Wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method

A wireless communication method for transmitting data from a first wireless station having a concurrent transmission control function and a second wireless station having an interference reduction function to control an interference reduction mode, wherein

• the first wireless station judges, based on a carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR) of the second wireless station in at least one type of an interference reduction mode, whether concurrent transmission between a signal from the first wireless station to the second wireless station and a signal of an interference station is available, and if judging that any particular interference reduction mode enables the concurrent transmission, transmits an interference reduction mode control signal to the second wireless station to instruct the second wireless station to operate in the particular interference reduction mode and transmits the signal to the second wireless station according to a timing that overlaps transmission of the signal that is being transmitted by the interference station,
• the first wireless station transmits interference station information, indicating a third wireless station as a detected interference station, to the second wireless station,
• the second wireless station transmits, to the first wireless station, link parameter information that includes a signal strength of the signal of the first wireless station, and interference information that includes an interference reduction mode of the interference station and an interference strength corresponding thereto, and
• the first wireless station judges whether the concurrent transmission with the interference station is available based on the link parameter information and the interference information.

A wireless communication method used by a wireless station to include interference information of at least one interference station into a wireless packet and transmit the packet to another wireless station, wherein

• the interference information includes an interference station identifier indicating the interference station, interference strength information of the interference station when the wireless station operates in each of a plurality of interference reduction modes, and interference reduction mode information indicating one of the plurality of interference reduction modes used in interference reduction processing,
• the interference reduction processing is processing of reducing a level of an interference signal by adjusting amplitudes and phases of input signals from a plurality of antennas, and synthesizing the input signals,
• each of the plurality of interference reduction modes uses a different adjustment method to adjust the amplitudes and the phases of the input signals, and
• the interference strength information includes information corresponding to at least one out of a received-interference power of an interference signal to be transmitted by the interference station, a carrier-to-interference ratio represented as a ratio between a received-signal power and the received-interference power, and a margin of the carrier-to-interference ration with respect to a ratio of a required signal power to the received-interference power.

A wireless communication apparatus that transmits data to a wireless station having an interference reduction function to control an interference reduction mode, comprising:

• a link information management unit operable to judge, based on the carrier-to-interference ratio in at least one of a plurality of interference reduction modes, whether concurrent transmission between a signal from the wireless communication apparatus to the wireless station and a signal of an interference station is available;
• and
• a concurrent transmission link management unit operable to store therein a result of the judgment by the link information management unit, and generates an interference reduction mode control signal for instructing the wireless station to operate in a particular interference reduction mode that enables the concurrent transmission, wherein
• the interference reduction function is a function to reduce a level of an interference signal by adjusting amplitudes and phases of input signals from a plurality of antennas, and synthesizing the input signals,
• each of the plurality of interference reduction modes uses a different adjustment method to adjust the amplitudes and the phases of the input signals, and
• after transmitting the interference reduction mode control signal to the wireless station, the wireless communication apparatus transmits the signal to the wireless station according to a timing that overlaps transmission of the signal that is being transmitted by the interference station.

A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

• an interference reduction processing unit operable to control an interference reduction mode selected from among a plurality of interference reduction modes;
• and
• an interference reduction control unit operable to receive an interference reduction mode control signal and determine and control the interference reduction mode showing an operation status of the interference reduction processing unit, based on the received interference reduction mode, wherein
• the interference reduction function is a function to reduce a level of an interference signal by adjusting amplitudes and phases of input signals from a plurality of antennas, and synthesizing the input signals,
• each of the plurality of interference reduction modes uses a different adjustment method to adjust the amplitudes and the phases of the input signals, and
• the wireless communication apparatus generates interference information that includes an identifier of an interference station that is different from an transmission target, information indicating a type of the interference reduction mode, and received-signal strength of the interference information in the interference reduction mode, and transmits the interference signal to the transmission target.