Wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication

A wireless communication apparatus that carries out direct communication with other wireless communication apparatuses that are communication partners, comprising:

• a control unit that finds the factor that indicates wireless communication congestion that is an index indicating the amount of communication due to said other wireless communication apparatuses on wireless channels that carry out communication;
• a congestion control unit that determines a transmission power set value that is the value of transmission power of its own wireless communication apparatus based on said factor that indicates wireless communication congestion and the values of transmission power for each of said other wireless communication apparatuses;
• and
• a wireless unit that transmits to said other wireless communication apparatuses wireless signals that contain as information the transmission power set value at a transmission power that accords with said transmission power set value that was determined in said congestion control unit;
• wherein said congestion control unit:
• is capable of setting said transmission power set value to a plurality of levels that are set in advance;
• judges whether the transmission power of the wireless communication apparatuses is at the same level as or at a lower level than that of its own wireless communication apparatus based on said transmission power set values that are received from said other wireless communication apparatuses;
• compares said factor that indicates wireless communication congestion with a first threshold value that is set in advance;
• and
• lowers by one level said transmission power set value when the transmission power of the wireless communication apparatuses is at the same level as or at a lower level than that of its own wireless communication apparatus and when said factor that indicates wireless communication congestion exceeds said first threshold value.