JP2007116583A - Management terminal, communication terminal and radio communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a management terminal, communication terminal and radio communication system with which data throughput all over the system can be easily improved. <P>SOLUTION: Each of a management terminal and communication terminals 200A constituting a radio communication system comprises: a communication environment judgement unit 135 for judging whether a communication environment is excellent or not; and a transmission control unit which forms a physical layer frame with one data link layer packet as a payload and transmits it to a communication terminal 200A when the communication environment judgement unit 135 judges that the communication environment is not excellent, or which forms a physical layer frame with a plurality of data link layer packets as a payload and transmits it to the communication terminal 200A when the communication environment judgement unit 135 judges that the communication environment is excellent. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless communication system used in homes, offices, etc., and a management terminal and a communication terminal used in the system.

  A communication system using wireless communication is easier to construct a network than a communication system using wired communication, and has a high degree of freedom of movement of communication terminals, and thus has attracted attention as one of the network construction means. ing. In recent years, with the progress of lowering the price and downsizing of devices used for wireless communication, wireless communication systems (wireless LAN (Local Area Network)) have been constructed in ordinary homes and offices, and character information data, image data Various data such as audio data are transmitted and received wirelessly.

  However, wireless communication is easily disturbed by electromagnetic waves emitted from walls, furniture, or electronic devices such as a microwave oven, and has a drawback that communication errors are more likely to occur than wired communication. For this reason, various proposals for preventing communication errors in wireless communication as much as possible have been made.

  For example, in (Patent Document 1), when performing radio transmission by defining a frame period of a predetermined time, a specific transmission area reserved in advance within the frame period is used for information transmission between designated communication stations. When the specified transmission area arrives in a specific frame period, and it is determined that some information transmission is performed by another communication network, the communication station specified in the corresponding reserved transmission area There has been proposed a wireless transmission method (hereinafter, this method is referred to as “wireless transmission method A”) in which information is not transmitted between them. According to this wireless transmission method A, even if a plurality of wireless communication networks (wireless LANs) are constructed in a state where they can interfere with each other, it is possible to avoid occurrence of communication errors due to interference.

  In (Patent Document 1), when wireless transmission is performed by defining a frame period of a predetermined time, the first transmission reserved for information transmission between information stations designated in advance within the frame period. There has also been proposed a wireless transmission method (hereinafter, this method is referred to as “wireless transmission method B”) provided with a region and a second transmission region that is used without reservation between all communication stations in the network. .

  FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a frame configuration in the conventional radio transmission method B. In the figure, 800 indicates one frame, and # 0 to # 15 indicate time slots. In the frame configuration shown in the figure, one frame 800 is divided into 16 time slots # 0 to # 15, the time slot # 0 is used as the management information transmission area 710, and the remaining time slots # 1 to ## are used. 15 is used as the media information transmission amount area 740. The time slots # 1 to # 10 after the time slots # 1 to # 15 used as the media information transmission amount area 740 are defined as the first information transmission area 720, and the time slots # 11 to # 15 are described above. It is defined as a second information transmission area 730.

By adopting such a frame configuration, even when there is data that could not be transmitted for some reason in the first transmission area, it is possible to retry transmission of the data in the second transmission area. Therefore, according to the description in (Patent Document 1), efficient data transmission can be performed.
JP 2000-307601 A

  Today, the number of terminals accommodated in a wireless communication system such as a wireless LAN tends to increase, and transmission / reception of large-capacity data such as voice data and image data is frequently performed. As the number of terminals accommodated in a wireless communication system increases, it becomes more difficult to transmit data in real time. However, especially for audio data and image data, the number of accommodated terminals is set so that a reproduced image or sound is not intermittent. Real-time transmission is desired regardless of the number. Even in a wireless communication system having a large number of accommodated terminals, it is necessary to improve the data throughput of the entire system as much as possible in order to transmit a large amount of data in real time.

  Both the wireless transmission method A and the wireless transmission method B described above are considered to be useful from the viewpoint of avoiding communication errors. However, from the viewpoint of improving data throughput in the entire wireless communication system, it is not always necessary. It is not useful.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a management terminal, a communication terminal, and a wireless communication system that can easily improve data throughput in the entire system.

  The management terminal of the present invention that solves the above problems accommodates a plurality of communication terminals, intervenes in wireless communication between the plurality of communication terminals, a communication environment determination unit that determines the quality of the communication environment, When the communication environment determining unit determines that the communication environment is not good, a physical layer frame having one data link layer packet as a payload is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal, and the communication environment determining unit determines that the communication environment is good. A transmission control unit that forms a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets as payloads and transmits the physical layer frame to the communication terminal.

  Since this management terminal includes the above-described communication environment determination unit and transmission control unit, it is possible to suppress a decrease in transmission efficiency due to a communication error when the communication environment is not good, and physical layer data (when the communication environment is good) Packet body) transmission efficiency can be increased. As a result, it becomes easy to improve the data throughput in the entire wireless communication system.

  The communication terminal of the present invention that solves the above-mentioned problem is one that performs wireless communication with another communication terminal via the management terminal, and includes a communication environment determination unit that determines the quality of the communication environment, and the communication environment determination unit. When it is determined that the communication environment is not good, a physical layer frame having one data link layer packet as a payload is formed and transmitted to the management terminal, and the communication environment determination unit determines that the communication environment is good In some cases, a transmission control unit is provided that forms a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets as payloads and transmits the physical layer frame to a management terminal.

  Since this communication terminal includes the above-described communication environment determination unit and transmission control unit, the transmission efficiency of physical layer data (packet body) is increased when the communication environment is good, as in the management terminal of the present invention. When the communication environment is not good, it is possible to suppress a decrease in transmission efficiency due to a communication error. As a result, it becomes easy to improve the data throughput in the entire wireless communication system.

  A wireless communication system of the present invention that solves the above problems includes a management terminal and a plurality of communication terminals that are wirelessly connected to the management terminal, and performs wireless communication between the communication terminals via the management terminal, When the management terminal determines that the communication environment is not good by the first communication environment determination unit that determines whether the communication environment is good or not, the physical layer frame having one data link layer packet as a payload Is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal. When the communication environment determination unit determines that the communication environment is good, a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets as payloads is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal. The communication terminal includes a second communication environment determination unit that determines whether the communication environment is good and the communication environment determination unit has a good communication environment. When the communication environment determination unit determines that the communication environment is good, a physical layer frame having one data link layer packet as a payload is formed and transmitted to the management terminal. And a second transmission control unit that forms a physical layer frame having a layer packet as a payload and transmits the frame to the management terminal.

