Communication equipment, information processing equipment, and control methods.

Abstract

Invention details;

Description

Communication device, information processing device, control method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for controlling communications.

[0002] In recent years, with the increase in the amount of data being communicated, the development of communication technologies such as wireless local area networks (LANs) has been progressing. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard series is known as a major communication standard for wireless LANs. The IEEE 802.11 standard series includes standards such as IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be (Patent Document 1).

[0003] For example, the IEEE 802.11be standard considers multi-link communication, in which one access point (AP) establishes multiple links with one station (STA) via multiple different frequency channels and communicates in parallel. The two or more links may be selected from the same frequency band (2.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 4.9 and 5 GHz, or 6 GHz), or may be selected from different frequency bands. APs and STAs that support multi-link are called AP MLDs (multi-link devices) and STA MLDs.

[0004] Furthermore, in the successor standard to IEEE802.11be, a method for improving usability using Multi-Link is being considered.

[0005] For example, there is distributed MIMO technology, which is based on a technology called MIMO (multi-user multi-output), which uses multiple transmitting and receiving antennas at the same time and on the same channel. In distributed MIMO, in an environment where multiple APs and multiple STAs exist, the APs share information about the communication status and the status of each AP, and data is sent from the AP to the STA at the same time. By transmitting cooperatively from multiple APs, the number of spatial streams can be increased compared to the case of a single AP, and improved throughput is expected.

[0006] Another example is a technology called cooperative beamforming. When an AP transmits data to a STA in a basic service set (BSS), it uses an antenna pattern that provides a high antenna gain in the direction of the STA to which the data is to be transmitted and a low antenna gain in the direction of STAs in the BSS of other APs. By setting antenna patterns, adjusting transmission power, and scheduling between multiple APs based on environmental information such as the location of the STAs, interference between BSSs can be reduced.

[0007] Such a communication technique in which multiple APs operate in cooperation is called multi-AP communication, and APs are classified into one CoordinatorAP that manages all APs, and CoordinatedAPs that operate under the management of the CoordinatorAP.

[0008] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-50133

[0009] As described above, when multiple APs cooperate to communicate with a STA, it is necessary for each AP and the STA to communicate with each other at an appropriate transmission power. If each AP or the STA connected to it transmits radio waves based on its own transmission power setting, radio wave interference may occur, resulting in a decrease in communication speed.

[0010] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a method that enables communication with an STA to be performed with appropriate transmission power even when multiple APs communicate in cooperation with each other.

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a communication device according to one aspect of the present invention is a communication device that performs wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, and has a communication means for performing data communication with a station in cooperation with an access point, wherein the communication means transmits a frame to the access point instructing the access point to communicate with the station, and the frame includes information that identifies the access point and information regarding transmission power.

[0012] Even when a plurality of APs communicate with a STA in cooperation with each other, it is possible to perform communication with appropriate transmission power.

[0013] 1 is a diagram showing a network configuration in the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a communication device in the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a communication device in the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing of a communication device 100 in the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of communication devices 104 to 106 in the present invention. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing data transmission by a communication device 100 and communication devices 104 to 106 in the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of a communication device 100 in the present invention. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the processing of a communication device 100 and communication devices 104 to 106 in the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a trigger frame transmitted from a communication device 100 to communication devices 104 to 106 in a first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a trigger frame transmitted from a communication device 100 to communication devices 104 to 106 in a second embodiment.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the configurations shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated configurations.

[0015] (Configuration of Wireless Communication System) Fig. 1 shows the configuration of a network in which a communication device 100 (hereinafter AP100) according to this embodiment participates. Communication devices 107 and 108 (hereinafter STA107 and STA108) are stations (STAs) that play a role in participating in networks 101, 102, and 103. Communication device 109 (hereinafter STA109) is an STA that plays a role in participating in networks 101 and 103. Communication device 104 (hereinafter AP104) is an access point (AP) that plays a role in establishing wireless network 101, communication device 105 (hereinafter AP105) is an AP that plays a role in establishing wireless network 102, and communication device 106 (hereinafter AP106) is an AP that plays a role in establishing wireless network 103. AP 100 functions as a Coordinator AP and can communicate with APs 104 to 106.

[0016] Each of the AP 100, APs 104 to 106, and STAs 107 to 109 is configured to be capable of communicating wireless frames that comply with the successor standard to the IEEE 802.11be standard, which targets a maximum transmission speed of 46.08 Gbps and a successor standard that targets a maximum transmission speed of 90 Gbps to 100 Gbps or more. IEEE stands for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

[0017] This successor standard to 802.11be features support for highly reliable communication, low latency communication, and AP cooperation as its main features. Based on the above, in this embodiment, the successor standard to IEEE 802.11be, which targets a maximum transmission speed of 90 Gbps to 100 Gbps or more, is also referred to as IEEE 802.11UHR (Ultra High Reliability). Furthermore, wireless frames communicated under this successor standard are also referred to as UHR PPDUs. PPDU stands for PLCP Protocol Data Unit, and PLCP stands for Physical Layer Convergence Protocol.

[0018] It should be noted that the names IEEE 802.11UHR and UHR standards are provided for convenience in consideration of the goals to be achieved by the successor standards and the key features of the standards, and may be called different names once the standards are fully formulated. However, it should be noted that this specification and the appended claims are essentially applicable to all successor standards to the 802.11be standard that can support the function of multiple APs cooperating to perform data communication with STAs.

[0019] Each communication device can communicate using frequencies in the 2.4 Hz band, 3.6 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 6 GHz band, and the 45 GHz band and 60 GHz band known as millimeter waves. The frequency bands used by each communication device are not limited to these, and different frequency bands, such as the Sub 1 GHz band, may be used. Furthermore, the AP 100, APs 104-106, and STAs 107-109 can communicate using bandwidths of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, 320 MHz, 540 MHz, 640 MHz, 1080 MHz, and 2160 MHz. The bandwidths used by each communication device are not limited to these, and different bandwidths, such as 240 MHz and 4 MHz, may be used.

[0020] The AP 100, APs 104-106, and STAs 107-109 perform OFDMA communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard, thereby realizing multi-user (MU, Multi-User) communication, which multiplexes signals from multiple users. OFDMA stands for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access. In OFDMA communication, portions of the divided frequency band (RU, Resource Unit) are assigned to each STA so that they do not overlap, and the carrier waves of each STA are orthogonal. Therefore, the AP can communicate with multiple STAs in parallel within a specified bandwidth.

