Wireless communication apparatus and method

A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

• a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a signal degradation degree of a wireless communication is higher than a threshold value, the signal degradation degree indicating a degradation degree of a signal quality;
• a first setting unit configured to set first parameters if communicating with a communication partner, the first parameters relating to a first data rate and a first communication robustness;
• a timer configured to measure a time until an elapse of a first interval upon receiving one of a instruction signal from upper layer and a close-proximity detection signal, the close-proximity detection signal indicating that a communication partner falls within a distance;
• a second setting unit configured to set second parameters if the signal degradation degree is higher than the threshold value and if the time exceeds the first interval, the second parameters relating to a second data rate and a second communication robustness, the second data rate being lower than the first data rate, the second communication robustness being higher than the first communication robustness;
• and
• a wireless unit configured to communicate with the communication partner using one of the first parameters and the second parameters.

A wireless communication method, comprising:

• determining whether or not a signal degradation degree of a wireless communication is higher than a threshold value, the signal degradation degree indicating a degradation degree of a signal quality;
• setting first parameters if communicating with a communication partner, the first parameters relating to a first data rate and a first communication robustness;
• setting second parameters if an instruction signal is received from a upper layer and if the signal degradation degree is higher than the threshold value during performing the wireless communication with the communication partner using the first parameters, the second parameters relating to a second data rate and a second communication robustness, the second data rate being lower than the first data rate, the second communication robustness being higher than the first communication robustness;
• and
• communicating with the communication partner using one of the first parameters and the second parameters.