Communication system, communication apparatus and communication method, and computer program

A communication apparatus which executes data communication under a communication environment made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, characterized in comprising:

• communication means configured to execute transmission/reception with said communication environment;
• communication control means configured to control a communication operation by said communication means;
• power-saving assistance means configured to recognize that each adjacent communication station operates in a sleep mode for operating a transmitter and a receiver in an intermittent manner;
• and
• low-delay broadcast distribution means configured to execute data transmission each time each communication station serving as a transmission destination enters into an active state for activating the receiver at the time of executing broadcast data distribution as to the plurality of communication stations.

A communication apparatus characterized in executing data communication under a communication environment made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, comprising:

• communication means configured to execute transmission/reception with said communication environment;
• communication control means configured to control a communication operation by said communication means;
• and
• notifying means configured to mutually notify an adjacent communication station of communication station attributes regarding whether or not the self station is a power-saving communication station which operates in a sleep mode for operating the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means intermittently, whether or not the self station is a power-saving assistance station which can handle data communication with a communication station which operates in a sleep mode, or whether or not the self station has a low-delay broadcast distribution function for executing data transmission each time each communication station serving as a transmission destination enters into an active state for activating the receiver;
• wherein said communication control means determine whether to enter into a communication state with each adjacent communication station based on matching results of the mutual communication station attributes.

A communication method characterized in being arranged to execute data communication under a communication environment made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, comprising:

• a notifying step arranged to mutually notify an adjacent communication station of communication station attributes regarding whether or not the self station is a power-saving communication station which operates in the sleep mode for operating a transmitter and a receiver intermittently, whether or not the self station is a power-saving assistance station which can handle data communication with a communication station which operates in a sleep mode, or whether or not the self station has a low-delay broadcast distribution function for executing data transmission each time each communication station serving as a transmission destination enters into an active state for activating the receiver;
• and
• a determining step arranged to determine whether to enter into a communication state with each adjacent communication station based on matching results of the mutual communication station attributes at the time the self station operating in the sleep mode;
• wherein, in said determining step, determination is made to enter into a communication state with a communication station having said low-delay broadcast distribution function, and also to enter into a communication state with a communication station not having said low-delay broadcast distribution function when restrictions are not imposed on broadcast data delay under the communication environment.

A computer program characterized in being described in a computer-readable format so as to execute processing for executing data communication on a computer under a communication environment made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, causing said computer to execute:

• a notifying procedure arranged to mutually notify an adjacent communication station of communication station attributes regarding whether or not the self station is a power-saving communication station which operates in a sleep mode for operating a transmitter and a receiver intermittently, whether or not the self station is a power-saving assistance station which can handle data communication with a communication station which operates in the sleep mode, or whether or not the self station has a low-delay broadcast distribution function for executing data transmission each time each communication station serving as a transmission destination enters into an active state for activating the receiver;
• and
• a determining step arranged to determine whether to enter into a communication state with each adjacent communication station based on matching results of the mutual communication station attributes at the time the self station operating in the sleep mode;
• wherein, in said determining procedure, determination is made to enter into a communication state with a communication station having said low-delay broadcast distribution function, and also to enter into a communication state with a communication station not having said low-delay broadcast distribution function when restrictions are not imposed on broadcast data delay under said communication environment.

A communication apparatus characterized in being configured to execute data communication under a communication environment, which is made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, where multi-hop communication for the plurality of communication stations transmitting frames by relay is executed, comprising:

• communication means configured to execute transmission/reception with said communication environment;
• and
• communication control means configured to control a communication operation by said communication means;
• wherein at least a part of the communication stations are power-saving communication stations which operate in a sleep mode for operating the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means intermittently under said communication environment;
• and wherein information relating to whether or not an adjacent power-saving communication station intends to operate as a relay station is collected, and at the time of transferring control data relating a route setting for multi-hop communication, determination is made whether to transfer the control data to the adjacent power-saving communication station according to the presence/absence of relay intention confirmed beforehand.

A communication apparatus characterized in being configured to execute data communication under a communication environment, which is made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, where multi-hop communication for the plurality of communication stations transmitting frames by relay is executed, with at least a part of the communication stations being power-saving communication stations which operate in a sleep mode for operating a transmitter and a receiver intermittently under said communication environment, and with at least a part of the communication stations which relay control data relating a route setting for multi-hop communication executing transmission of the control data each time each communication station serving as a transmission destination enters into an active state for activating the receiver, comprising:

• communication means configured to execute transmission/reception with said communication environment;
• and
• communication control means configured to control a communication operation by said communication means;
• wherein, at the time of two or more pieces of control data relating to a route setting for multi-hop communication arriving with the self station as a route destination, a route where the control data arrived late is selected, or a route where the control data arrived earliest is selected.

A communication apparatus characterized in being configured to execute data communication under a communication environment, which is made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, where multi-hop communication for the plurality of communication stations transmitting frames by relay is executed, comprising:

• communication means configured to execute transmission/reception with said communication environment;
• and
• communication control means configured to control a communication operation by said communication means;
• wherein, during an operation in a sleep mode for operating the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means intermittently, at the time of control data relating to a route setting for multi-hop communication arriving with other than the self station as a route destination, a bias value is added to a route metric value, and then the control data is further transferred to an adjacent station.

