US 2018/0324884 A1 · WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND PROCESSING METHOD

Abstract

A processing method includes: determining at least one of first conditions in a first situation, by a second wireless apparatus in a system which includes a first wireless apparatus and a plurality of the second wireless apparatuses, the first situation being when the wireless apparatus operates in an idle mode and when communication between the wireless apparatus and the one other second wireless apparatus is performed via a first channel, the first conditions including whether a quality of the first channel is lower than a predetermined quality and whether a switching instruction is received; and executing a first process by the second wireless apparatus when the at least one of first conditions is met, the first process including establishing a second channel between the second wireless apparatus and the first wireless apparatus, and switching from communication via the first channel to communication via the second channel.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A wireless communication apparatus that is used as a second wireless communication apparatus in a wireless communication system that includes a first wireless communication apparatus and a plurality of the second wireless communication apparatuses, the wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a communication circuit configured to perform wireless communication via a first communication channel between the wireless communication apparatus and one other second wireless communication apparatus, and wireless communication via a second communication channel between the wireless communication apparatus and the first wireless communication apparatus;
and
a control circuit configured to control the communication circuit to establish the second communication channel between the wireless communication apparatus and the first wireless communication apparatus, and switch from communication with the one other second wireless communication apparatus via the first communication channel to communication via the second communication channel, when a quality of the first communication channel is poorer than a prescribed quality, or when a switching instruction that is a signal at Layer 2 or Layer 3 is received from the one other second wireless communication apparatus, in a case where the wireless communication apparatus operates in an idle mode and where communication between the wireless communication apparatus and the one other second wireless communication apparatus is performed via the first communication channel.

A wireless communication apparatus that is used as a first wireless communication apparatus in a wireless communication system that includes the first wireless communication apparatus, a second wireless communication apparatus that operates in an idle mode, and a third wireless communication apparatus that operates in the idle mode or a connection mode, the wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a communication circuit configured to perform, via a second communication channel, wireless communication with each of the second wireless communication apparatus and the third wireless communication apparatus which perform communication with each other via a first communication channel;
and
a control circuit configured to control the communication circuit, and to perform a process that includes transmitting paging information to the second wireless communication apparatus, establishing the second communication channel between the wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus, and then transmitting data destined for the second wireless communication apparatus to the second wireless communication apparatus via the second communication channel, when the second communication channel is not established between the wireless communication apparatus itself and the second wireless communication apparatus, and controls the communication unit without transmitting the paging information to the second wireless communication apparatus, and thus performs control which transmits the data destined for the second wireless communication apparatus, to the second wireless communication apparatus via the second communication channel that is established between the wireless communication apparatus itself and the second wireless communication apparatus, when the second communication channel is established between the wireless communication apparatus itself and the second wireless communication apparatus, in a case where the data destined for the second wireless communication apparatus is received from the third wireless communication apparatus via the second communication channel that is established between the wireless communication apparatus itself and the third wireless communication apparatus.

A wireless communication system comprising:

a first wireless communication apparatus;
a second wireless communication apparatus that operates in an idle mode;
and
a third wireless communication apparatus that operates in the idle mode or a connection mode,
wherein the second wireless communication apparatus includes
a first communication circuit configured to perform wireless communication via a first communication channel between the second wireless communication apparatus and the third wireless communication apparatus, and wireless communication via a second communication channel between the second wireless communication apparatus and the first wireless communication apparatus, and
a first control circuit configured to control the first communication circuit, and perform a process that includes establishing the second communication channel between the second wireless communication apparatus and the first wireless communication apparatus and switching from communication with the third wireless communication apparatus via the first communication channel to communication via the second communication channel, when a quality of the first communication channel is poorer than a prescribed quality, or when a switching instruction that is a signal at Layer 2 or Layer 3 is received from the third wireless communication apparatus, in a case where communication with the third wireless communication apparatus is performed via the first communication channel,
wherein the third wireless communication apparatus includes
a second communication circuit configured to perform, via a second communication channel, wireless communication via the first communication channel between the third communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus, and wireless communication via the second communication channel between the third communication apparatus and the first wireless communication apparatus, and
a second control circuit configured to perform either a first process or a second process when the quality of the first communication channel is poorer than the prescribed quality, in a case where communication with the second wireless communication apparatus is performed via the first communication channel, and
wherein the first process includes:
establishing the second communication channel between the third communication apparatus and the first wireless communication apparatus;
and
switching from communication with the second wireless communication apparatus via the first communication channel to the communication via the second communication channel,
wherein the second process includes:
transmitting the switching instruction to the second wireless communication apparatus;
establishing the second communication channel between the third communication apparatus and the first wireless communication apparatus;
and
switching from the communication with the second wireless communication apparatus via the first communication channel to the communication via the second communication channel, and
wherein the first wireless communication apparatus includes
a third communication circuit configured to perform wireless communication with each of the second wireless communication apparatus and the third wireless communication apparatus via a second communication channel, and
a third control circuit configured to control the third communication circuit, and perform a process that includes transmitting paging information to the second wireless communication apparatus, establishing the second communication channel between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus, and then transmitting data destined for the second wireless communication apparatus to the second wireless communication apparatus via the second communication channel, when the second communication channel is not established between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus, and controls the third communication circuit without transmitting the paging information to the second wireless communication apparatus, and thus performs control which transmits the data destined for the second wireless communication apparatus, to the second wireless communication apparatus via the second communication channel that is established between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus, when the second communication channel is established between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus, in a case where the data destined for the second wireless communication apparatus is received from the third wireless communication apparatus via the second communication channel that is established between the first wireless communication apparatus and the third wireless communication apparatus.

19 more elements

A processing method comprising:

causing a first wireless communication apparatus that is used in a wireless communication system that includes the first wireless communication apparatus, a second wireless communication apparatus that operates in an idle mode, and a third wireless communication apparatus that operates in the idle mode or a connection mode, to receive data destined for the second wireless communication apparatus from the third wireless communication apparatus via a second communication channel that is established between the first wireless communication apparatus itself and the third wireless communication apparatus which performs communication via a first communication channel between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus;
causing the first wireless communication apparatus to transmit paging information to the second wireless communication apparatus, to establish the second communication channel between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus, and then to transmit the data destined for the second wireless communication apparatus to the second wireless communication apparatus via the second communication channel, in a case where the second communication channel is not established between the first wireless communication apparatus itself and the second wireless communication apparatus;
and
causing the first wireless communication apparatus to perform processing that transmits the data destined for the second wireless communication apparatus to the second wireless communication apparatus via the second communication channel that is established between the first wireless communication apparatus and the second wireless communication apparatus, without transmitting paging information to the second wireless communication apparatus, in a case where the second communication channel is established between the first wireless communication apparatus itself and the second wireless communication apparatus.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Wireless communication apparatus, wireless communication system, and processing method

Life of this patent

Wireless communication apparatus, wireless communication system, and processing method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14