  In the wireless communication system of the present invention, the management terminal includes the first communication environment determination unit and the first transmission control unit, and the communication terminal includes the second communication environment determination unit and the second transmission control unit. Therefore, similarly to the management terminal or the communication management terminal of the present invention, the transmission efficiency of physical layer data (packet body) can be increased when the communication environment is good, and the transmission efficiency due to a communication error can be improved when the communication environment is not good. The decrease can be suppressed. As a result, it becomes easy to improve data throughput in the entire system.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the management terminal and communication terminal which are easy to improve the data throughput in the whole radio | wireless communications system are obtained. Further, it is possible to obtain a wireless communication system that can easily improve the data throughput of the entire system. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is easy to construct a wireless communication system capable of transmitting a large amount of data in real time even when the number of accommodated terminals is large.

  A first invention related to a management terminal includes a communication environment determination unit that determines whether a communication environment is good or not in a management terminal that accommodates a plurality of communication terminals and intervenes in wireless communication between the plurality of communication terminals, and the communication environment When the determination unit determines that the communication environment is not good, a physical layer frame having one data link layer packet as a payload is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal, and the communication environment determination unit determines that the communication environment is good A transmission control unit that forms a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets as payloads and transmits the frame to a communication terminal.

  In this management terminal, when the communication environment is not good, a physical layer frame having one data link layer packet as a payload is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal, so it is easy to suppress a decrease in transmission efficiency due to a communication error. On the other hand, when the communication environment is good, a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets as payloads is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal. Therefore, data transmission is performed by a physical layer frame having one data link layer packet as a payload. Can reduce the total amount of additional information (preamble and header in the physical layer frame) to be added to the data link layer packet, and increase the transmission efficiency of actual physical layer data (packet body) be able to. As a result, when a wireless communication system is constructed using this management terminal, it becomes easy to improve data throughput in the entire system.

  According to a second aspect of the management terminal, when the communication control unit determines that the communication environment is good, the transmission control unit uses a plurality of data link layer packets to be transmitted to the same communication terminal as a payload. A layer frame is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal. In this management terminal, when the communication environment is good, a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets to be transmitted to the same communication terminal as a payload is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal. Packet body) transmission efficiency can be increased.

  According to a third aspect of the management terminal, when the transmission control unit determines that the communication environment is good by the communication environment determination unit, a plurality of data link layer packets to be transmitted to a plurality of different communication terminals are used as payloads. A physical layer frame is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal. In this management terminal, when the communication environment is good, a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets to be transmitted to a plurality of different communication terminals as payloads is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal. Data (packet body) transmission efficiency can be increased.

  According to a fourth aspect of the management terminal, the communication environment determination unit determines the communication environment based on the radio field intensity of the physical layer frame received from the communication terminal. Since the above-mentioned radio wave intensity is also measured in a conventional wireless communication system, it is possible to suppress the complexity of the configuration of the management terminal by using this to determine the communication environment.

  According to a fifth aspect of the management terminal, the communication environment determination unit determines the communication environment based on the communication error information of the physical layer frame received from the communication terminal. Since the above communication error information is also collected in the conventional wireless communication system, it is possible to suppress the complexity of the configuration of the management terminal by using this to determine the communication environment.

  According to a first aspect of the communication terminal, in a communication terminal that performs wireless communication with another communication terminal via a management terminal, a communication environment determination unit that determines whether the communication environment is good or not, and the communication environment determination unit determines the communication environment. When it is determined that the communication environment is not good, a physical layer frame having one data link layer packet as a payload is formed and transmitted to the management terminal. When the communication environment determination unit determines that the communication environment is good, A transmission control unit that forms a physical layer frame having a data link layer packet as a payload and transmits the frame to a management terminal.

  Since this communication terminal includes the communication environment determination unit and the transmission control unit, when the wireless communication system is constructed using the communication terminal, the communication terminal is described in the description of the first invention related to the management terminal. For the same reason as described above, it becomes easy to improve the data throughput of the entire system.

  According to a second aspect of the communication terminal, the communication environment determination unit determines the communication environment based on the radio field intensity of the physical layer frame received from the management terminal. Since the above-mentioned radio field intensity is also measured in a conventional wireless communication system, it is possible to suppress complication of the configuration of the communication terminal by using this to determine the communication environment.

  In a third aspect of the communication terminal, the communication environment determination unit determines the communication environment based on the communication error information of the physical layer frame received from the management terminal. Since the above communication error information is also collected in the conventional wireless communication system, it is possible to suppress complication of the configuration of the communication terminal by using this to determine the communication environment.

  The present invention related to a wireless communication system includes a management terminal and a plurality of communication terminals that are wirelessly connected to the management terminal. In the wireless communication system that performs wireless communication between the communication terminals via the management terminal, the management terminal includes: A first communication environment determination unit that determines whether the communication environment is good or not, and when the communication environment determination unit determines that the communication environment is not good, forms a physical layer frame with one data link layer packet as a payload. First transmission control for transmitting to a communication terminal and forming a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets as payloads when the communication environment determining unit determines that the communication environment is good. And the communication terminal determines that the communication environment is not good by a second communication environment determination unit that determines whether the communication environment is good or bad. When the communication environment determination unit determines that the communication environment is good, a physical layer frame having one data link layer packet as a payload is formed and transmitted to the management terminal. A second transmission control unit that forms a physical layer frame as a payload and transmits the physical layer frame to the management terminal.

  In this wireless communication system, since the management terminal and the communication terminal each include the communication environment determination unit and the transmission control unit, the description of the first invention related to the management terminal or the first invention related to the communication terminal For the same reason as described above, it is easy to improve the data throughput of the entire system.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication system according to the present invention. In the figure, 100 is a management terminal accommodating a plurality of communication terminals (2 in the illustrated example), 200A and 200B are communication terminals accommodated in the management terminal 100, and 220 is the management terminal 100 and communication terminal. It is a radio communication system configured by 200A and 200B. The management terminal 100 functions as an access point and intervenes in wireless communication between the communication terminal 200A and the communication terminal 200B. Specifically, the management terminal 100 is an electronic device (for example, a household electrical product such as a television) or a router having a function as an access point, and each of the communication terminals 200A and 200B is a mobile phone, personal computer, mobile information. It is a portable electronic device having a wireless communication function, such as a terminal (Personal Digital Assistance).

  Management terminal 100 and communication terminals 200A and 200B transmit data by transmitting and receiving physical layer frames. Here, the “physical layer frame” in this specification is a frame addressed to a physical layer of a connection destination device, and is a physical that is a preamble for adjusting timing synchronization and control information such as a transmission destination address. It means a frame having a layer header and a payload that is actual physical layer data (packet body). The above payload is a data link layer packet addressed to the data link layer of the transmission destination.