[0021] Although each communication device is described as being compatible with the IEEE 802.11 UHR standard, it may also be compatible with legacy standards that predate the IEEE 802.11 UHR standard. Specifically, each communication device may be compatible with at least one of the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be standards. Furthermore, in addition to the IEEE 802.11 series standards, it may also be compatible with other communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC, UWB, ZigBee, and MBOA. Note that UWB stands for Ultra Wide Band, and MBOA stands for Multi Band OFDM Alliance. Furthermore, NFC stands for Near Field Communication. UWB includes wireless USB, wireless 1394, WiNET, etc. It may also be compatible with wired communication standards such as wired LAN. Specific examples of the AP 100 and APs 104-106 include, but are not limited to, wireless LAN routers and personal computers (PCs). The AP 100 and APs 104-106 may also be information processing devices such as wireless chips capable of performing wireless communications compliant with the IEEE 802.11 UHR standard. Specific examples of the STAs 107-109 include, but are not limited to, cameras, tablets, smartphones, PCs, mobile phones, video cameras, and headsets. The STAs 107-109 may also be information processing devices such as wireless chips capable of performing wireless communications compliant with the IEEE 802.11 UHR standard. While the wireless network in FIG. 1 is composed of four APs and three STAs, the number and arrangement of the APs and STAs are not limited to these.

[0022] In this embodiment, when multiple networks are constructed with one AP each, the BSSIDs of each network are all different. BSSID stands for Basic Service Set Identifier and is an identifier for identifying a network. Alternatively, the BSS Colors are all different. BSS Color stands for Basic Service Set Color and is an ID for identifying a BSS that integrates multiple BSSIDs. Furthermore, the SSIDs indicated by the AP 100 and the APs 104 to 106 in each network are all the same. SSID stands for Service Set Identifier and is an identifier for identifying an access point. In this embodiment, the communication device 100 and the APs 104 to 106 use a single common SSID even when multiple connections are established.

[0023] The AP 100, APs 104-106, and STAs 107-109 may establish links via multiple frequency channels and perform multi-link communication. An AP performing multi-link communication is also referred to as an AP MLD (Multi-Link Device). For example, the AP 105 can establish and communicate with the STA 107 a link 110 via a first frequency channel in the 5 GHz band, as well as a second link 111 in the 6 GHz band. In this case, the STA 107 performs multi-link communication by maintaining the second link 111 via the second frequency channel in parallel with the link 110 via the first frequency channel. In this way, the AP 105 and AP 107 can improve the throughput of communication with the STA 107 by establishing links via multiple frequency channels with the STA 107.

[0024] In addition, in multi-link communication, links between communication devices may establish multiple links in different frequency bands. For example, STA 107 may establish a third link in the 2.4 GHz band with AP 105 in addition to link 110 in the 5 GHz band and link 111 in the 6 GHz band. Alternatively, links may be established via multiple different channels within the same frequency band. For example, a first link may be established with AP 105 over channel 36 in the 5 GHz band, and a second link may be established with AP 105 over channel 161 in the 5 GHz band. Note that links in the same frequency band and links in different frequency bands may be mixed. For example, STA 107 may establish a link with AP 105 over channel 2 in the 6 GHz band, link 110 over channel 35 in the 6 GHz band, and a link with AP 105 over channel 6 in the 2.4 GHz band. By establishing multiple connections with STA107 at different frequencies, AP105 can establish communication with STA107 on another band even when one band is congested, thereby preventing a decrease in throughput and communication delays in communication with STA107.

[0025] Each link is assigned a Link ID for each network in which the link is established. For example, consider a case in which STA 107 participates in a 5 GHz band network among networks established by AP 100 and APs 104 to 106. If the link established with AP 105 is designated 110, a common Link ID of 1 is assigned to this link. Similarly, if STA 107 participates in a 6 GHz band network and the link established here is designated 111, a Link ID of 2 is assigned to this link. This value is an example, and different values ​​may be assigned, or a Link ID may be assigned to each established link or each STA.

[0026] In the IEEE 802.11 series standard, the bandwidth of each frequency channel in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands is defined as 20 MHz. The bandwidth of each frequency channel in the 45 GHz band is defined as 540 MHz, and in the 60 GHz band, it is defined as 1080 MHz or 2160 MHz. Here, a frequency channel refers to a frequency channel defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard, and multiple frequency channels are defined in each of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, 45 GHz, and 60 GHz frequency bands. Note that by bonding adjacent frequency channels, a bandwidth of 40 MHz or more may be used in one frequency channel.

[0027] 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the AP 100 in this embodiment. The AP 100 has a storage unit 201, a control unit 202, a function unit 203, an input unit 204, an output unit 205, a communication unit 206, and an antenna 207. Note that there may be multiple antennas.

[0028] The storage unit 201 is composed of one or more memories such as ROM and RAM, and stores various information such as computer programs for performing various operations described below and communication parameters for wireless communication. ROM stands for Read Only Memory, and RAM stands for Random Access Memory. In addition to memories such as ROM and RAM, storage media such as flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, and DVDs may also be used as the storage unit 201. Furthermore, the storage unit 201 may include multiple memories.

[0029] The control unit 202 is configured with one or more processors, such as a CPU or MPU, and controls the entire AP 100 by executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 201. The control unit 202 may control the entire AP 100 in cooperation with the computer program stored in the storage unit 201 and an OS (Operating System). The control unit 202 also generates data and signals (wireless frames) to be transmitted in communication with other communication devices. The CPU stands for Central Processing Unit, and the MPU stands for Micro Processing Unit. The control unit 202 may also include multiple processors, such as a multi-core processor, and the entire AP 100 may be controlled by the multiple processors.

[0030] The control unit 202 also controls the functional unit 203 to execute predetermined processes such as wireless communication, image capture, printing, and projection. The functional unit 203 is hardware that enables the AP 100 to execute predetermined processes. If the functional unit is a printer, it prints image data acquired via the communication unit 206. If the functional unit is a scanner, it transmits image data generated by scanning with the scanner to an external device via the communication unit 206. If the functional unit is a camera, it transmits image data captured by the camera to an external device via the communication unit 206.

[0031] The input unit 204 receives various operations from the user and is configured with, for example, a touch panel, hard keys, buttons, etc.

[0032] The output unit 205 outputs various types of information to the user via a monitor screen or a speaker. Here, the output from the output unit 205 may be a display on the monitor screen, an audio output from a speaker, a vibration output, or the like. Note that both the input unit 204 and the output unit 205 may be implemented in a single module, such as a touch panel. Furthermore, the input unit 204 and the output unit 205 may be integrated with the AP 100 or may be separate units.

[0033] The communication unit 206 controls wireless communication conforming to the IEEE802.11UHR standard. The communication unit 206 may also control wireless communication conforming to other IEEE802.11 series standards in addition to the IEEE802.11UHR standard, and may also control wired communication such as a wired LAN. The communication unit 206 controls the antenna 207 to transmit and receive signals for wireless communication generated by the control unit 202.

