US 8,078,112 B2 · Decentralized wireless communication system, apparatus, and associated methodology

Abstract

Communication stations select the channel which as many communication stations as possible can receive as a beacon sending channel based on interference information of each channel specified in a beacon signal. When there is a communication station which cannot receive a beacon, the beacon sending channel is changed. The communication stations can receive a beacon from all other communication stations by performing beacon receiving operation over a particular channel, avoiding the deadlock state.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims13

Dependent claims

A wireless communication apparatus which operates under a wireless communication environment in which multiple channels are prepared, said wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a transmitting unit configured to transmit wireless data over each channel of the multiple channels;
a receiving unit configured to receive the wireless data over each channel of the multiple channels;
a channel setting unit configured to set a data sending/receiving channel in the transmitting and receiving units;
a communication control unit configured to control transmission and reception of the wireless data via the transmitting unit and the receiving unit;
a beacon generating unit configured to generate a beacon signal including control information concerning the data sending/receiving channel, the transmitting unit sending the beacon over a beacon sending channel;
a beacon analyzing unit configured to analyze a beacon signal received from another wireless communication apparatus;
wherein said channel setting unit sets the data sending/receiving channel to another channel of the multiple channels based on the beacon signal received from the other wireless communication apparatus.

4 more elements

A wireless communication apparatus which operates in a wireless communication environment including multiple channels, said wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a transmitting unit configured to send wireless data over each channel of the multiple channels;
a receiving unit configured to receive the wireless data over each channel of the multiple channels;
a channel setting unit configured to set a data sending/receiving channel in the transmitting and receiving units;
a communication control unit configured to control transmission and reception of the wireless data via the transmitting unit and the receiving unit, the communication control unit being configured to control communication operation over the multiple channels;
a beacon analyzing unit configured to analyze a beacon signal received from a peripheral wireless communication apparatus,
wherein when said communication control unit determines that a beacon sending timing of the peripheral wireless communication apparatus approaches, said communication control unit determines whether or not said communication control unit is to perform communication with the peripheral wireless communication apparatus that sent the beacon, the communication control unit omitting beacon receiving operation when beacon reception is not required, the data sending/receiving channel used by the wireless communication apparatus being changed to a different one of the multiple channels in response to analysis of the beacon signal received from the peripheral wireless communication apparatus.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description24,328 words

Summary6,316 words

#The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method, and computer program for performing mutual communication between multiple wireless stations, such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or PAN (Personal Area Network), and particularly relates to a wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method, and computer program for establishing a wireless network by autonomous decentralized operation of each communication station having no particular relationship between a control station and controlled stations.

#In more detail, the present invention relates to a wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method, and computer program for forming an autonomous decentralized wireless network without neighboring wireless systems interfering mutually without intervention of a specific control station, in a communication environment with multiple channels, and particularly relates to a wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method, and computer program for forming an multi-channel autonomous decentralized wireless network by each communication station determining the beacon sending channel and data sending channel of the local station as appropriate.

#Sharing of information such as files, data, and the like, sharing of peripheral equipment such as a printer, and the like, or exchange of information such as transfer of E-mails, data contents, and the like, can be realized by connecting multiple computers to form a LAN.

Brief description of the drawings32 figures

#FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating placement examples of communication apparatuses making up a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the functional configuration of a wireless communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 3 is a diagram for describing the beacon transmission sequence of each communication station according to the present embodiment.

Detailed description17,160 words

#Hereinafter, description will be made in detail regarding embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

#A. System Configuration

#A communication transmission path assumed in the present invention is wireless, and also a network is established between multiple communication stations using a transmission medium made up of multiple frequency channels, i.e., multi-channels. Also, communication assumed in the present invention is cumulative exchanging traffic, and information is transferred in increments of packet.

Facts

Application

12/829,660Filed 2 Jul 2010 · continuation

Priority

JP 2003-28158629 Jul 2003

Published

US 2010/0290421 A118 Nov 2010

Granted

13 Dec 2011

Term ended

27 Jan 2026

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification4 codes

H04W 84/18
Network topologies: self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
H04W 72/02
Local resource management: selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
H04W 72/541
Based on quality criteria: using the level of interference
H04W
Wireless communication networks

Family

PCT/JP2004/010509Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Jul 2004

US 2010/0290421 A1Pre-grant publication · published 18 Nov 2010

Application10/566,130Parent of this continuation

US 7,817,612 B2Parent of this continuation

US 2006/0251098 A1Published application

US 8,078,112 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Decentralized wireless communication system, apparatus, and associated methodology

Life of this patent

Decentralized wireless communication system, apparatus, and associated methodology

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims13

Description24,328 words

Drawings

Classification4 codes

Life of this patent

Description24,328 words