  In transmitting data using this physical layer frame, the management terminal 100 and the communication terminals 200A and 200B each judge whether the communication environment with the connection destination device is good or bad, and when the communication environment is not good and the communication environment The structure of the payload in the physical layer frame is changed when the value is good. Therefore, the management terminal 100 and the communication terminals 200A and 200B receive a physical layer frame having a payload structure different from that of the communication environment determination unit that determines whether the communication environment is good or not when receiving the physical layer frame from the connected device. And a transmission control unit that transmits them separately.

  Here, the communication terminal 200A and the communication terminal 200B can basically have a common configuration. The configuration of the management terminal 100 can be the same as that of each of the communication terminals 200A and 200B except for the management function as an access point and a management terminal. Hereinafter, configurations of the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200A will be described. Since the configuration of the communication terminal 200B is common to the configuration of the communication terminal 200A, the description thereof is omitted here.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram schematically showing an example of the management terminal 100 shown in FIG. In the figure, 20 is a transmission / reception unit, 40 is a data conversion unit that performs various processing based on the physical layer frame received by the transmission / reception unit 20 and forms a physical layer frame transmitted from the transmission / reception unit 20, and 60 is a data conversion unit. A central processing control unit for controlling the operation of 40, a storage unit for temporarily storing data to be transmitted or received as necessary, and an input / output unit for controlling input and output of data and the like.

  The transmission / reception unit 20 includes an antenna 10, and transmits / receives a physical layer frame via the antenna 10. As a transmission method of the physical layer frame, for example, a transmission method using a multicarrier signal called an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex) method is applied. For transmission and reception, for example, 2.4 GHz band or 5 GHz A radio band such as a band is used.

  The data conversion unit 40 determines a beacon frame generation unit 31 that generates a beacon frame, and a communication band determination that estimates whether or not there is a margin of a used communication band from the number of communication terminals participating in the wireless communication system 220 (see FIG. 1). Unit 33, communication environment determination unit 35 that determines the quality of the communication environment based on the received physical layer frame, frame processing unit 37 that extracts the contents of the physical layer header in the received physical layer frame, and transmission A frame forming unit 39 for forming a physical layer frame.

  The central processing control unit 60 controls operations of the data conversion unit 40, the storage unit 70, and the input / output unit 80. In the storage unit 70, data to be transmitted or received data is temporarily stored as necessary. The input / output unit 80 is connected to an external network system by, for example, a wire, and functions as an interface for transmitting data to the network system or transmitting data from the network system.

  When the physical layer frame other than the beacon frame is transmitted by the management terminal 100, the central processing control unit 60 performs the data conversion unit 40 based on the contents of the physical layer header in the physical layer frame transmitted from the communication terminal 200A or 200B. The frame forming unit 39 of the data converting unit 40 forms a predetermined physical layer frame, and the physical layer frame is sent to the transmitting / receiving unit 20 and transmitted via the antenna 10. At this time, the communication environment determination unit 35 determines the quality of the communication environment based on the physical layer frame transmitted from the communication terminal 200A or 200B, and frame formation is performed based on the determination result and the type of data to be transmitted. The configuration of the physical layer frame to be formed by the unit 39 is determined. The transmission / reception unit 20, the frame forming unit 39, and the central processing control unit 60 constitute a “transmission control unit” in the present invention. Details of the configuration of the physical layer frame will be described later with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram schematically showing an example of the communication terminal 200A shown in FIG. In the same figure, 120 is a transmission / reception unit, 140 is a data conversion that performs various processes based on physical layer frames (including beacon frames) received by the transmission / reception unit 120 and forms a physical layer frame transmitted from the transmission / reception unit 120. , 160 is a central processing control unit that controls the operation of the data conversion unit 140, 170 is a storage unit that temporarily stores data to be transmitted or received as necessary, and 180 is an input or output unit for data or the like Input / output unit.

  The transmission / reception unit 120 includes an antenna 110, and transmits / receives a physical layer frame via the antenna 110. As a transmission method of the physical layer frame, for example, the same transmission method as the transmission method in the management terminal 100 can be applied, and a wireless band such as a 2.4 GHz band or a 5 GHz band is used for transmission and reception.

  The data converter 140 includes a beacon frame determination unit 131 that determines whether or not the received physical layer frame is a beacon frame, and a wireless communication system 220 (see FIG. 1) when the received physical layer frame is a beacon frame. ) A communication band determining unit 133 that estimates whether or not there is a margin of the used communication band from the number of communication terminals participating in the communication terminal; a communication environment determining unit 135 that determines whether the communication environment is good or not based on the received physical layer frame; The frame processing unit 137 extracts a packet body (user data) from the received physical layer frame, and the frame forming unit 139 forms a physical layer frame to be transmitted.

  Central processing control unit 160 controls operations of data conversion unit 140, storage unit 170, and input / output unit 180. Data to be transmitted or received data is temporarily stored in the storage unit 170 as necessary. The input / output unit 180 is used by the user of the communication terminal 200A to input data and the like, and outputs the received data in a form that can be perceived by the user.

  When the physical layer frame is transmitted by the communication terminal 200A, the central processing control unit 160 is based on the data input from the input / output unit 180, the contents of the physical layer header in the physical layer frame received by the transmission / reception unit 120, and the like. Controls the operation of the data conversion unit 140, a predetermined physical layer frame is formed by the frame formation unit 139 of the data conversion unit 140, and this physical layer frame is sent to the transmission / reception unit 120 and transmitted via the antenna 110. Is done. When any physical layer frame has been transmitted in advance from the management terminal 100 (see FIG. 1), the communication environment determination unit 135 determines the quality of the communication environment based on the physical layer frame, and the determination result and the physical to be transmitted Based on the type of the layer frame, the frame forming unit 139 determines what configuration of the physical layer frame is to be formed. The transmission / reception unit 120, the frame formation unit 139, and the central processing control unit 160 constitute a “transmission control unit” in the present invention. Details of the configuration of the physical layer frame will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The physical layer frames transmitted and received between the management terminal 100 having the above-described configuration and the communication terminals 200A and 200B are roughly classified into two types according to the determination results in the communication environment determination units 35 and 135. That is, a physical layer frame transmitted and received when the communication environment determining units 35 and 135 determine that the communication environment is not good is a physical layer frame (hereinafter referred to as a “standard frame”) having one data link layer packet as a payload. ), And a physical layer frame transmitted and received when the communication environment determining units 35 and 135 determine that the communication environment is good is a physical layer frame (hereinafter referred to as “the data layer layer packet”) having a plurality of data link layer packets as payloads. "Composite frame").

  FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the relationship between the configuration of the standard frame and the configuration of the composite frame. In the figure, reference numeral 250 denotes a first standard frame, and 248 denotes a payload in the first standard frame 250. Reference numeral 260 denotes a second standard frame, and reference numeral 258 denotes a payload in the second standard frame 260. Reference numeral 270 denotes a composite frame, and reference numeral 268 denotes a payload in the composite frame 270.