[0034] If the AP 100 supports the NFC standard, Bluetooth standard, or the like in addition to the IEEE 802.11 UHR standard, it may control wireless communications in accordance with these communication standards. Furthermore, if the AP 100 can perform wireless communications in accordance with multiple communication standards, it may be configured with separate communication units and antennas compatible with each communication standard. The AP 100 communicates data such as image data, document data, and video data with each STA via the communication unit 206. The antenna 207 may be configured separately from the communication unit 206, or may be configured together with the communication unit 206 as a single module.

[0035] The antenna 207 is an antenna capable of communication in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 6 GHz band, 45 GHz band, and 60 GHz band. In this embodiment, the AP 100 has two antennas, but it may have three antennas. Alternatively, it may have a different antenna for each frequency band. Furthermore, if the AP 100 has multiple antennas, it may have a communication unit 206 corresponding to each antenna.

[0036] The APs 104 to 106 and the STAs 107 to 109 have the same hardware configuration as the AP 100 .

[0037] 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of AP 100 in this embodiment. For example, this is a diagram showing the functional configuration realized by one or more processors executing programs stored in one or more memories. APs 104 to 106 and STAs 107 to 109 also have the same configuration.

[0038] The AP 100 is made up of a multi-AP control unit 301 , a multi-AP communication setting UI unit 302 , a transmission power control unit 303 , a frame generation unit 305 , and a frame transmission / reception unit 306 .

[0039] The multi-AP control unit 301 is a functional unit that performs group formation processing for the AP 100 to perform wireless communication in cooperation with the other APs 104 to 106, adds and deletes participating APs, and controls communication between APs.

[0040] The multi-AP communication setting UI (User Interface) unit 302 is a functional unit that provides a UI for the user to input settings for multi-AP communication of the AP 100 from the operation screen of the AP 100. Note that this functional unit does not need to be included in the AP 100 itself. For example, a server to which the AP 100 is connected or another AP may have this functional unit and display a UI for the user to input settings for the AP 100.

[0041] The transmission power control unit 303 manages the transmission power set by each AP during transmission when APs cooperate with each other in a group established by the multi-AP control unit 301. Alternatively, it manages the transmission power presented by other APs.

[0042] The frame generation unit 305 is a functional unit that generates frames for frame exchange when communicating with a connected STA or another AP.

[0043] The frame transmitting / receiving unit 306 transmits wireless frames including the probe request frame and data frame generated by the frame generating unit 305, and receives wireless frames from the other device.

[0044] (Processing Flow) Next, several embodiments of the processing flow executed by the AP and STA as described above, sequences in a wireless communication system, etc. will be described.

[0045] (Example 1) In this example, AP 100 functions as a Coordinator AP, which is the AP that controls the configuration, operation, and management when operating in cooperation with other APs. APs 104 to 106 function as Coordinated APs controlled by the Coordinator AP, and communicate with STAs 107 to 109 in response to instructions from AP 100. The Coordinator AP is sometimes called a Sharing AP because it shares wireless medium resources with other APs to perform cooperative operation. Similarly, the Coordinated AP is sometimes called a Shared AP.

[0046] In this embodiment, a case where data is transmitted from the AP 100 to the STA 107 via the APs 104 and 105 will be described.

[0047] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow when APs 104 and 105 transmit data to STA 107 under the instruction of AP 100. Each process in the flowchart is executed by each functional unit shown in FIG. 3, and may be executed by multiple functional units in cooperation with each other.

[0048] This process starts when there is data to be transmitted from AP 104 or AP 105 to STA 107. Note that this flowchart may start when AP 100 and AP 104 or AP 105 are connected, or when AP 104, AP 105 and STA 107 are connected, and may start from S506 when an AP transmits data to a STA.

[0049] First, AP 100 broadcasts a request to acquire information about nearby APs (S501). This request may include information indicating that a nearby AP with the same SSID will return a response if it receives the request. AP 100 receives a response to the request broadcast in S501 from the nearby AP (S502), and based on this, forms a group for cooperation with the nearby APs (S503). In this example, AP 100 receives responses from APs 104 to 106 and forms a group with APs 104 to 106. The response information from nearby APs may include information such as available channels, whether Multi-Link is supported, BSSID information, radio wave strength (RSSI) of AP 100 received by each Coordinate AP, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), IP address, MAC address, HT, VHT, HE, EHT, UHR capability values, transmission speed of transmitted and received data, maximum allowable packet size, maximum number of connectable STAs, number of connected STAs, type of security standard supported by connected STAs or APs, channels used by connected STAs, data transmission and reception speed including Min-Max, etc. Note that although an example is shown here in which communication between APs is wireless, communication between APs may also be wired.

[0050] Next, the AP 100 transmits a request to the APs in the group formed in S503 to obtain information about the connected STAs (S504). This request may include an identifier indicating that information about the connected STAs is being requested. Next, the AP 100 receives information about the connected STAs from nearby APs in response to the request sent in S504 (S505). The response information may include information such as the STA's MAC address, the channel and bandwidth used by the STA, Multi-Link compatibility status, the radio wave strength (RSSI) or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) when communicating with each STA, its IP address, whether or not Power Save mode is enabled, a TIM value indicating the frequency of beacon reception, HT, VHT, HE, EHT, and UHR capability values, transmission speeds of transmitted and received data including Min-Max, the AID assigned by the AP to the STA, the maximum allowable packet size, and the type of security standard currently being connected.

[0051] Note that S501 and S504 may be performed simultaneously, and the reception processes of S502 and S505 may be performed simultaneously, or the processes of S504 and S505 may not be performed.

[0052] Next, the AP 100 transmits a frame to each Coordinating AP (APs 104 to 106) to confirm whether it is able to perform the next data transmission (S506). In other words, the AP 100 inquires whether the Coordinating AP can participate in the data transmission to the STA. The frame transmitted here may include information such as the amount of data and the time used for transmission. Next, the AP 100 receives a response from the Coordinating AP to the frame transmitted in S506 (S507). The frame received at this time may include whether the Coordinating AP can participate in the data transmission and the conditions under which it can participate. The conditions for participation include the specification of the channel and bandwidth that can be used for data transmission.

[0053] Based on the response received in S507, AP 100 determines the Coordinated AP to be used for data transmission (S508). At this time, AP 100 may transmit a frame to the Coordinated AP to inform it that it has been selected as the AP for data transmission. In this embodiment, APs 104 and 105 are assumed to participate in data transmission.

