JP3762084B2 - Wireless communication system, wireless communication apparatus, and wireless communication method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a radio communication system and radio communication apparatus, a wireless communication method, in particular, in the communication system dynamically to techniques for configuring a group.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, a spread spectrum communication system has attracted attention as one of digital wireless communication systems. In particular, the spread spectrum technique using the frequency hopping method is becoming more and more popular because its configuration can be realized relatively easily.
[0003]
For example, in a wireless communication system composed of a wireless device serving as a plurality of slave units and a wireless device serving as a master unit for managing each slave unit, wireless transmission of each wireless device is performed by spread spectrum communication using a frequency hopping method. What to do is provided.
[0004]
In such a system, an identification number (hereinafter referred to as ID) unique to each wireless device and an identification number (hereinafter referred to as group ID) unique to the communication system are set. There is known a system in which communication is performed using a group ID in the case of broadcast communication.
[0005]
Further, a plurality of wireless devices in the wireless communication system may have a subgroup identification number (hereinafter referred to as a subgroup ID). In this case, wireless devices having the same subgroup ID constitute a subgroup, and broadcast communication (hereinafter referred to as subgroup communication) within the subgroup can be performed.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above conventional example, since the subgroup ID of each wireless device is set in advance, there is a problem in that any plurality of wireless devices cannot form a new subgroup.
[0007]
An object of the present invention is to enable a group to be formed between arbitrary communication devices when starting group communication in some communication devices in a communication system .
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention , in the wireless communication device, request means for requesting the first communication device to assign group identification information for managing a group formed by a part of the communication devices in the communication system, and the above request for the request based on the assignment of group identification information of the first communication device, whether to join the group communication in the group, and inquiry means for inquiring the second communication device, the second to the inquiry by the inquiry unit A wireless communication device and a wireless communication method, comprising: communication means for performing group communication based on the group identification information with the second communication device in response to a response from the communication device.
[0010]
According to the present invention, in the wireless communication device, request means for requesting the first communication device to assign group identification information for managing a group formed by a part of the communication devices in the communication system, and the request based on the assignment of group identification information according to the first communication device for, whether to join the group communication in the group, and inquiry means for inquiring the second communication device, the first to the inquiry by the inquiry unit depending on the response from the second communication device, the group identification information, a radio communication apparatus and radio communication method characterized by having a notifying means for notifying the second communication device.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a wireless device 11 that performs frequency hopping spread spectrum wireless communication is connected to an information device 10 such as a computer, and wireless communication is performed by a plurality of communication terminal units composed of the information device 10 and the wireless device 11. It has become.
[0012]
Then, one of the wireless devices of each communication terminal unit is a parent device, and the other wireless device is a child device. Therefore, in the following description, it is assumed that the four wireless devices, that is, the wireless device A, the wireless device B, the wireless device C, and the wireless device D that exist in the portion surrounded by the broken line in FIG. Taking the case where the wireless device A is a parent device as an example, the operation when an arbitrary plurality of wireless devices constituting the wireless communication system form a subgroup and perform subgroup communication will be described.
[0013]
Note that the group ID of the wireless communication system described above is 10, the ID of the wireless device A is 01, the ID of the wireless device B is 02, the ID of the wireless device C is 03, and the ID of the wireless device D is 04. Examples of applications using subgroup communication include, for example, a whiteboard-type electronic conference system and a battle game in a game center.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the wireless device 11.
[0015]
In FIG. 1, the information device 10 is connected to the wireless device 11 via the communication i / f unit 206. The communication i / f unit 206 is a communication i / f provided as standard on the information device 10, for example, a communication i / f such as RS232C or Centronics, a personal computer, an internal bus of a workstation, for example, an ISA bus, a PCMCIAi / f, or the like. Are connected.
[0016]
The wireless unit 203 of the wireless device 11 performs wireless communication using the frequency hopping method with the wireless unit of the other wireless device 11.
[0017]
The main control unit 204 includes a CPU, peripheral devices that perform interrupt control, DMA control, and the like, an oscillator for a system clock, and the like, and controls each block in the wireless device.
[0018]
The memory 205 includes a ROM for storing a program used by the main control unit 204, a RAM used as a buffer area for various processes, and the like.
[0019]
The operation of the embodiment to be described later is executed by the main control unit 204 based on a program stored in the memory 205. The present invention executes such a program on a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magneto-optical disk, It may be stored in a CD-ROM or other external storage medium, loaded into the memory 205 by a dedicated reading device, and executed by the main control unit 204. Similarly, a program may be transferred from the information device 10 side, loaded into the memory 205, and executed by the main control unit 204.
[0020]
The terminal control unit 207 manages various types of communication control necessary for data communication between the information device 10 and the wireless device 11 via the communication i / f 206.