  As shown in the figure, the first standard frame 250 has a configuration in which a preamble 242, a physical layer header 244, and a payload 248 that is a data link layer packet are connected in this order. In the payload 248, a data link layer header 245 indicating a destination address and a source address in the data link layer, a packet body 246 that is user data, and an FCS (Frame Check) for checking whether the received data is correct or not. (Sequence) 247 are connected in this order from the physical layer header 244 side.

  Similar to the first standard frame 250, the second standard frame 260 has a configuration in which a preamble 252, a physical layer header 254, and a payload 258 that is a data link layer packet are connected in this order. The data link layer header 255, the packet body 256, and the FCS 257 are connected in this order from the physical layer header 254 side.

  The composite frame 270 has a configuration in which the preamble 262, the physical layer header 264, and the payload 268 are connected in this order as in the standard frames 250 and 260. In the payload 268, the first standard is used. The payload 248 in the frame 250 and the payload 258 in the second standard frame 260 are connected in this order from the physical layer header 264 side. That is, the payload 268 in the composite frame 270 is obtained by integrating the payload 248 in the first standard frame 250 and the payload 258 in the second standard frame 260. Therefore, the composite frame 270 uses two data link layer packets (payload 248 and payload 258) as the payload 268.

  Each of the preambles 242, 252, 262, the physical layer headers 244, 254, 264, and the FCSs 247, 257 in the standard frames 250, 260 and the composite frame 270 are the management terminal 100 or the communication terminals 200A, 200B. This is additional information that is deleted in the upper layer after being received by the user. By using a plurality of data link layer packets as one payload 268 as in the composite frame 270, it is possible to reduce the total amount of additional information necessary for data transmission / reception. As a result, it is easy to improve the data throughput of the entire wireless communication system 220 (see FIG. 1).

  Note that the composite frame 270 shown in FIG. 4 has two data link layer packets (payloads 248 and 258) as the payload 268 as described above, but there are three “composite frames” in the present invention. The above desired number of data link layer packets may be used as a payload. Further, each data link layer packet constituting the payload of the composite frame may be transmitted to the same communication terminal, or may be transmitted to a plurality of different communication terminals. Hereinafter, a composite frame having a plurality of data link layer packets to be transmitted to the same communication terminal as a payload is referred to as “composite frame I”, and a composite frame having a plurality of data link layer packets to be transmitted to a plurality of different communication terminals as payloads. Is sometimes referred to as “composite frame II”.

  When communication is performed using the composite frame II, the data throughput in the entire wireless communication system can be further improved. However, in transmitting / receiving the composite frame II, in order to reduce the probability of occurrence of a communication error, the communication terminal and the management terminal of each of the plurality of data link layer packets included in the payload of the composite frame II, It is preferable to make the communication frequency of the same. The composite frame II is preferably transmitted and received when the communication environment is better than when the composite frame I is transmitted and received.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart schematically showing an example of processing in the communication band determining units 33 and 133 and the frame forming units 39 and 139 in the management terminal 100 or the communication terminals 200A and 200B having the above-described configuration.

  In the example shown in the figure, step S11 is a step in which the communication band determining units 33 and 133 determine whether or not there is a margin in the communication band. This determination is performed by the communication terminal connected to the management terminal 100. Done based on the number. If it is determined that there is a margin in the communication band, the process proceeds to step S12. If it is determined that there is no margin, the process proceeds to step S13.

  Step S12 is a step of forming a standard frame, and the standard frame formed here is transferred to the transmission / reception units 20 and 120 in step S17 described later. Step S13 is a step for determining whether or not the communication environment is good. When it is determined that the communication environment is not good, the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, when it is determined that the communication environment is good, the process proceeds to step S14.

  Step S14 is a step of determining whether or not the communication environment is better. If it is determined in step S14 that the communication environment is not better, the process proceeds to step S15 to form the composite frame I described above. The composite frame I is transferred to the transmission / reception units 20 and 120 in step S17 described later.

  If it is determined in step S14 that the communication environment is better, the process proceeds to step S16 to form the composite frame II described above. The composite frame II is transferred to the transmission / reception units 20 and 120 in step S17.

  Step S17 is a step of transferring the standard frame formed in step S12, the composite frame I formed in step S15, or the composite frame II formed in step S16 to the transmission / reception unit 20 or 120. The standard frame, composite frame I, or composite frame II transferred from the frame forming units 39, 139 to the transmission / reception units 20, 120 is transmitted from the transmission / reception units 20, 120 via the antennas 10, 110. In actual data transmission, only the standard frame is used when the communication environment is not good, and the standard frame and the composite frame I are often used together when the communication environment is good. When the communication environment is even better, the standard frame, composite frame I, and composite frame II are used in combination.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a communication procedure performed when data is transmitted from the communication terminals 200A and 200B to the management terminal 100 when the communication environment is not good.

As shown in the figure, in the transmission of data from the communication terminal 200A to the management terminal 100, after the connection between the communication terminal 200A and the management terminal 100 is established, the communication terminal 200A sends the data transmission frame Fds ₁ to the management terminal 100. Done by sending. The management terminal 100 that has received the data transmission frame Fds ₁ transmits a response frame Fac ₁ to the communication terminal 200A. When receiving the response frame Fac ₁ , the communication terminal 200A disconnects from the management terminal 100.

Establishing a connection between the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200A when authentication, confirmation, or the like is required is performed by, for example, the control frame Fc ₁ necessary for the management terminal 100 to authenticate or confirm the communication terminal 200A as shown in FIG. The communication terminal 200A transmits a response frame Frp ₁ to the control frame Fc ₁ to the management terminal 100, and the management terminal 100 that has received the response frame Frp ₁ transmits a data request frame Fdr ₁ to the communication terminal 200A. Made by doing. The exchange of the control frame Fc ₁ and the response frame Frp ₁ is performed once in FIG. 6, but may be performed twice or more times. In the process of performing this frame exchange, the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200A can each determine the communication environment based on the received frame (physical layer frame).

The establishment of connection between the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200A when authentication, confirmation, or the like is not necessary is performed by, for example, the communication terminal 200A receiving a beacon periodically issued by the management terminal 100 managing the connection request frame. The management terminal 100 that has transmitted to the terminal 100 and received this connection request frame transmits the data request frame Fdr ₁ to the communication terminal 200A. In the process of exchanging these frames, the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200A can determine the communication environment based on the received frame (physical layer frame).