[0054] Next, AP 100 determines the channels to be used by each Coordinating AP (AP 104, AP 105) participating in the data transmission. Furthermore, the Coordinating AP determines the transmission power (Txpower) to be set when transmitting a frame (S509). In S509, the transmission power of the Ack to be transmitted by the STA may also be determined. Note that S508 and S509 may be performed simultaneously.

[0055] Once the Coordinated APs participating in the data transmission and the transmission power of each Coordinated AP have been determined, AP 100 determines whether the Coordinated AP can transmit data to the STA in this state (S510). The transmission power specified here may directly indicate the transmission power set by the Coordinated AP, or may indicate the reception strength or reception sensitivity that the Coordinated AP is expected to receive when it emits radio waves. When the Coordinated AP is given a reception strength or reception sensitivity, it calculates the power it should transmit so that the Coordinated AP can receive radio waves at the indicated value, and transmits radio waves according to that value. For example, if there are no Coordinated APs that can participate in the data transmission, the Coordinated AP cannot transmit data to the STA. Therefore, the data amount or conditions are changed, and the process is repeated from S506. In this case, data may be transmitted directly to the STA only from AP 100. This determination may be made by the AP 100 based on the response from the Coordinated AP in S507. Furthermore, the process of S509 may be performed before S506, and the inquiry in S506 may include information on the determined transmission power. In this case, the response information transmitted by the Coordinated AP in S507 may only include information indicating whether or not participation is possible. This allows the Coordinator AP to immediately perform a new channel allocation, etc., and again transmit a frame to the Coordinated AP to confirm whether or not participation is possible.

[0056] When the data transmission is ready, AP 100 transmits a trigger frame to the Coordinated AP instructing the Coordinated AP to transmit data to the STAs (S512). In this embodiment, the trigger frame is transmitted from AP 100 to AP 104 and AP 105. Note that when transmitting data from AP 100 to each STA, the data may be transmitted between S510 and S512.

[0057] An example of the trigger frame to be transmitted here is shown in Figure 10. The fields / subfields shown here conform to the format specified in IEEE 802.11ax. That is, from the beginning, it includes a Frame Control field 1301, a Duration field 1302, an RA field 1303, a TA field 1304, a Common Info field 1305 containing information common to multiple devices, a User Info field 1306 containing information for each of the multiple devices individually, a Padding field 1307, and an FCS field 1308. A 4-bit Trigger Type subfield 1309 in the Common Info field 1305 specifies the type of trigger by the trigger frame. Furthermore, a Length subfield 1310 in the Common Info field 1305 indicates the communication period common to all Coordinated APs. The communication period corresponds to the amount of data that each Coordinated AP can transmit and receive. Table 1 shows an example of the correspondence between the Trigger type subfield value and the trigger type.

[0058]

[0059] When the Trigger type subfield value is 9, it indicates that the trigger frame instructs data transmission in Multi-AP, where multiple APs communicate data cooperatively.

[0060] The User Info field 1306 corresponds to each Coordinated AP, and as many User Info fields 1306 as there are Coordinated APs are concatenated and transmitted. The User Info field 1306 contains a BSS Color field 1311 for setting the BSS Color value, and a Txpower field 1312 for setting the Txpower value. The value set in field 1311 is not limited to the BSS Color value, but may be any value that can identify the AP, such as a BSSID. The value set in field 1311 allows the Coordinator AP to specify which Coordinated AP the data is for. The size is 6 bits for BSS Color and 6 bytes for BSSID. The Txpower field 1312 inputs the transmission power value to be set by each Coordinated AP. Its size is 1 byte. The Coordinated AP compares the BSS Color and Txpower and transmits data according to the Txpower assigned to it. For example, in the first User Info field 1306, AP 100 sets the BSS Color value of AP 104 in field 1311 and includes information for AP 104 in fields 1311 and subsequent fields, and further sets the BSS Color value of AP 105 in the second User Info field 1306 and includes information for AP 105 in fields 1311 and subsequent fields, thereby being able to notify each of APs 104 and 105 of information such as transmission power. In addition to Txpower, the User Info field 1306 can also include information on RU allocation and an MCS (modulation and coding scheme) indicating the modulation and coding method. Here, the Coordinated AP determines the transmission power based on the value contained in the Txpower field 1312, but the Coordinated AP may also determine the transmission power based on a value contained in a field other than the Txpower field 1312.

[0061] Returning to the description of FIG. 4 , in S512, AP 100 sets the Trigger type subfield value to 9 and generates and transmits a UHR PPDU including a trigger frame for data communication in cooperation with multiple APs, i.e., data transmission by Multi-AP. AP 100 determines whether it has received a notification from the Coordinated AP indicating whether the Coordinated AP, which was instructed to transmit data by the trigger frame transmitted in S512, was able to transmit data to the STA (S513). If there is a Coordinated AP that was unable to transmit data correctly, AP 100 does not receive the notification in S513 and therefore returns to S506 to reselect an AP. If a notification is received in S513, AP 100 transmits a frame to the Coordinated AP confirming whether the data was correctly transmitted to the STA (S514). From the frame returned from the Coordinate AP in response to this confirmation, the AP 100 checks whether the Coordinate AP has received all of the ACKs for the data transmitted from the Coordinate AP to the STA (S515). If the Coordinate AP has received the ACKs successfully, the process proceeds to S516; if not, the process returns to S506. The ACKs confirmed here are for the data that was successfully transmitted from the Coordinate AP to the target STA. This makes it possible to determine which data has reached the STA correctly. Note that the processes from S513 to S515 do not necessarily have to be executed.

[0062] The AP 100 checks whether each AP in the group has data to transmit (S516). If there is still data to transmit, the process is restarted from S506. If not, the process ends. When restarting the process, the process may start from S508.

[0063] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow when AP 104 and AP 105 cooperate to transmit data to STA 107 and STA 108, respectively. Note that the information included in the frame overlaps with the explanation of FIG. 4, and therefore will not be described here. Each process in the flowchart is executed by each functional unit shown in FIG. 3, and may be executed in cooperation with multiple functional units.

[0064] The process of this flowchart starts when a request to obtain information about nearby APs is received from the AP 100 (S501).

[0065] First, AP 104 and AP 105 receive a request from AP 100 to acquire information about nearby APs (S601). AP 104 and AP 105 transmit a response to the AP information acquisition request (S602). The information to be included here has been described in the explanation of FIG. 4 and will not be explained here. Next, AP 104 and AP 105 receive a request from AP 100 to acquire information about connected STAs (S603). In response, AP 104 and AP 105 transmit a response including information about the currently connected STAs (S604). The information to be included here has been described in the explanation of FIG. 4 and will not be explained here.