A communication method characterized in being arranged to execute data communication under a communication environment, which is made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, where multi-hop communication for the plurality of communication stations transmitting frames by relay is executed, comprising:

• a step arranged to determine whether to operate in a sleep mode for operating a transmitter and a receiver intermittently;
• a step arranged to update a route metric value when control data relating to a route setting for multi-hop communication arrives with other than the self station as a route destination;
• a step arranged to add a bias value to the route metric value during an operation in the sleep mode for operating a transmitter and a receiver intermittently;
• and
• a step arranged to further transfer the control data to an adjacent station based on the new route metric value.

A computer program characterized in being described in a computer-readable format so as to execute processing for executing data communication on a computer under a communication environment made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner to execute multi-hop communication for the plurality of communication stations transmitting frames by relay, causing said computer to execute:

• a procedure arranged to determine whether to operate in a sleep mode for operating a transmitter and a receiver intermittently;
• a procedure arranged to update a route metric value when control data relating to a route setting for multi-hop communication arrives with other than the self station as a route destination;
• a procedure arranged to add a bias value to the route metric value during an operation in a sleep mode for operating a transmitter and a receiver intermittently;
• and
• a procedure arranged to further transfer the control data to an adjacent station based on the new route metric value.

A communication apparatus characterized in executing data communication under a communication environment made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, comprising:

• communication means configured to execute transmission/reception with said communication environment;
• communication control means configured to control a communication operation by said communication means;
• and
• state control means configured to control the state transition between an active mode for operating the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means constantly, and a sleep mode for operating the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means intermittently;
• wherein said state control means control the state transition between the active mode and the sleep mode according to the traffic exchange quantity and the traffic reception quantity of said communication means;
• and wherein said communication control means adjust a predetermined interval where the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means are operated intermittently under the sleep mode according to the traffic exchange quantity and the traffic reception quantity of the communication means.

A communication method characterized in being arranged to execute data communication under a communication environment, which is made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, comprising:

• a step arranged to detect traffic exchange quantity and traffic reception quantity;
• a step arranged to execute the state transition between an active mode and a sleep mode according to the traffic exchange quantity and the traffic reception quantity;
• and
• a step arranged to adjust a predetermined interval used for operating the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means intermittently under the sleep mode.

A computer program characterized in being described in a computer-readable format so as to execute processing for executing data communication on a computer under a communication environment made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, causing said computer to execute:

• a procedure arranged to detect traffic exchange quantity and traffic reception quantity;
• a procedure arranged to execute the state transition between an active mode and a sleep mode according to the traffic exchange quantity and the traffic reception quantity;
• and
• a procedure arranged to adjust a predetermined interval used for operating the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means intermittently under the sleep mode.

A battery-driven communication apparatus characterized in being configured to execute data communication under a communication environment, which is made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, where multi-hop communication for the plurality of communication stations transmitting frames by relay is executed, comprising:

• communication means configured to execute transmission/reception with said communication environment;
• communication control means configured to control a communication operation by said communication means;
• remaining power detecting means configured to detect the remaining power of said battery;
• and
• state control means configured to control the state transition between an active mode for operating the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means constantly, and a sleep mode for operating the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means intermittently;
• wherein said state control means control the state transition between the active mode and the sleep mode according to the remaining power of said battery;
• and wherein said communication control means determine whether to operate as a relay station at the time of multi-hop communication under the sleep mode, or a predetermined interval used for operating the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means intermittently according to the remaining power of said battery.

A communication method characterized in being arranged to execute data communication using a battery driven method under a communication environment, which is made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, where multi-hop communication for the plurality of communication stations transmitting frames by relay is executed, comprising:

• a remaining power detecting step arranged to detect the remaining power of said battery;
• a state control step arranged to control the state transition between an active mode and a sleep mode according to the remaining power of said battery;
• and
• a power-saving operation control step arranged to determine whether to operate as a relay station at the time of multi-hop communication under the sleep mode, or a predetermined interval used for operating the transmitter and the receiver intermittently according to the remaining power of said battery.

A computer program characterized in being described in a computer-readable format so as to execute processing for executing data communication on a computer using a battery driven method under a communication environment made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner to execute multi-hop communication for the plurality of communication stations transmitting frames by relay, causing said computer to execute:

• a remaining power detecting procedure arranged to detect the remaining power of said battery;
• a state control procedure arranged to control the state transition between an active mode and a sleep mode according to the remaining power of said battery;
• and
• a power-saving operation control procedure arranged to determine whether to operate as a relay station at the time of multi-hop communication under the sleep mode, or a predetermined interval used for operating a transmitter and a receiver intermittently according to the remaining power of said battery.

A communication apparatus characterized in being configured to execute data communication under a communication environment, which is made up of a plurality of communication stations which operate in an autonomous distributed manner, where multi-hop communication for the plurality of communication stations transmitting frames by relay is executed, comprising:

• communication means configured to execute transmission/reception with said communication environment;
• and
• communication control means configured to control a communication operation by said communication means;
• wherein, under said communication environment, operation is made in a sleep mode for operating the transmitter and the receiver of said communication means intermittently during a time zone where not to operate as a relay station, and during a time zone where to operate as a relay station, relay is executed still in the sleep mode or transition is made to an active mode to execute relay processing.