[0021]
The channel codec 208 performs frame processing and radio control. Data assembled into a frame by the channel codec 208 is transmitted to another wireless device via the wireless unit 203. The radio frame includes a frame synchronization channel, a logical control channel, a data channel, and the like. Details will be described later.
[0022]
The error correction processing unit 209 is used to reduce bit errors that occur in data by wireless communication. At the time of transmission, an error correction code is inserted into the communication data. At the time of reception, an error position and an error pattern are calculated by arithmetic processing, and a bit error in the received data is corrected.
[0023]
The timer 210 provides a timing signal used by each block in the wireless device 11. The HP storage register 211 stores a moving frequency (hopping pattern).
[0024]
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a channel configuration inside a radio frame used in this embodiment.
[0025]
In the figure, CNT represents a system control channel (hereinafter referred to as a CNT channel), LCCH represents a logical control channel (hereinafter referred to as an LCCH channel), and DATA represents a data channel for bidirectionally exchanging data. . GT indicates a guard channel until the frequency change is completed in order to perform frequency hopping in the next channel, and END indicates a guard channel until the frequency change is completed in order to perform frequency hopping in the next frame.
[0026]
The parent device transmits the CNT channel every time a frame starts, and wireless devices other than the parent device receive the CNT channel and establish bit synchronization and frame synchronization. The LCCH channel is used when exchanging line connection or line disconnection.
[0027]
4 to 6 are flowcharts showing the operation of each wireless device in this embodiment, FIG. 4 is the operation of the wireless device having the subgroup communication management right, FIG. 5 is the operation of other wireless devices, and FIG. Indicates the operation of the base unit.
[0028]
FIG. 7 is a sequence chart showing a procedure at the start of subgroup communication according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a sequence chart showing a procedure at the end of subgroup communication according to the present embodiment.
[0029]
When any one of the wireless devices in the wireless communication system starts subgroup communication, a subgroup ID request is transmitted to the parent device through the LCCH channel. In the illustrated example, a case where the wireless device B requests a subgroup ID from the wireless device A, which is the parent device, is taken as an example (S1, S2).
[0030]
The base unit (wireless device A) that has received this notification (S31) checks the stored group ID, the ID of the wireless device belonging to the wireless communication system, and the already assigned subgroup ID, and does not overlap these numbers. Is selected and assigned to the subgroup ID, this subgroup ID is stored (S32), and the newly assigned subgroup ID is notified on the LCCH channel to the wireless device that has transmitted the start request (S33).
[0031]
In the case of the present embodiment, 01, 02, 03, 04 are used as the IDs of the wireless devices constituting the wireless communication system, and 10 is used as the group ID. Therefore, the master unit assigns, for example, 05 as the subgroup ID. The wireless device B is notified of the subgroup ID through the LCCH channel.
[0032]
The wireless device that has received this notification (S3) thereafter has management rights in subgroup communication (S4). In the case of FIG. 7, the wireless device B has the right to manage subgroup communication.
[0033]
The wireless device that has received the subgroup ID notifies the other wireless devices in the wireless communication system of the start of subgroup communication by broadcast using the group ID in the LCCH channel (S5).
[0034]
The wireless device that has received the subgroup communication start notification (S21) displays this on the display device of the information device to confirm the operator's intention to participate (S22), and participates in the subgroup communication by the operator's response operation. Transmits a subgroup communication participation notification to the wireless device that has transmitted the subgroup start notification on the LCCH channel (S23).
[0035]
In the case of FIG. 7, the wireless device B notifies the start of subgroup communication to other wireless devices using the group ID. Among the wireless devices that have received the subgroup communication start notification, the wireless device A and the wireless device C that participate in the subgroup communication transmit a subgroup communication participation notification to the wireless device B using the LCCH channel.
[0036]
The wireless device that has received the subgroup communication participation notification (S6) stores the ID of the wireless device that has transmitted this notification (S7), and the subgroup ID on the LCCH channel to the wireless device that has transmitted the subgroup communication participation notification. Is notified (S8). Thereafter, subgroup communication is started (S9).
[0037]
The wireless device that has received this subgroup ID notification (S24) stores the subgroup ID and starts subgroup communication (S25).
[0038]
FIG. 7 shows a case where the wireless device A and the wireless device C transmit a subgroup communication participation notification. The wireless device B notifies the wireless device A and the wireless device C of the subgroup ID through the LCCH channel.
[0039]
Thereafter, the subgroup communication is started using the subgroup ID by the three radio apparatuses, the radio apparatus A, the radio apparatus B, and the radio apparatus C.
[0040]
Next, at the end of the subgroup communication (S10), the wireless device having the subgroup communication management right notifies the wireless device in the subgroup of the end of the subgroup communication using the LCCH channel (S11). Then, a subgroup ID release request is transmitted to the parent device through the LCCH channel (S12).