[0066] Next, AP 104 and AP 105 receive a request from AP 100 inquiring whether they have data to transmit to STA 107 and STA 108, i.e., the inquiry of S506 (S605). Note that the amount of data queue may be presented in S605. Upon receiving this request, AP 104 and AP 105, i.e., the Coordinating AP, determine whether to participate in data transmission based on the current communication status (S606). For example, if they have no data to transmit, they send a response indicating non-participation with REASON = NOQUEUE (S607). Note that if they do not participate, they do not need to send a response. If they decide to participate in data communication in S606, AP 104 and AP 105 send a response indicating participation or conditional participation to AP 100 (S608). Then, they receive a trigger frame from AP 100 indicating the timing to transmit data to STA 107 and STA 108 (S610). When transmitting data from AP 100 to each STA, the transmission data may be received in advance. The trigger frame contains the BSS Color and transmission power to be used by AP 104 and AP 105. Therefore, AP 104 and AP 105 have their own allocation and can determine the transmission power to be set.

[0067] Immediately after receiving the trigger frame, the AP 104 and AP 105 check whether they are in a state where they can transmit frames (S611). For example, this may be the case if the transmission power specified in the trigger frame exceeds their own maximum transmission power or if it is impossible to secure a TXOP. If they are in a state where they cannot transmit frames, they notify the Coordinator AP that the REASON has failed (S612). If it is determined in S611 that they are in a state where they can transmit frames, the AP 104 and AP 105 transmit data to the STA at the specified transmission power (S613). Specifically, the AP 104 and AP 105 acquire information about the transmission power included in the Txpower field 1312 of the trigger frame received in S610, determine the transmission power based on the acquired information, and transmit the data to the STA (here, STA 107 and STA 108). The AP 104 and AP 105 may also be configured to determine an MCS based on the transmission power specified in the trigger frame received in S610 and transmit data to the STA. For example, if the transmission power indicated by the trigger frame is low, the MCS is appropriately lowered before transmitting data to the STA. If data transmission to the STA (S613) is successful, the STA waits for an Ack to be transmitted from the STA (S614).

[0068] If an ACK is returned in S614, the APs 104 and 105 transmit a success notification to the Coordinator AP (S615, S616), and then end the process. If subsequent data is to be transmitted, the process may be restarted from S605 or S610. If an ACK is not returned in S614, the APs 104 and 105 return to the process of S605. Alternatively, the APs 104 and 105 may notify the AP 100 of an error and end the process.

[0069] FIG. 6 shows a sequence diagram of the process in which APs 104 and 105, which are Coordinator APs, transmit data to STAs 107 and 108 under the instruction of AP 100, which is the Coordinator AP.

[0070] This sequence diagram starts from S506 in FIG. 4 and S605 in FIG. 5. First, AP 100 transmits a frame to APs 104 and 105 asking whether they can participate in data transmission (S701). In response, APs 104 and 105, which are Coordinated APs, return a response to AP 100 (S702). This response includes information on whether they can participate in data transmission. If they can participate, it may also include information such as available channels and link information, maximum transmission power, BSS Color, whether there is transmission data, the amount of transmission data, and the type of access category. If they can participate, it includes information on available channels and links. If they cannot participate, it may also include the reason why they cannot participate. Reasons for not being able to participate include, for example, BUSY and DISCONNECTED. Based on this response, AP 100 selects APs to participate in the data transmission. Here, it is APs 104 and 105, which are Coordinated APs, that will participate in the data transmission.

[0071] When data transmission is ready, AP 100 transmits a trigger frame to AP 104 and AP 105 indicating the timing of data transmission (S704). In response, AP 104 and AP 105 transmit data to STA 107 and STA 108, respectively (S705). STA 107 and STA 108 return ACKs in response to the received data (S706). If the data transmission is successful, AP 104 and AP 105 return a frame indicating successful data transmission to AP 100 (S707). If AP 104 and AP 105 have not received all ACKs or if time has passed, AP 100 transmits a message to AP 104 and AP 105 confirming whether all data has been received (S708). Upon receiving this message, AP 104 and AP 105 return ACKs indicating the current reception status (S709). AP 104 and AP 105 may also notify AP 100 of a transmission failure notification at the same time as transmitting S707. Also, steps S707 to S709 do not have to be performed.

[0072] In this way, AP 104 and AP 105 can communicate with the STAs at the appropriate transmission power instructed by AP 100. Note that data is not limited to data transmitted from AP 104 and AP 105; AP 100 may also instruct the data itself to be transmitted by AP 104 and AP 105 to the STAs. In this embodiment, AP 100 transmits trigger frames to AP 104 and AP 105 as radio waves, but this may also be done via a wired connection. Similarly, in FIG. 4, all data communication between AP 100 and AP 104 and AP 105 may also be done via a wired connection. Also, according to FIG. 1, AP 100 and AP 106 are connected via a wired connection, while AP 100 and AP 104 are connected wirelessly. AP 100 may transmit data to STA 107 and STA 109 as Coordinated APs, similar to this embodiment.

[0073] The SSID and BSSID of AP100, AP104, AP105, and AP106 that operate in cooperation may be the same or different. However, if the BSSIDs are the same, separate IDs are prepared to identify AP100, AP104 to AP106. In this case, the CoordinatorAP uniquely manages IDs that identify each AP to be coordinated in advance. The CoordinatorAP also acquires the ID in advance and stores it as its own ID, thereby enabling it to identify that the ID is addressed to itself. In this embodiment, multiple links 110 and links 111 may be simultaneously established between AP105 and STA107.

[0074] In this way, AP 104 and AP 105 can adjust the transmission power in cooperation with each other and transmit data to STA 107 and STA 108 simultaneously.

[0075] Second Embodiment In the second embodiment, a configuration in which a Coordinated AP transmits data to a STA based on an instruction from a Coordinator AP has been described. In this embodiment, a configuration in which a Coordinated AP receives data from a STA based on an instruction from the Coordinator AP will be described.

[0076] In this embodiment, AP 100 functions as a Coordinator AP. APs 104 and 106 function as Coordinated APs and communicate with STAs 107 and 109 in response to instructions from AP 100. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which APs 104 and 106 receive data from STAs 107 and 109 in response to instructions from AP 100. The basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of embodiment 1, so only the differences will be described.

[0077] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the Coordinator AP when transmitting data from a STA to each AP.