  Data transmission from the communication terminal 200B to the management terminal 100 when the communication environment is not good is also performed by the same communication procedure as described above. In FIG. 6, the numerical part of the reference code attached to each frame transmitted and received between the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200 </ b> A as the reference code of each frame transmitted and received between the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200 </ b> B. The reference numerals are changed from “1” to “2”.

  Regardless of whether data is transmitted from either of the communication terminals 200A and 200B to the management terminal 100, all physical layer frames transmitted and received when the communication environment is not good are payloads by standard frames, that is, one packet (data link layer packet). Is a frame formed. Transmission of data by transmission / reception of such standard frames is generally performed in a wireless communication system that transmits data by packet communication.

  On the other hand, when the communication environment is good, the management terminal 100 and the communication terminals 200A and 200B form composite frames as described above, and transmit and receive data by transmitting and receiving the composite frames. Hereinafter, a communication procedure when data is transmitted using a composite frame and a standard frame when the communication environment is good will be described with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a communication procedure in which the communication procedure illustrated in FIG. 6 is simplified by using the composite frame I and the standard frame together.

As shown in the figure, for transmission of data from the communication terminal 200A to the management terminal 100, the composite terminal CF ₁ is transmitted from the management terminal 100 to the communication terminal 200A, and the communication terminal 200A receiving the composite frame CF ₁ receives the management terminal 100. performed by transmitting the combined frame CF ₂ in. The management terminal 100 that has received the composite frame CF ₂ transmits a response frame Fac ₁ that is a standard frame to the communication terminal 200A. When receiving the response frame Fac ₁ , the communication terminal 200A disconnects from the management terminal 100.

Here, the composite frame CF ₁ includes the payload (data link layer packet) in the control frame Fc ₁ shown in FIG. 6 and the payload (data link layer packet) in the data request frame Fdr ₁ shown in FIG. Is a composite frame I having a payload of Also, the composite frame CF ₂ includes the payload (data link layer packet) in the response frame Frp ₁ shown in FIG. 6 and the payload (data link layer packet) in the data transmission frame Fds ₁ shown in FIG. Is a composite frame I.

On the other hand, the data transmission from the communication terminal 200B to the management terminal 100 is performed in the same communication procedure as the data transmission from the communication terminal 200A to the management terminal 100, as shown in FIG. The composite frame CF ₅ shown in FIG. 6 includes the payload (data link layer packet) in the control frame Fc ₂ shown in FIG. 6, and the payload (data link layer packet) in the data request frame Fdr ₂ shown in FIG. Is a composite frame I having the payload as the payload. Further, the composite frame CF ₆ includes the payload (data link layer packet) in the response frame Frp ₂ shown in FIG. 6 and the payload (data link layer packet) in the data transmission frame Fds ₂ shown in FIG. Is a composite frame I. The management terminal 100 that has received the composite frame CF ₆ transmits a response frame Fac ₂ that is a standard frame to the communication terminal 200B, as in the communication procedure shown in FIG. When receiving the response frame Fac ₂ , the communication terminal 200B disconnects from the management terminal 100.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a communication procedure in which the communication procedure illustrated in FIG. 6 is further simplified by using the composite frame I, the composite frame II, and the standard frame together.

As illustrated, data transmission from the communication terminal 200A to the management terminal 100 is performed after the composite frame CF ₁ is transmitted from the management terminal 100 to the communication terminal 200A in the same manner as in the procedure shown in FIG. The communication terminal 200A that has received the frame CF ₁ transmits the composite frame CF ₂ to the management terminal 100. The management terminal 100 that has received the composite frame CF ₂ then transmits the composite frame CF ₁₀ to the communication terminal 200A and the communication terminal 200B.

Here, the composite frame CF ₁₀ includes the payload in the response frame Fac ₁ shown in FIG. 6, the payload in the control frame Fc ₂ shown in FIG. 6, and the payload in the data request frame Fdr ₂ shown in FIG. Is a composite frame II having a payload of That is, the composite frame CF ₁₀ has three data link layer packets as payloads. One of these three data link layer packets is transmitted to the communication terminal 200A, and the remaining two are transmitted to the communication terminal 200B.

Communication terminal 200A which receives the combined frame CF ₁₀ is cut off the connection with the management terminal 100, the communication terminal 200B that has received the combined frame CF ₁₀ is a combined frame CF ₆ As in communication procedure shown in FIG. 6 It transmits to the management terminal 100. The management terminal 100 that has received the composite frame CF ₆ from the communication terminal 200B transmits a response frame Fac ₂ that is one of the standard frames to the communication terminal 200B, as in the communication procedure illustrated in FIG. When receiving the response frame Fac ₂ , the communication terminal 200B disconnects from the management terminal 100.

Although not shown in FIG. 8, prior to transmission of the composite frame CF ₁₀ from the management terminal 100 to the communication terminals 200A, 200B, authentication, confirmation, etc. between the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200B Therefore, it is determined that the communication environment is good. The communication speed between the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200B is set to the same speed as the communication speed between the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200A.

  According to the communication procedure shown in FIG. 8, it is possible to omit the guard interval compared to the case where data is transmitted from the communication terminals 200A and 200B to the management terminal 100 in the communication procedure shown in FIG. Further, since the communication speed between the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200B and the communication speed between the management terminal 100 and the communication terminal 200A are set to the same speed, data in the entire wireless communication system 220 (see FIG. 1) is set. The maintenance of throughput and the time management when performing real-time communication are facilitated.

  As described above, if the configuration of the physical layer frame is changed according to the quality of the communication environment between the management terminal 100 and the communication terminals 200A and 200B, the transmission efficiency decreases due to a communication error when the communication environment is not good. When the communication environment is good, it is easy to improve the transmission efficiency of user data (packet body), and the data throughput of the entire wireless communication system 220 (see FIG. 1) can be easily improved.

  Note that the total number of communication terminals in the wireless communication system 220 illustrated in FIG. 1 is 2, but the total number of communication terminals may be 3 or more. As described above, changing the configuration of the physical layer frame according to the communication environment is particularly effective in improving the data throughput of the entire wireless communication system when the number of communication terminals is large and the communication bandwidth is not sufficient. Is. If the data throughput in the entire wireless communication system is improved in this way, it becomes easy to transmit large-capacity data in real time while suppressing deterioration in communication quality even if the number of accommodated terminals is increased. On the other hand, when there is a margin in the communication band, the data throughput of the entire system can be kept high even if transmission / reception is performed only with standard packets regardless of whether the communication environment is good or bad.

  The type of management terminal 100 and communication terminals 200A and 200B that are actually used to configure the wireless communication system 220 can be selected as appropriate according to the function, performance, and the like required for the target wireless communication system 220. An example of the configuration of each of the router that can be used as the management terminal 100 and the mobile phone that can be used as the communication terminals 200A and 200B will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  9 is an external perspective view of an example of a router that can be used as the management terminal 100 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 10 is an external perspective view of the router shown in FIG. is there. 9 and 10, 400 is a router, and 300 is a casing of the router 400.

