WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHOD

Abstract

A wireless communication device that transmits packets, on the basis of a packet transmission scheme for allocating wireless bands with virtual carrier sensing, has: monitoring module for monitoring packets communicated between other wireless communication devices and base stations for a local cell and another cell; determination module for determining whether a possibility exists that a local station receives other-cell interference resulting from communication between the wireless communication device in the other cell and the base station, on the basis of the monitoring result; occupancy period detection module for detecting an occupancy period occupied due to communication between the wireless communication device in the other cell and the base station, on the basis of the monitoring results, when determination is made that receiving the other-cell interference is possible; and timing recognition module for recognizing a timing for avoiding the other-cell interference in a predetermined period on the basis of the occupancy period.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a structural drawing of a wireless LAN network in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a hardware structural drawing of a VoIP terminal;

FIG. 3 is a functional block drawing of a VoIP terminal;

FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining how to assign slot numbers;

FIG. 5 is a transmitting and receiving sequence drawing showing one exchange of transmitting and receiving between a base station and a terminal;

FIG. 6 is a transmitting and receiving sequence drawing for a case in which a terminal B monitors a packet transmitted by a terminal D in a slot 3 and slot 4;

FIG. 7 is a transmitting and receiving sequence drawing showing exchange of transmitting and receiving between a base station and a terminal when a transfer rate goes below 2 Mbps;

FIG. 8 is a sequence drawing showing schedule establishment in terminals A, B and C; and

FIG. 9 is a sequence drawing showing a case in which a value of a transfer rate itself is broadcast.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device for transmitting packets, on the basis of a packet transmission scheme for allocating wireless bands with virtual carrier sensing, comprising: monitoring module for monitoring packets communicated between other wireless communication devices and wireless base stations, for both a local cell in which a local wireless communication device is located and another cell;determination module for determining whether a possibility exists that the local wireless communication device receives other-cell interference resulting from communication between the wireless communication device in the other cell and the wireless base station which administers the other cell, on the basis of the monitoring result by the monitoring module;occupancy period detection module for detecting an occupancy period occupied due to communication between the wireless communication device in the other cell and the wireless base station, on the basis of the monitoring results, when the determination module determines that a possibility exists that the local wireless communication device receives the other-cell interference; andtiming recognition module for recognizing a timing for avoiding the other-cell interference in a predetermined period on the basis of the occupancy period detected by the occupancy period detection module.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the determination module is configured to determine the possibility of the local wireless communication device receiving the other-cell interference when neither a transmission source address nor a destination address of a packet obtained from monitoring performed by the monitoring module matches the address of a wireless base station which administers the local cell.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising: transmission timing request module for generating a transmission timing request including avoidance timing information for the local wireless communication device to avoid the other-cell interference, and for broadcasting the generated transmission timing request to the other wireless communication device in the local cell; andschedule establishment module for establishing a schedule, on the basis of the avoidance timing information in the transmission timing request, when the local wireless communication device receives the transmission timing request broadcast by the other wireless communication device.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 3, wherein the transmission timing request module is configured to verify that the other wireless communication device in the local cell correctly has received the transmission timing request, and retransmit the transmission timing request to a wireless transmission device when verified that the wireless transmission device has not correctly received the transmission timing request.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the determination module is configured to determine whether another wireless communication device is performing communication by an application generating packets at regular intervals, by determining whether the other wireless communication device is generating packets at regular intervals on the basis of the monitoring result of the monitoring module.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the determination module is configured to determine whether a transmission source wireless communication device or a destination wireless communication device of a packet is performing communication by an application generating packets at regular intervals, by specifying vendor distinguishing information on the basis of a transmission source address or a destination address of the packet obtained from monitoring performed by the monitoring module, and by verifying whether the specified vendor distinguishing information matches the vendor distinguishing information of the local wireless communication device.

7. A wireless communication device for transmitting packets, on the basis of a packet transmission scheme for allocating wireless bands with virtual carrier sensing, comprising: fluctuation time request module for generating a request including slot quantity information or post-fluctuation transfer rate information used by a local wireless communication device, and for broadcasting the generated request to another wireless communication device in a local cell, when transmitting and receiving time periods of a packet fluctuate due to fluctuation in a transfer rate; andschedule change module for changing a schedule, on the basis of the slot quantity information or the post-fluctuation transfer rate information in the request, when the broadcasted request is received by the other wireless communication device.

8. A wireless communication method for a wireless communication device which transmits packets on the basis of a packet transmission scheme for allocating wireless bands with virtual carrier sensing, the method comprising: a step of monitoring packets communicated between other wireless communication devices and wireless base stations for both a local cell in which a local wireless communication device is located and another cell;a step of determining whether a possibility exists that the local wireless communication device receives other-cell interference resulting from communication between the wireless communication device in the other cell and the wireless base station which administers the other cell, on the basis of the monitoring result;a step of detecting an occupancy period occupied due to communication between the wireless communication device in the other cell and the wireless base station, on the basis of the monitoring results, when a determination is made that a possibility exists that the local wireless communication device receives the other-cell interference; anda step of recognizing a timing for avoiding the other-cell interference in a predetermined period on the basis of the detected occupancy period.

9. A wireless communication method for transmitting packets on the basis of a packet transmission scheme for allocating wireless bands with virtual carrier sensing, the method comprising: a step of generating a request, with one wireless communication device including slot quantity information or post-fluctuation transfer rate information used by the wireless communication device, and broadcasting the generated request to another wireless communication device in a local cell, when transmitting and receiving time periods of a packet fluctuate due to fluctuation in a transfer rate; anda step of changing a schedule, on the basis of the slot quantity information or the post-fluctuation transfer rate information in the request, when the other wireless communication device receives the broadcasted request.