Wireless power control apparatus and method having multiple transmit power levels

A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

• a generation unit configured to generate a first request frame and a second request frame, the first request frame being a frame for requesting a connection with another communication apparatus and requiring an acknowledgement from the other communication apparatus, the second request frame being a frame for requesting the connection with the other communication apparatus and not requiring the acknowledgement from the other communication apparatus;
• a control unit configured to set, as a first value, a magnitude of a transmission power of the first request frame, and set, as a second value smaller than the first value, a magnitude of a transmission power of the second request frame;
• a transmission unit configured to transmit the first request frame at a first time interval until an acknowledgement frame is received, and transmit the second request frame at a second time interval until an accept frame is received, the acknowledgement frame being a frame for responding to the first request frame, the accept frame being a frame for responding to the second request frame and including a request transmission power information which indicates information about a transmission power requested by the other communication apparatus, the second time interval being longer than the first time interval;
• a reception unit configured to receive the acknowledgement frame and the accept frame;
• and
• an analysis unit configured to analyze the request transmission power information,
• wherein:
• the generation unit alternately inserts, in a plurality of second request frames, a first identifier indicating a transmission power corresponding to the first value and a second identifier indicating a transmission power corresponding to the second value, according to a transmission order of the second request frames, and
• the control unit sets to transmit, with the transmission power corresponding to the first value, the second request frame in which the first identifier is inserted, and sets to transmit, with the transmission power corresponding to the second value, the second request frame in which the second identifier is inserted.

A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

• a reception unit configured to receive a first request frame and a second request frame, the first request frame indicating a connection request from another communication apparatus and requiring an acknowledgement, the second request frame indicating the connection request from the other communication apparatus and not requiring the acknowledgement;
• a management unit configured to notify an upper layer of a first notification indicating that the first request frame is received, and obtain, from the upper layer, a second notification indicating whether or not to connect to the other communication apparatus;
• a measurement unit configured to measure a first value indicating a reception power value when the first request frame is received, and a second value indicating a reception power value when the second request frame is received;
• a determination unit configured to determine, before the second notification is obtained, which of a first difference value and a second difference value is smaller, the first difference value being a difference value between the first value and a target value which indicates a target reception power value, the second difference value being a difference value between the second value and the target value;
• a control unit configured to set, as a request transmission power, a transmission power value corresponding to the first value when the first difference value is smaller than the second difference value, and configured to set, as the request transmission power, a transmission power value corresponding to the second value when the second difference value is smaller than the first difference value;
• a generation unit configured to generate an accept frame including information indicating the request transmission power;
• a transmission unit configured to transmit the accept frame to the other communication apparatus;
• and
• a counter configured to count a number of times of reception of the first request frame,
• wherein if the number of times of reception of the first request frame is not more than a predetermined threshold, the generation unit generates an acknowledgement frame including information for requesting the first request frame as frame type information for specifying a type of frame, and
• wherein the determination unit determines, as the first difference value, a difference value between the target value and an average of the first values.

A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

• a reception unit configured to receive a first request frame and a second request frame, the first request frame indicating a connection request from another communication apparatus and requiring an acknowledgement, the second request frame indicating the connection request from the other communication apparatus and not requiring the acknowledgement;
• a management unit configured to notify an upper layer of a first notification indicating that the first request frame is received, and obtain, from the upper layer, a second notification indicating whether or not to connect to the other communication apparatus;
• a measurement unit configured to measure a first value indicating a reception power value when the first request frame is received, and a second value indicating a reception power value when the second request frame is received;
• a determination unit configured to determine, before the second notification is obtained, which of a first difference value and a second difference value is smaller, the first difference value being a difference value between the first value and a target value which indicates a target reception power value, the second difference value being a difference value between the second value and the target value;
• a control unit configured to set, as a request transmission power, a transmission power value corresponding to the first value when the first difference value is smaller than the second difference value, and configured to set, as the request transmission power, a transmission power value corresponding to the second value when the second difference value is smaller than the first difference value;
• a generation unit configured to generate an accept frame including information indicating the request transmission power;
• and
• a transmission unit configured to transmit the accept frame to the other communication apparatus,
• wherein:
• if the target value is defined as a range of a power value from an upper limit to a lower limit, the determination unit determines whether or not the first value falls within the range of the target value, and
• the generation unit generates, if the first value falls within the range of the target value, an acknowledgement frame including information for requesting transmission with a transmission power corresponding to the first value, and generates, if the first value falls outside the range of the target value, an acknowledgement frame including information for requesting transmission with a transmission power corresponding to the second value.