[0078] This process starts when STA 107 and STA 109 have data to transmit to AP 104 and AP 106. Note that this flowchart may start when AP 100 and AP 104 or AP 106 are connected, when AP 104 and STA 107 are connected, or when AP 106 and STA 109 are connected, and may start from S806 when receiving data. Also, explanations of parts that overlap with those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0079] Steps S801 to S805 are the same as steps S501 to S505 in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here. The AP 100 transmits a frame inquiring whether each Coordinating AP is ready to receive the next data (S806). This frame may include information such as the amount of data and the time required for transmission. Furthermore, when the Coordinator AP assigns an AID to the STA, the AP may transmit information linking the MAC address of the STA with the ID assigned by the Coordinator AP to the Coordinating AP. Next, the AP 100 receives a response from the Coordinating AP in response to the inquiry in S806 (S807). The response from the Coordinating AP may include whether the Coordinating AP will participate in data reception and the conditions for participation if it is able to participate. The conditions for participation include the channel and bandwidth available for data transmission and the maximum transmission power that the STA can output. Alternatively, the SNR of each Coordinated AP acquired by the STA may be included. Furthermore, the amount of data that each Coordinated AP has received from the STA to which it is connected, and the amount of data that each Coordinated AP will receive in the future, or the amount of data for each access category, may be included. The amount of data is sent for each AID or MAC address of the STA.

[0080] Based on the response information received from each Coordinate AP in S807, AP 100 determines which Coordinate AP will be used to receive data (S808). At this time, AP 100 may transmit a frame to the Coordinate AP to inform it that it has been selected as the AP for receiving data. In this embodiment, AP 104 and AP 106 are assumed to participate in data reception.

[0081] Next, the AP 100 determines the transmission power of the STA when each Coordinated AP (AP 104, AP 106) receives data (S809). Note that the transmission power when the Coordinated AP transmits a trigger frame or an Ack may also be determined here. Steps S808 and S809 may be performed simultaneously.

[0082] Once the Coordinated APs participating in data reception and the channels and RUs used by each Coordinated AP have been determined, the AP 100 determines whether data reception is possible under those conditions (S810). For example, if there are no Coordinated APs that can participate, the Coordinated AP will not be able to receive data from the STA. Therefore, the AP must change the amount of data or the conditions and start over from S806. In this case, data may be received directly from the STA using only the AP 100. Note that the determination in S810 may be made based on the reply from the Coordinated AP in S807. Furthermore, the processing in S809 may be performed before the processing in S806 is performed. In this case, the information transmitted by the Coordinated AP in S807 may only indicate whether or not it is willing to participate. This allows the Coordinator AP to immediately change the transmission power to be used and again transmit a frame to the Coordinated AP to confirm whether or not it is willing to participate.

[0083] If it is determined in S810 that data can be received, the STA transmits a trigger frame for transmitting data to the Coordinated AP (S811). This trigger frame is transmitted from the Coordinator AP to the Coordinated AP. In this embodiment, the trigger frame is transmitted from AP 100 to APs 104 and 106.

[0084] The trigger frame transmitted here is as shown in Fig. 11. Fields 1301 to 1310 are the same as those in Fig. 10, so a description thereof will be omitted. However, when the Trigger type subfield value is 10, this indicates that the trigger frame instructs data reception at Multi-AP.

[0085] In this embodiment, the User Info field 1306 is provided with a BSSID field 1411, an AID field 1412, and a UL Target Receive Power field 1413. The BSSID field 1411 indicates the BSSID of the Coordinated AP. Since the BSSID field 1411 is 6 bytes, it may be a field indicating the BSS Color as in the first embodiment. In this case, the size is 6 bits. Furthermore, since it is sufficient to identify the AP, a unique ID assigned by the Coordinator AP may be used.

[0086] The AID field 1412 indicates the AID (Association ID) assigned by the AP when connecting to the STA. Table 2 shows the values ​​of the AID field 1412 and their meanings.

[0087]

[0088] In this embodiment, the AID field 1412 uses the AID assigned to the STA connected by the Coordinated AP. Note that the AID may be assigned to each STA by the Coordinator AP. For example, the Coordinator AP may assign an AID to each STA based on the STA information acquired from each Coordinated AP in S802. If the value of the AID field is 1-2007, it will be the assigned AID value.

[0089] The UL Target Receive Power field 1413 indicates the transmission power of the STA desired by the AP. Note that this definition conforms to the definition of the field included in the IEEE 802.11 Trigger frame. Here, it specifies the reception strength and reception sensitivity that the Coordinated AP receives when the STA transmits radio waves. The STA calculates the transmission power so that the AP to which it is connected can receive radio waves at the specified reception strength and reception sensitivity, and transmits radio waves based on the calculation result. Note that the specified value may be the transmission power itself that the STA transmits.

[0090] Furthermore, if the Coordinator AP allocates AIDs and can assign different AIDs to each STA even when connected to different APs, the trigger frame transmitted from the Coordinator AP to the Coordinated AP may be a Basic trigger frame with Type = 0. The STA identified by the AID field 1412 determines the transmission power based on the value contained in the corresponding 1413 field and transmits data.

[0091] Returning to the description of FIG. 7 , if the CoordinatorAP can receive data from the STA in accordance with the trigger frame transmitted in S811, the CoordinatorAP receives a notification of successful data reception from the CoordinatorAP (S812). This notification may contain only information indicating whether data reception was successful. Alternatively, this notification may be sent only when data reception fails. This notification may also include information on the amount of data queued by the STA for each access category. Information on whether the CoordinatorAP has further data to transmit from the STA may be confirmed by the trigger frame and a frame transmitted from the STA to the CoordinatedAP accompanying the trigger frame. In this manner, the CoordinatorAP may be configured to check whether the STA still has data to transmit and notify the CoordinatorAP of the confirmation result. The CoordinatorAP then checks, using one of several methods, whether there is further data to transmit from the STA (S816), and if there is no data to transmit from the STA, terminates the process. If there is data to be transmitted from the STA, the process may be restarted from step S806 or step S808.

[0092] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow when AP 104 and AP 106 cooperate to receive data from STA 107 and STA 109. Note that the information included in the frame is omitted because it overlaps with the explanation of FIG. 7.

[0093] This process begins when a request for information about neighboring APs is received from AP 100. S901 to S904 are similar to those in FIG. 5 , and therefore will not be described here. AP 104 and AP 106 receive a request from AP 100 asking whether they want to participate in data reception in preparation for receiving data from STAs 107 and 109 (S905). Prior to this request, STAs 107 and 109 may inquire of the STAs connected to them about the amount of data queued for transmission, thereby determining the amount of data each STA needs to transmit. In this case, it is desirable to know the amount of data for each access category. Upon receiving a participation request from the Coordinator AP, the Coordinated AP determines whether to participate in data reception based on the current communication status and the amount of data from the STA (S906). For example, if there is no data to receive from the STA, the Coordinated AP sends a response indicating that it will not participate, with REASON set to NOQUEUE (S907).

