Packet joining method, program, and apparatus

A non-transitory computer readable medium which tangibly embodies a computer program for packet joining for an audio terminal in a wireless communication Internet connection service through an access point, the computer program causing a control unit of an audio terminal to execute:

• performing Neighbor Discovery over short-range radio, detecting a candidate audio terminal that is a candidate for a joining destination, and acquiring communication information of the candidate audio terminal;
• sending, in response to Neighbor Discovery by a joining source audio terminal which desires packet joining communication, communication information of a local audio terminal;
• inquiring of a resource manager of a network, in response to a joining request from the joining source audio terminal, whether packet joining is permitted and sending a determination result to the joining source audio terminal having made the joining request;
• if a plurality of candidate audio terminals are detected in said detecting the candidate audio terminal, then selecting a joining destination audio terminal of the plurality of candidate audio terminals that is busy with a call, the call being other than a call from the joining source audio terminal performing Neighbor Discovery, as the joining destination on the basis of the communication information of the candidate audio terminal detected in the Neighbor Discovery process;
• a process of requesting joining of the joining destination audio terminal selected as the joining destination and a joining communication process of receiving information on permission for joining from the joining destination audio terminal and sending a packet to be joined to the joining destination audio terminal;
• receiving the packet from the joining source audio terminal having been permitted joining, merging the packet from the joining source audio terminal with a packet of the local audio terminal, and sending the merged packet as a joined packet;
• and
• receiving an other joined packet, splitting the other joined packet into a plurality of packets, and outputting the plurality of packets to the local audio terminal and the joining source audio terminal.

An audio terminal for packet joining in a wireless communication Internet connection service including a plurality of audio terminals through an access point, comprising:

• a Neighbor Discovery processing unit which detects a neighboring candidate audio terminal that is a candidate for a joining destination and acquires communication information of the detected candidate audio terminal by Neighbor Discovery over short-range radio;
• a joining destination selection unit that, if a plurality of candidate audio terminals are detected by said Neighbor Discovery processing unit, selects a joining destination audio terminal of the plurality of candidate audio terminals that is busy with a call, the call being from an audio terminal other than a joining source audio terminal that desires packet joining, as the joining destination on the basis of the communication information of the audio terminal detected by said Neighbor Discovery processing unit;
• a joining request unit that requests joining of the joining destination audio terminal selected as the joining destination;
• and
• a joining processing unit that receives information on permission for joining from the joining destination audio terminal and sends a packet to be joined to the joining destination audio terminal,
• wherein said Neighbor Discovery processing unit has a joining response function of, in response to Neighbor Discovery by the joining source audio terminal that desires packet joining communication, sending communication information of a local audio terminal and, in response to a joining request from the joining source audio terminal, inquiring of a resource manager of a network whether packet joining is permitted and sending a determination result to the joining source audio terminal having made the joining request, and
• wherein said joining processing unit has a function of receiving the packet from the joining source audio terminal having been permitted joining, merging the packet from the joining source audio terminal with a packet of the local audio terminal, and sending the merged packet as a joined packet and a function of receiving an other joined packet, splitting the joined packet into a plurality of packets, and outputting the plurality of packets to the local audio terminal and the joining source audio terminal.