A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

• a reception unit configured to receive a first request frame and a second request frame, the first request frame indicating a connection request from another communication apparatus and requiring an acknowledgement, the second request frame indicating the connection request from the other communication apparatus and not requiring the acknowledgement;
• a management unit configured to notify an upper layer of a first notification indicating that the first request frame is received, and obtain, from the upper layer, a second notification indicating whether or not to connect to the other communication apparatus;
• a measurement unit configured to measure a first value indicating a reception power value when the first request frame is received, and a second value indicating a reception power value when the second request frame is received;
• a determination unit configured to determine, before the second notification is obtained, which of a first difference value and a second difference value is smaller, the first difference value being a difference value between the first value and a target value which indicates a target reception power value, the second difference value being a difference value between the second value and the target value;
• a control unit configured to set, as a request transmission power, a transmission power value corresponding to the first value when the first difference value is smaller than the second difference value, and configured to set, as the request transmission power, a transmission power value corresponding to the second value when the second difference value is smaller than the first difference value;
• a generation unit configured to generate an accept frame including information indicating the request transmission power;
• and
• a transmission unit configured to transmit the accept frame to the other communication apparatus,
• wherein:
• if the target value is defined as a range of a power value from an upper limit to a lower limit, the determination unit determines whether or not the first value and the second value fall within the range of the target value, and
• if both the first value and the second value fall within the range of the target value, the generation unit generates the accept frame including information for requesting transmission with a transmission power corresponding to a smaller one of the first value and the second value.

A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

• a reception unit configured to receive a first request frame and a second request frame, the first request frame indicating a connection request from another communication apparatus and requiring an acknowledgement, the second request frame indicating the connection request from the other communication apparatus and not requiring the acknowledgement;
• a management unit configured to notify an upper layer of a first notification indicating that the first request frame is received, and obtain, from the upper layer, a second notification indicating whether or not to connect to the other communication apparatus;
• a measurement unit configured to measure a first value indicating a reception power value when the first request frame is received, and a second value indicating a reception power value when the second request frame is received;
• a determination unit configured to determine, before the second notification is obtained, which of a first difference value and a second difference value is smaller, the first difference value being a difference value between the first value and a target value which indicates a target reception power value, the second difference value being a difference value between the second value and the target value;
• a control unit configured to set, as a request transmission power, a transmission power value corresponding to the first value when the first difference value is smaller than the second difference value, and configured to set, as the request transmission power, a transmission power value corresponding to the second value when the second difference value is smaller than the first difference value;
• a generation unit configured to generate an accept frame including information indicating the request transmission power;
• a transmission unit configured to transmit the accept frame to the other communication apparatus;
• and
• an analysis unit configured to, if burst transmission in which a set of a plurality of first request frames is repeatedly transmitted is performed, extract a count value from the first request frame, the count value indicating a remaining number of first request frames up to a first request frame to be transmitted last within the set,
• wherein:
• if a number of times of reception of the first request frame reaches a predetermined threshold or the count value is zero, the transmission unit transmits an acknowledgement frame indicating an acknowledgement to the first request frame,
• the determination unit determines, as the first difference value, a difference value between the target value and an average of the first values,
• the analysis unit extracts an identifier inserted in a second request frame,
• the determination unit determines, between a first identifier indicating a transmission power corresponding to the first value and a second identifier indicating a transmission power corresponding to the second value, a request identifier indicating an identifier with a smaller difference from the target value,
• the generation unit generates the accept frame including information for requesting transmission with a transmission power corresponding to the request identifier,
• the apparatus further comprises a checking unit configured to determine, based on error detection codes included in the first request frame and the second request frame, whether or not a reception error has occurred,
• the analysis unit extracts a third identifier if it is determined that a reception error has occurred during a period, the third identifier being included in one of a plurality of second request frames received without error during the period and indicating a transmission power when transmitting the second request frame, the period being a period indicating that a plurality of second request frames are received, and
• the control unit sets the request transmission power based on the third identifier.

A wireless communication method for a wireless communication apparatus, the method comprising:

• generating a first request frame and a second request frame, the first request frame being a frame for requesting a connection with another communication apparatus and requiring an acknowledgement from the other communication apparatus, the second request frame being a frame for requesting the connection with the other communication apparatus and not requiring the acknowledgement from the other communication apparatus;
• setting, as a first value, a magnitude of a transmission power of the first request frame, and setting, as a second value smaller than the first value, a magnitude of a transmission power of the second request frame;
• transmitting the first request frame at a first time interval until an acknowledgement frame is received, and transmitting the second request frame at a second time interval until an accept frame is received, the acknowledgement frame being a frame for responding to the first request frame, the accept frame being a frame for responding to the second request frame and including a request transmission power information which indicates information about a transmission power requested by the other communication apparatus, the second time interval being longer than the first time interval;
• receiving the acknowledgement frame and the accept frame;
• analyzing the request transmission power information;
• and
• determining a transmission power of a data frame based on the request transmission power information,
• wherein:
• the generating the first request frame and the second request frame comprises alternately inserting, in a plurality of second request frames, a first identifier indicating a transmission power corresponding to the first value and a second identifier indicating a transmission power corresponding to the second value, according to a transmission order of the second request frames, and
• the setting the magnitude of the transmission power comprises setting to transmit, with the transmission power corresponding to the first value, the second request frame in which the first identifier is inserted, and setting to transmit, with the transmission power corresponding to the second value, the second request frame in which the second identifier is inserted.