[0094] If the STA decides to join in S906, it transmits a response to AP 100 including the available channels, link number, the maximum transmit power that the STA can set, and the SNR acquired by the STA relative to surrounding APs (S908). AP 104 or AP 106 then notifies AP 100 that it will participate in data reception (S908). If selected by AP 100 as the AP that will receive data, it receives a trigger frame from AP 100 indicating the timing of data reception from STAs 107 or 109 (S909). The trigger frame received at this time is as shown in FIG. 11. From the information contained in this trigger frame, AP 104 or AP 106 can determine the transmit power of the STA it designates. AP 104 or AP 106 analyzes the link number, RU, and transmit power assigned in the trigger frame received from AP 100 (S910). For example, if Link ID = 1, RU = 2, and expected received power = -80 dBm, the STA adjusts the transmission power so that the received power of the Coordinated AP with Link ID 1, RU number 2, and received power is -80 dBm. Note that the RU and transmission power may be specified in S911 rather than in S909. Furthermore, if the transmission power of the trigger frame or Ack transmitted by the AP is specified, S911 and S914 are performed according to that value.

[0095] After analyzing the trigger frame received from the Coordinator AP, the AP 104 or AP 106 notifies the STA of the instructed content (link number, RU, transmission power, etc.) as is (S911). A trigger frame is used for this notification. For example, the trigger frame notifies the STA of information regarding transmission power based on the value contained in field 1413 for the STA identified by AID field 1412. The AP 104 or AP 106 receives data from the STA based on the information in the trigger frame transmitted in S911 (S912). In other words, the STA transmits data to the Coordinator AP at the transmission power specified by the Coordinator AP. If the data cannot be received correctly from the STA, the AP 104 or AP 106 transmits the data to the Coordinator AP together with a reason (REASON) indicating the data reception failure (S913). Then, the process returns to S905.

[0096] If data reception from the STA is successful in S912, the AP 104 or AP 106 transmits an Ack (S914) and sends a data reception success notification to the Coordinator AP (S915). Note that in S915, the AP 104 or AP 106 may also transmit the amount of data scheduled for transmission that each STA connected to the AP has in its queue. Alternatively, the AP 104 or AP 106 may inquire about the amount of data accumulated in each STA and send the response to the Coordinator AP. The AP 104 or AP 106 may also forward the data received from the STA in S912 to the Coordinator AP.

[0097] FIG. 9 shows a sequence in which AP 100, which is a Coordinator AP, instructs APs 104 and 106, which are Coordinating APs, to receive data from STA 107 and STA 109.

[0098] This sequence begins at S806 in FIG. 7 and S905 in FIG. 8. First, AP 100 transmits a frame to APs 104 and 106 asking whether they can participate in data reception (S1001). In response, APs 104 and 106, which are Coordinated APs, return a response (S1002). This response includes information on whether they will participate in data reception. If participation is possible, the response includes information on the available channels, the link and AP, the STA's maximum transmit power, and the amount of data the STA has accumulated and plans to transmit for each access category. If participation is not possible, the response may also include the reason for not being able to participate. Examples of reasons for not being able to participate include BUSY and DISCONNECTED. Based on this response, AP 100 selects an AP to participate in data reception and transmits a frame to the selected AP that triggers data reception from the STA (S1003). Upon receiving the trigger frame, AP 104 and AP 106 interpret the contents of the frame and determine the transmit power allocated to themselves and the connected STAs. Based on this, the AP 104 and the AP 106 transmit a trigger frame for receiving data from the STA (S1004). Having received the trigger frame, the STA 107 and the STA 109 transmit data at a transmission power based on the information in the trigger frame (S1005). The AP 104 and the AP 106 return an ACK associated with the received data (S1006). Once all data has been received from the STA 107 and the AP 109, the AP 104 and the AP 106 first transmit a frame to the AP 100 indicating that data reception has been completed (S1007). The AP 100 returns an ACK in response to the reception completion notification (S1009).

[0099] In this way, AP 104 and AP 106 can assign appropriate transmission power to the STAs based on instructions from AP 100, and receive data from the STAs. Note that data may also be transmitted from STA 107 to AP 100, for example. On the other hand, AP 104 may forward data received from STA 107 to AP 100, and AP 106 may process data received from STA 109 by itself. In this case, the received data is forwarded from AP 104 to AP 100 in step S1007 in FIG. 9 .

[0100] In this embodiment, AP 100 and AP 104 are connected by wireless radio waves, and AP 100 and AP 106 are connected by wire, but both may be wireless or both may be wired. The SSID and BSSID of AP 100, AP 104, AP 105, and AP 106, which operate in coordination, may be the same or different. However, if the BSSID is the same, a separate ID is required to identify AP 100, AP 104 to AP 106. In this case, the CoordinatorAP uniquely manages in advance an ID that identifies each AP to be coordinated. The CoordinatorAP also obtains the ID in advance and stores it as its own ID, allowing it to identify that the ID is addressed to itself.

[0101] According to this embodiment, the AP 105 and the AP 106 can receive data from the STA 107 and the STA 109, respectively, with appropriate transmission power.

[0102] Other Embodiments A configuration may be adopted that combines the above-described Examples 1 and 2. That is, a configuration may be adopted in which the Coordinator AP transmits data to a STA based on an instruction from the Coordinator AP, and a configuration in which the Coordinator AP receives data from a STA based on an instruction from the Coordinator AP can both be implemented.

[0103] In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, only Ack is dealt with, but other types of Ack such as BlockAck and Multi-STA BlockAck are also included.

[0104] In this embodiment, the AP 100 serving as the Coordinator AP does not directly communicate with the STAs, but the AP 100 serving as the Coordinator AP may also simultaneously serve as the Coordinated AP.

[0105] It is also possible to provide a system or device with a recording medium on which program code for software that realizes the above-described functions is recorded, and have the computer (CPU, MPU) of the system or device read and execute the program code stored on the recording medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the recording medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the recording medium on which the program code is stored constitutes the above-described device.

[0106] Examples of storage media that can be used to supply the program code include flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, and DVDs.

[0107] Furthermore, the above-mentioned functions may be realized not only by the computer executing the read program code, but also by the operating system (OS) running on the computer performing some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code.

[0108] Furthermore, the program code read from the storage medium may be written to a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into a computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, and a CPU provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit may then perform some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code to realize the above-mentioned functions.

[0109] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more of the functions.

[0110] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations, methods, and programs.

[0111] (Configuration 1) A communication device that performs wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, comprising a communication means for performing data communication with a station in cooperation with an access point, the communication means transmitting a frame to the access point instructing the access point to communicate with the station, the frame including information for identifying the access point and information regarding transmission power.

[0112] (Configuration 2) The communication device according to configuration 1, wherein the information for identifying the access point is a value indicating a BSS Color.