[0041]
The wireless device in the subgroup that has received the notification of the end of the subgroup communication releases the stored subgroup ID and ends the subgroup communication (S26, S27).
[0042]
Upon receiving the subgroup ID release request (S34), the master unit releases the subgroup ID and notifies the subgroup ID release confirmation via the LCCH channel (S35, S36).
[0043]
The wireless device having the subgroup communication management right that has received this subgroup ID release confirmation cancels the registration of the subgroup and releases the subgroup communication management right (S14, S15). finish.
[0044]
In the above-described embodiments, the broadcasts transmitted using the group ID or subgroup ID are described as an example in which each broadcast is transmitted once. However, there may be a wireless device that cannot be received. Depending on the application to be used, the same broadcast may be transmitted multiple times.
[0045]
In the above embodiment, the group ID, the subgroup ID, and the ID are formed using two-digit numbers, but numbers or symbols having other numbers may be used.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since the participation inquiry to the group communication is performed based on the assignment of the group identification information by the other communication device, the group formation in the system in which the group identification information is assigned by the other communication device is efficiently performed. And can be done dynamically. For example, by performing group inquiry after group identification information is assigned by another communication device, rather than making a group participation inquiry before assigning group identification information, group identification information assignment failure, etc. Wasteful processing can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a system configuration in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a wireless device in the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a radio frame used in radio communication in the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of a wireless device having a subgroup communication management right in the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of a radio apparatus having no subgroup communication management right in the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the master unit in the embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a sequence chart showing a procedure at the start of subgroup communication according to the embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a sequence chart showing a procedure at the end of subgroup communication according to the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
10: Information equipment,
11 ... wireless device,
203 ... wireless section,
204 ... main control unit,
205 ... Memory,
206 ... Communication i / f section,
207 ... Terminal control unit,
208: Channel codec,
209 ... error correction processing unit,
210 ... Timer,
211... HP storage register.

Claims (11)

In a wireless communication device ,
Request means for requesting the first communication device to assign group identification information for managing a group formed by some communication devices in the communication system;
Inquiry means for inquiring of the second communication device whether to participate in group communication in the group based on assignment of group identification information by the first communication device to the request ;
Depending on the response from the second communication apparatus to the inquiry by the inquiry unit, the group communication based on the group identification information, and communication means performs with the second communication device;
A wireless communication apparatus comprising: In claim 1 ,
Wireless communication, comprising: notification means for notifying the second communication apparatus of group identification information for managing the group in response to a response from the second communication apparatus to an inquiry by the inquiry means. apparatus. In claim 1 or claim 2 ,
A wireless communication apparatus comprising storage means for storing identification information of the second communication apparatus that has transmitted a response to an inquiry by the inquiry means. In any one of Claims 1-3 ,
The wireless communication apparatus, wherein the communication means performs intra-group broadcast based on the group identification information. In any one of Claims 1-4 ,
The wireless communication device, wherein the group identification information is assigned by a control device of the communication system. In any one of Claims 1-5 ,
The wireless communication apparatus, wherein the group identification information is released when the group communication ends. In a wireless communication device,
Request means for requesting the first communication device to assign group identification information for managing a group formed by some communication devices in the communication system;
Inquiry means for inquiring of the second communication device whether to participate in group communication in the group based on assignment of group identification information by the first communication device to the request ;
Notification means for notifying the second communication device of the group identification information in response to a response from the second communication device to the inquiry by the inquiry means;
A wireless communication apparatus comprising: In claim 7 ,
A wireless communication apparatus comprising storage means for storing identification information of the second communication apparatus that has transmitted a response to an inquiry by the inquiry means. In claim 7 or claim 8 ,
The wireless communication apparatus, wherein the group identification information is released when the group communication ends. In a wireless communication method by a wireless communication device,
A requesting step for requesting the first communication device to assign group identification information for managing a group formed by some communication devices in the communication system;
An inquiry step of inquiring a second communication device whether to participate in group communication in the group based on assignment of group identification information by the first communication device to the request ;
Depending on the response from the second communication apparatus to the inquiry in the inquiring step, the group communication based on the group identification information, and a communication process performed between the second communication device;
A wireless communication method comprising: In a wireless communication method by a wireless communication device,
A requesting step for requesting the first communication device to assign group identification information for managing a group formed by some communication devices in the communication system;
An inquiry step of inquiring a second communication device whether to participate in group communication in the group based on assignment of group identification information by the first communication device to the request ;
A notification step of notifying the second communication device of the group identification information in response to a response from the second communication device to the inquiry in the inquiry step;
A wireless communication method comprising:

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