  As shown in FIG. 9, a display unit 385 configured by combining a predetermined number of light emitting elements 385 a such as a light emitting diode (LED) is provided on the front surface of the housing 300. Also, as shown in FIG. 10, a LAN modular jack 372 made of RJ45, a WAN (Wide Area Network) modular jack 374, and a direct current (DC) power supply connector 390 are provided on the rear surface of the housing 300. ing. If necessary, a modular plug (not shown) of a LAN cable is connected to the LAN modular jack 372, and a WAN modular plug (not shown) is connected to the WAN modular jack 374 as needed. ) Is connected. In addition, a power line 410 such as a parallel cable is connected to the DC power connector 390.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram schematically showing an internal configuration of the router 400 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. In FIG. 11, 320 is a transmission / reception unit, 340 is a data conversion unit, 360 is a central processing control unit, 370 is a storage unit, and 380 is an input / output unit that functions as an interface for connecting to a wired LAN or wired WAN.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the router 400 has a circuit module 305 accommodated in a housing 300 indicated by a solid line in the figure. The circuit module 305 includes (1) an antenna changeover switch 312 and a wireless board 315 constituting the transmission / reception unit 320, (2) a data conversion unit 340, and (3) a main IC 362 (4) on which a central processing control unit 360 is mounted. ) A synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) 365 and a flash ROM (Flash ROM) 367 constituting the storage unit 370, and (4) a part of the input / output unit 380 are mounted.

  The wireless board 315 constituting the transmission / reception unit 320 includes a transmission / reception changeover switch 315a, a low noise amplifier 315b for amplifying a reception signal, a power amplifier 315c for amplifying a transmission signal, modulation to a wireless signal, and a wireless signal And an RF (radio frequency) modulator / demodulator 315d for demodulating the signal. An antenna changeover switch 312 is connected to the transmission / reception changeover switch 315a, and two internal antennas 310a and 310b are connected to the antenna changeover switch 312. In addition, a first oscillator 382 that supplies a clock signal is connected to the wireless board 315.

  The data conversion unit 340 functions as the data conversion unit 40 shown in FIG. 2, and the data conversion unit 340 includes a wireless LAN controller 340a. The wireless LAN controller 340a includes a MAC block 330a that controls a MAC block, and a PHY block 330b that controls a physical layer (Physical Layer). The MAC block 330a is connected to a PCI unit 357 described later, and the PHY block 330b is connected to the MAC block 330a. The PHY block 330b is also connected to a radio frequency modulator / demodulator 315d constituting the transmission / reception unit 320.

  The central processing control unit 360 controls a central processing unit (CPU) 351, a bus control unit (BCU) 353 that controls the flow of data on the bus, and a MAC block 2 There are two MAC blocks 355a and 355b, a PCI unit 357 for controlling a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus, a main bus 359a, and a local bus 359b, which are mounted on the main IC 362.

  The CPU 351, the bus control unit 353, the MAC blocks 355a and 355b, and the PCI unit 357 are all connected to the local bus 359b. The CPU 351 and the bus control unit 353 are connected to the storage unit 370 (synchronous DRAM 365 and flash ROM 367) via the main bus 359a. Further, each of the MAC blocks 355a and 355b is connected to a physical layer IC in an input / output unit 380 described later, and the PCI unit 357 is also connected to a MAC block 330a of the data conversion unit 340 (wireless LAN controller 340a). Yes.

  The input / output unit 380 performs data input / output via a LAN or WAN as necessary, and is connected to the LAN modular jack 372 and is connected to the LAN modular jack 372 to control the physical layer. PHY (first physical layer) IC 376a, WAN modular jack 374, and PHY (second physical layer) IC 376b connected to the WAN modular jack 374 to control the physical layer Have. Each of the first physical layer IC 376a and the second physical layer IC 376b constitutes a circuit module 305.

  In the circuit module 305, the light emitting element 385a constituting the display unit 385, the second oscillator 387 for supplying a clock signal to the central processing control unit 360, and an initialization signal to the central processing control unit 360 are sent. A reset IC 389 to be supplied and a DC-DC converter 395 for converting a DC voltage supplied via a DC power supply connector 390 into a DC voltage having a predetermined height are also mounted. The light emitting element 385a, the second oscillator 387, and the reset IC 389 are each connected to the local bus 359b, and the DC-DC converter 395 supplies a DC voltage to various elements in the circuit module 305.

  The router 400 having such a configuration includes a transmission / reception unit 320 corresponding to the transmission / reception unit 20 shown in FIG. 2, a data conversion unit 340 corresponding to the data conversion unit 40 shown in FIG. 2, and the central processing control shown in FIG. A central processing control unit 360 corresponding to the unit 60, a storage unit 370 corresponding to the storage unit 70 shown in the figure, and an input / output unit 380 corresponding to the input / output unit 80 shown in the figure. The transmission / reception unit 320, the MAC block 330a in the data conversion unit 340, and the central processing control unit 360 constitute a transmission control unit in the present invention. Therefore, the router 400 can be used as the management terminal 100 shown in FIG.

  FIG. 12 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a mobile phone that can be used as communication terminal 200A or 200B shown in FIG. In FIG. 12, reference numeral 500 denotes a housing, and 510a denotes an external antenna that constitutes a transmission / reception unit. Reference numeral 571a denotes a mouthpiece in a transmitter constituting the input / output unit, reference numeral 572a denotes a earpiece in a receiver constituting the input / output unit, and reference numeral 573 denotes a key forming the input / output unit formed by a plurality of button switches. A matrix 574 is a display device constituting the input / output unit. Reference numeral 600 denotes a mobile phone including the casing 500, the external antenna 510a, the mouthpiece 571a, the earpiece 572a, the key matrix 573, and the display device 574. The display device 574 is configured by a liquid crystal display device, an organic electroluminescence display device, or the like, and displays information input by the key matrix 573, received information, and the like.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram schematically showing an internal configuration of the mobile phone 600 shown in FIG. In FIG. 13, reference numeral 520 denotes a transmission / reception unit, 540 denotes a data conversion unit, 560a denotes a central processing unit (CPU) that functions as a central processing control unit, and 570 denotes a storage unit.

  As shown in the figure, the mobile phone 600 has a circuit module 505 accommodated in a housing 500 indicated by a solid line in FIG. The circuit module 505 includes a baseband IC (IC; Integrated Circuit) on which (1) an antenna changeover switch 512 and a wireless board 515 constituting the transmission / reception unit 520, and (2) a data conversion unit 540 and a central processing control unit 560a are mounted. 562, (3) Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) 565 and flash ROM (Flash ROM) 567 constituting the storage unit 570, (4) Key matrix 573 and display device 574 constituting the input / output unit, and (5) A power supply circuit unit 590 is mounted.