[0113] (Configuration 3) The communication device according to configuration 1, wherein the information for identifying the access point is a BSSID.

[0114] (Configuration 4) The communication device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the information relating to transmission power is a value of transmission power that the access point should use to transmit data to the station device.

[0115] (Configuration 5) A communication device described in any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the information regarding the transmission power is a value based on the expected reception strength that the communication device will receive when the access point emits radio waves.

[0116] (Configuration 6) The communication device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the access point transmits a frame to the station device instructing the station to transmit data to the access point based on the frame.

[0117] (Configuration 7) The communication device according to configuration 6, wherein the information relating to transmission power is a value of transmission power that the station device should use to transmit data to the access point.

[0118] (Configuration 8) A communication device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that an access point for performing data communication with a station is selected from among a plurality of access points, and the frame contains information for identifying the selected access point and information relating to the transmission power corresponding to the access point, each of which is equal to the number of selected access points.

[0119] (Configuration 9) The communication device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the communication device is an access point device, the frame is a trigger frame, and information for identifying the access point and information regarding transmission power are included in a User Info field of the trigger frame.

[0120] (Configuration 10) A communication device that performs wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, comprising a communication means for performing data communication with a station in cooperation with an access point, wherein the communication means receives a frame from the access point instructing the communication device to communicate with the station, and the frame includes information for identifying the communication device and information regarding transmission power.

[0121] (Configuration 11) The communication device according to configuration 10, wherein the information for identifying the communication device is a value indicating a BSS Color.

[0122] (Configuration 12) The communication device according to configuration 10, wherein the information for identifying the communication device is a BSSID.

[0123] (Configuration 13) The communication device according to any one of configurations 10 to 12, wherein the information relating to transmission power is a value of transmission power that the communication device should use for transmitting data to the station.

[0124] (Configuration 14) The communication device according to any one of configurations 10 to 12, wherein the information regarding the transmission power is a value based on an expected reception strength that the access point receives when the communication device emits radio waves.

[0125] (Configuration 15) The communication device according to any one of configurations 10 to 14, wherein the communication device transmits a frame to the station device instructing the station to transmit data to the communication device based on the frame.

[0126] (Configuration 16) The communication device according to configuration 15, wherein the information relating to transmission power is a value of transmission power that the station device should use to transmit data to the communication device.

[0127] (Configuration 17) The communication device according to any one of configurations 10 to 16, wherein the frame includes information for identifying a selected access point and information regarding transmission power corresponding to the access point, the number of which is equal to the number of selected access points.

[0128] (Configuration 18) The communication device according to any one of configurations 10 to 17, wherein the communication device is an access point device, the frame is a trigger frame, and information for identifying the access point and information regarding transmission power are included in a User Info field of the trigger frame.

[0129] (Method 1) A control method executed by a communication device that performs wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, comprising a communication step of performing data communication with a station in cooperation with an access point, wherein the communication step transmits a frame to the access point instructing the access point to communicate with the station, and the frame includes information that identifies the access point and information related to transmission power.

[0130] (Method 2) A control method executed by a communication device that performs wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, comprising a communication step of performing data communication with a station in cooperation with an access point, wherein in the communication step, the communication device receives a frame from the access point instructing the communication device to communicate with the station, and the frame includes information that identifies the communication device and information related to transmission power.

[0131] (Program) A program for causing a computer to function as the communication device according to any one of configurations 1 to 18.

[0132] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the present invention.

[0133] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-026646, filed February 22, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

DEPCT6914 / 10 / 25681. A communication device that operates in wireless communication conforming to the 802.11 series i3E standard, which includes: a communication path that operates with an access point to conduct data communication with a station, to which the communication path is sent to the access point with a frame that instructs the access point to communicate with the station; that frame includes information for identifying the access point and information regarding the transmitting power.

2. A communication device under claim 1 in which the information for identifying the access point is a BSS ID.

3. A communication device under claim 1 in which the information for identifying the access point is a BSS ID.

4. A communication device under claim 1 in which the information regarding the transmitting power is the transmitting power that will be used by the access point to transmit data to the station device.

5. A communication device under claim 1 in which the information regarding the transmitting power is a value based on the radio wave reception strength that the communication device is expected to receive when the access point emits radio waves.6.

7. A communication device under claim 1 in which, based on a frame, the access point transmits to a station device a frame that instructs the station to transmit data to that access point.

8. A communication device under claim 6 in which the information relating to the transmission power is the transmission power value that will be used by the station device to transmit data to the access point.

9. A communication device under claim 1 in which the access point which performs data communication with the station is selected from among a number of access points, and for each selected access point, the information for identifying that selected access point and the information relating to the transmission power corresponding to that selected access point.

10. A communication device under claim 1 in which the communication device is the access point device, the frame is the trigger frame, and the information for identifying the access point and the information relating to the transmission power are included in the user information field of the trigger frame.

11. A communication device which performs wireless communication conforming to the 802 Serial Series I3E standard.

11. A communication device under claim 10 in which the communication device identification information is a BSS color identifier.

12. A communication device under claim 10 in which the communication device identification information is a BSS ID.

13. A communication device under claim 10 in which the transmission power information is the transmission power that will be used by the communication device to transmit data to the station.

14. A communication device under claim 10 in which the transmission power information is a value based on the radio wave reception strength that the access point is expected to receive when the communication device emits radio waves. 15.

16. A communication device under claim 15 in which, based on a frame, the communication device transmits to a station device a frame that instructs the station to transmit data to the communication device.

17. A communication device under claim 10 in which, for each selected access point, includes information for identifying that selected access point and information about the transmission power corresponding to that selected access point.

18. A communication device under claim 10 in which, for the communication device, it is an access point device, the frame is a triggering frame, and the information for identifying the access point and the information about the transmission power are included in the User Information field of the triggering frame.

19. A control method performed by a communication device operating in wireless communication conforming to the 802 Serial Series I3E standard.

11. The communication procedure that is implemented by a communication device operating in wireless communication that conforms to the 802.11 serial identifier standard. This includes: a communication procedure that is implemented by an access point to operate in data communication with a station, which in turn is received from the access point by a frame that instructs the communication device to communicate with the station. This frame includes information for identifying the communication device and information regarding the transmission power.

20. The control method that is implemented by a communication device operating in wireless communication that conforms to the 802.11 serial identifier standard. This includes: a communication procedure that is implemented by an access point to operate in data communication with a station, which in turn is received from the access point by a frame that instructs the communication device to communicate with the station. This frame includes information for identifying the communication device and information regarding the transmission power.

21. The program that enables a computer to function as a communication device according to any of the provisions of Claims 1 through 18.

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