Wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus, wireless communication method, and computer program

A wireless communication apparatus that forms a network and performs a wireless communication operation in an autonomous distributed manner without the network having a specific controlling station, the wireless communication apparatus comprising:

• communication means for transmitting/receiving a wireless signal within its communication range;
• priority-utilization-period setting means for setting a priority utilization period for performing communication with a guaranteed bandwidth in its own frame period and for notifying, within its communication range, of the priority utilization period;
• and
• communication controlling means for performing communication with a guaranteed bandwidth, with priority, in response to an arrival of its own priority utilization period,
• wherein the communication controlling means temporarily delays a start of the communication in the priority utilization period and performs the communication with priority after an end of another communication if the another communication is being performed at a time when the priority utilization period set by the priority-utilization-period setting means arrives.

A wireless communication method for performing a wireless communication operation forms a network and in an autonomous distributed manner without the network having a specific controlling station, the wireless communication method comprising:

• using a processor to carry out the following:
• setting a priority utilization period for performing communication with a guaranteed bandwidth in its frame period,
• notifying, within its communication range, of the priority utilization period, and
• performing the communication with a guaranteed bandwidth, with priority, in response to an arrival of the priority utilization period,
• wherein the start of the communication in the priority utilization period is temporarily delayed and the communication with priority is performed after an end of another communication if the another communication is being performed at a time when the set priority utilization period arrives.

A processor having computer program instructions for carrying out a method of performing a wireless communication operation forms a network and in an autonomous distributed manner without the network having a specific controlling station, the method comprising:

• setting a priority utilization period for performing communication with a guaranteed bandwidth in its frame period;
• notifying, within its communication range, of the priority utilization period;
• and
• performing the communication with a guaranteed bandwidth, with priority, in response to an arrival of the priority utilization period,
• wherein the start of the communication in the priority utilization period is temporarily delayed and the communication with priority is performed after an end of another communication if the another communication is being performed at a time when the set priority utilization period arrives.