  The wireless board 515 includes a transmission / reception changeover switch 515a, a low noise amplifier 515b that amplifies a reception signal, a power amplifier 515c that amplifies a transmission signal, and an RF (wireless) that modulates a radio signal and demodulates the radio signal. Frequency) modem 515d. The antenna changeover switch 512 is connected to the transmission / reception changeover switch 515a, and the antenna changeover switch 512 is connected to the external antenna 510a and the internal antenna 510b. The wireless board 515 is connected to a first oscillator 592 that supplies a clock signal.

  The baseband IC 562 is equipped with a data converter 540 having a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) block 530a that performs voice processing and a wireless MAC block 530b that controls a MAC (Media Access Control) layer in the wireless communication system. Furthermore, a central processing unit 560a that functions as a central processing control unit is also mounted. The wireless MAC block 530b in the data conversion unit 540 serves as the beacon frame determination unit 131, the communication band determination unit 133, the communication environment determination unit 135, the frame processing unit 137, and the frame formation unit 139 shown in FIG. Eggplant.

  The VoIP block 530a and the central processing unit 560a are connected to the first amplifier 576 for amplifying the signal from the transmitter 571 and the second amplifier 577 for amplifying the signal to the receiver 572, respectively, via the local bus 552. ing. The VoIP block 530a, the wireless MAC block 530b, and the central processing unit 560a are connected to the synchronous DRAM 565 and the flash ROM 567 via the main bus 554. A power supply control IC 578 for controlling the power supply of the display device 574 such as a liquid crystal display is also connected to the local bus 552.

  The power supply circuit unit 590 includes a battery 581, a DC-DC converter 583 that converts a direct current (DC) voltage from the battery 581 into a predetermined direct current voltage, and a power supply booster circuit 585 for the display device 574. . The DC-DC converter 583 is connected to the battery 581 via the diode 587, and the power boosting circuit 585 is directly connected to the battery 581. The DC-DC converter 563 is connected to the central processing unit 560a and the VoIP block 530a via the local bus 552 described above, and the power boosting circuit 585 is connected to the display device 574 via a local bus (not shown). It is connected to a power supply control IC 578 that controls the power supply.

  The battery 581 is also connected to a reset IC 594 that outputs an initialization signal to the baseband IC 562. The reset IC 594 is connected to the central processing unit 560a and the VoIP block 530a via the local bus 552. Yes.

  The antenna changeover switch 512, the wireless substrate 515 (RF modulator / demodulator 515d), the key matrix 573, the display device 574, and the power supply circuit unit 590 are connected to the baseband IC 562, and the baseband IC 562 includes the baseband IC 562. A second oscillator 596 that supplies a clock signal to the IC 562 is also connected.

  The mobile phone 600 having such a configuration includes a transmission / reception unit 520 corresponding to the transmission / reception unit 120 shown in FIG. 3, a data conversion unit 540 corresponding to the data conversion unit 140 shown in FIG. 3, and the central processing shown in FIG. A central processing unit 560b corresponding to the control unit 160 and a storage unit 570 corresponding to the storage unit 170 shown in FIG. The transmission / reception unit 520, the wireless MAC block 530b in the data conversion unit 540, and the central processing unit 560a constitute a transmission control unit in the present invention. Therefore, the mobile phone 600 can be used as the communication terminal 200A or 200B shown in FIG. The transmitter 571, the receiver 572, the key matrix 573, and the display device 574 shown in FIG. 13 constitute an input / output unit, and this input / output unit corresponds to the input / output unit 180 shown in FIG. To do.

(Embodiment 2)
In this embodiment, the quality of the communication environment is determined based on the received signal strength of the physical layer frame (RSSI; Received Signal Strength Indicator), and the configuration of the physical layer frame to be transmitted and received is changed according to the determination result. The judgment of the quality of the communication environment in each of the management terminal 100 and the communication terminals 200A and 200B is performed by, for example, experimentally determining in advance a relationship between the radio wave intensity of the received physical layer frame and the communication error rate, and setting a reference value. This is done by comparing the magnitude relationship between the reference value and the actual radio wave intensity (RSSI).

  FIG. 14 schematically shows an example of processing when determining whether the communication environment is good or bad based on the radio field strength (RSSI) of the received physical layer frame, and forming and transmitting a standard frame or a composite frame according to the determination result. It is a flowchart to show. As is clear from the comparison with FIG. 5, the procedure shown in FIG. 5 is changed from step S13 shown in FIG. 5 to a new step S13a, and step S14 shown in FIG. 5 is changed to a new step S14a. The procedure is the same as that shown in FIG. About each step except step S13a and step S14a, the same referential mark as the referential mark used in FIG. 5 is attached | subjected, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In step S13a shown in FIG. 14, the received radio wave strength (RSSI) of the physical layer frame is compared with a predetermined first reference value, and when the RSSI is smaller than the first reference value, that is, the communication environment is good. If not, the process proceeds to step S12 as in the process shown in FIG. 5, where a standard frame is formed. Further, when the RSSI is equal to or higher than the first reference value, that is, when the communication environment is good, the process proceeds to step S14a.

  In step S14a, the RSSI is compared with a second reference value having a value larger than the first reference value. When the reception error rate is smaller than the second reference value, that is, the communication environment is better. If not, the process proceeds to step S15 as in the process shown in FIG. 5, where the composite frame I is formed. When the RSSI is equal to or greater than the second reference value, that is, when the communication environment is even better, the process proceeds to step S16 as in the process shown in FIG. 5, where a composite frame II is formed.

  By judging whether the communication environment is good or not and transmitting / receiving standard frames or composite frames based on the result, it is easy to suppress a decrease in transmission efficiency due to a communication error when the communication environment is not good, and the communication environment is good. In this case, it becomes easy to improve the transmission efficiency of user data (packet body). As a result, it becomes easy to improve the data throughput in the entire wireless communication system.

(Embodiment 3)
In the second embodiment described above, the quality of the communication environment is determined based on the radio field intensity (RSSI) of the received physical layer frame. However, the quality of the communication environment in the wireless communication system and the wireless communication device of the present invention is determined. Can also be performed based on error information about the received physical layer frame, such as a reception error rate or the number of reception errors.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an example of processing when determining whether the communication environment is good or bad based on error information in the received physical layer frame, and forming and transmitting a standard frame or a composite frame according to the determination result. It is. As is clear from the comparison with FIG. 5, the procedure shown in FIG. 5 is changed from step S13 shown in FIG. 5 to a new step S13b, and step S14 shown in FIG. 5 is changed to a new step S14b. The procedure is the same as that shown in FIG. About each step except step S13b and step S14b, the same referential mark as the referential mark used in FIG. 5 is attached | subjected, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Step S13b shown in FIG. 15 compares the reception error rate in the received physical layer frame with a predetermined first reference value, and when the reception error rate is larger than the first reference value, that is, the communication environment is If it is not good, the process proceeds to step S12 as in the process shown in FIG. 5, and a standard frame is formed here. When the reception error rate is equal to or lower than the first reference value, that is, when the communication environment is good, the process proceeds to step S14b.

