by communication stations transmitting beacons describing network-related information to each other at predetermined time intervals, with no controlling-station/controlled-station relations, said program comprising:

• a beacon signal generating step for generating beacon signals describing information relating to a local station;
• a beacon signal analyzing step for analyzing beacon signals received from nearby stations;
• a signal transmission/reception step for describing, in a part of signals, relative point-in-time information from the beacon transmission point-in-time, and performing periodic signal transmission/reception at each said predetermined time interval;
• and
• a collision detecting step for detecting collision between a beacon from a nearby station and signals transmitted/received by other stations, based on the relative point-in-time information described in the signals received from said nearby station.