  In step S14b, the second reference value having a smaller value than the first reference value is compared with the reception error rate, and when the reception error rate is larger than the second reference value, that is, the communication environment is further improved. If not, the process proceeds to step S15 as in the process shown in FIG. 5, and the composite frame I is formed here. When the reception error rate is equal to or lower than the second reference value, that is, when the communication environment is better, the process proceeds to step S16 as in the process shown in FIG. 5, where the composite frame II is formed. .

  By determining whether the communication environment is good or not in this way and transmitting / receiving standard frames or composite frames based on the result, it is easy to suppress a decrease in transmission efficiency due to a communication error when the communication environment is not good. When it is favorable, the transmission efficiency of user data (packet body) is easily improved. As a result, it becomes easy to improve the data throughput in the entire wireless communication system.

  Although the present invention has been specifically described with reference to the three embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the two embodiments described above, and various modifications, modifications, combinations, and the like are possible. For example, whether the communication environment is good or bad can be determined based on other management information such as the number of errors in the received physical layer frame in addition to determining based on the received strength or reception error rate of the received physical layer frame. Is possible. The use of the wireless communication system of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, a system for transmitting data such as package media (CD, etc.) in the home, or real-time communication (data communication, digital broadcasting, etc.) And a system for performing bidirectional real-time communication (telephone etc.).

  In the present invention, it is possible to obtain a management terminal, a communication terminal, and a wireless communication system that can easily improve the throughput of the entire system, and it can be used for a wireless communication system and real-time communication.

The block diagram which shows an example of the radio | wireless communications system of this invention Functional block diagram schematically showing an example of the management terminal shown in FIG. Functional block diagram schematically showing an example of the communication terminal shown in FIG. Conceptual diagram for explaining the relationship between the configuration of “standard frame” and the configuration of “composite frame” in the present invention The flowchart which shows roughly an example of the process in the communication environment judgment part and frame formation part which were shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. Schematic diagram showing an example of a communication procedure performed when data is transmitted from the communication terminal shown in FIG. 1 to the management terminal when the communication environment is not good 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a communication procedure in which the communication procedure shown in FIG. 6 is simplified by using the composite frame I and the standard frame together when the communication environment is good. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a communication procedure in which the communication procedure shown in FIG. 6 is further simplified by using the composite frame I, the composite frame II, and the standard frame when the communication environment is better. An external perspective view of an example of a router that can be used as the management terminal shown in FIG. External perspective view of the router shown in FIG. Block diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of the router shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. The perspective view which shows roughly an example of the mobile telephone which can be used as a communication terminal shown in FIG. Block diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of the mobile phone shown in FIG. A flowchart schematically showing an example of processing for determining whether the communication environment is good or bad based on the radio field strength of the received physical layer frame, and forming and transmitting a standard frame or a composite frame according to the determination result A flowchart schematically showing an example of processing when a communication frame is judged based on error information in a received physical layer frame and a standard frame or a composite frame is formed and transmitted according to the judgment result Conceptual diagram showing an example of a frame configuration in a conventional wireless transmission method

Explanation of symbols

35,135 Communication environment determination unit 39,139 Frame forming unit 100 Management terminal 200A, 200B Communication terminal 220 Wireless communication system 248,258 Standard frame payload 250,260 Standard frame 268 Composite frame payload 270 Composite frame 400 Router 600 Mobile phone

Claims (9)

In a management terminal that accommodates multiple communication terminals and intervenes in wireless communication between these multiple communication terminals,
A communication environment determination unit that determines whether the communication environment is good or bad;
When the communication environment determining unit determines that the communication environment is not good, a physical layer frame having one data link layer packet as a payload is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal, and the communication environment determining unit determines that the communication environment is good A transmission control unit that forms a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets as payloads and transmits the frame to a communication terminal;
A management terminal comprising: The transmission control unit forms a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets to be transmitted to the same communication terminal as a payload when the communication environment determining unit determines that the communication environment is good. The management terminal according to claim 1, wherein the management terminal transmits to the management terminal. When the communication environment determining unit determines that the communication environment is good, the transmission control unit forms a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets to be transmitted to a plurality of different communication terminals as payloads. The management terminal according to claim 1, wherein the management terminal transmits to a communication terminal. 4. The management terminal according to claim 1, wherein the communication environment determination unit determines the communication environment based on a radio wave intensity of a physical layer frame received from a communication terminal.   4. The management terminal according to claim 1, wherein the communication environment determination unit determines the communication environment based on communication error information of a physical layer frame received from a communication terminal. In communication terminals that perform wireless communication with other communication terminals via the management terminal,
A communication environment determination unit that determines whether the communication environment is good or bad;
When the communication environment determining unit determines that the communication environment is not good, a physical layer frame having one data link layer packet as a payload is formed and transmitted to the management terminal, and the communication environment determining unit determines that the communication environment is good A transmission control unit that forms a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets as payloads and transmits the physical layer frame to the management terminal;
A communication terminal comprising: The communication terminal according to claim 6, wherein the communication environment determination unit determines the communication environment based on a radio wave intensity of a physical layer frame received from a management terminal.   The management terminal according to claim 6, wherein the communication environment determination unit determines the communication environment based on communication error information of a physical layer frame received from the management terminal. In a wireless communication system comprising a management terminal and a plurality of communication terminals wirelessly connected to the management terminal, and performing wireless communication between the communication terminals via the management terminal,
The management terminal includes a first communication environment determination unit that determines whether the communication environment is good and a physical layer that uses one data link layer packet as a payload when the communication environment determination unit determines that the communication environment is not good. A frame is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal. When the communication environment determination unit determines that the communication environment is good, a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets as payloads is formed and transmitted to the communication terminal. A first transmission control unit,
The communication terminal includes a second communication environment determination unit that determines whether the communication environment is good and a physical layer that uses one data link layer packet as a payload when the communication environment determination unit determines that the communication environment is not good. A frame is formed and transmitted to the management terminal. When the communication environment determination unit determines that the communication environment is good, a physical layer frame having a plurality of data link layer packets as payloads is formed and transmitted to the management terminal. A second transmission control unit,
A wireless communication system.

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