Wireless communication devices and wireless communication methods

Abstract

The wireless communication device includes: processing circuitry for scanning candidate connection destinations for wireless connections; and control circuitry for determining the start timing of a second initial connection process based on the cause of failure in the event that a first initial connection process for a candidate connection destination fails. The processing circuitry scans candidate connection destinations based on the start timing of the second initial connection process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to wireless communication devices and wireless communication methods. Background Technology

[0002] In Patent Document 1, a wireless connection based on a wireless local area network (LAN) using IEEE 802.11ai is disclosed as a method for vehicle-to-X (V2X) communication (e.g., vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication).

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-96630

[0006] Non-patent literature

[0007] Non-patent document 1: IEEE 802.11-2016 Summary of the Invention

[0008] For example, there is room for research into increasing the speed of wireless connections between two wireless communication devices (e.g., a wireless base station and a terminal).

[0009] The non-limiting embodiments disclosed herein help to provide wireless communication devices and methods for achieving high-speed wireless connections between wireless communication devices.

[0010] A wireless communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a processing circuit that scans candidate connection destinations for wireless connections; and a control circuit that, in the event that a first initial connection process for the candidate connection destination fails, determines a start time for a second initial connection process based on the cause of the failure, wherein the processing circuit scans the candidate connection destination based on the start time of the second initial connection process.

[0011] It should be noted that these general or specific methods can be implemented by systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs or recording media, or by any combination of systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs and recording media.

[0012] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the initial connection time for wireless roadside device-to-moving-object communication or moving-object-to-moving-object communication can be shortened (speeded up), and the connection success rate can be improved.

[0013] Further advantages and effects of one aspect of the invention will be clearly presented in the specification and accompanying drawings. These advantages and / or effects are provided by the various embodiments and the features described in the specification and accompanying drawings, but not necessarily all of them need to be provided in order to obtain one or more of the same features. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the overall roadway system in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating a structural example of an on-board device and a roadside device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block in the CPU of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a vehicle-mounted device according to a variation of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block in the CPU of an on-board device, as shown in Modified Example 2 of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the vehicle-mounted equipment in Modification 2 of the implementation method. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Imagine a scenario where wireless communication with a limited communication range, such as 60GHz millimeter wave, is applied to V2X communication. A vehicle in motion enters the communication area of ​​a cell (e.g., the wireless base station device) from the edge of a cell with poor communication conditions (e.g., the edge of the wireless base station device's communication area). Therefore, packet errors are prone to occur during the initial connection phase between the cell (e.g., the wireless base station device) and the vehicle (e.g., the terminal device). The increased packet errors during the initial connection phase, coupled with packet switching failures between the cell and the vehicle, sometimes prevent the normal initial connection process, resulting in connection delays. Alternatively, due to packet switching failures between the cell and the vehicle, the vehicle may sometimes pass through the cell's communication area before connecting to the cell. Or, even if the vehicle connects to the cell, the remaining communication time within the cell's communication area is reduced, making high-capacity data communication difficult.

[0022] In this embodiment, the speed of wireless connection between wireless communication devices is achieved by suppressing the increase in connection delay of the initial connection caused by packet switching failure.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described using the accompanying drawings.

[0024] (One implementation method)

[0025] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the overall road-to-vehicle (I2V) system in this embodiment.

[0026] As an example, Figure 1 This refers to the environment in which vehicle-mounted equipment 1000 and roadside equipment 2000 exist, such as at intersections, main roads, and highways. Furthermore, in Figure 1 Although only one roadside device 2000 is shown, multiple roadside devices 2000 can exist. Furthermore, in... Figure 1 Although three vehicle-mounted devices 1000 are shown, the number of vehicle-mounted devices 1000 is not limited to three.

[0027] The vehicle-mounted device 1000 is installed in a vehicle. The vehicle-mounted device 1000, for example, includes a communication device 101 (see reference). Figure 2 Roadside equipment 2000 is installed on traffic lights, streetlights, and utility poles, etc. Roadside equipment 2000 may include, for example, a communication device 201 (see reference). Figure 2 The communication device 101 of the vehicle-mounted device 1000 wirelessly connects with the communication device 201 of the roadside device 2000 within the communication area of ​​the communication device 201, and, for example, transmits and receives data.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating a structural example of the vehicle-mounted device 1000 and the roadside device 2000 according to this embodiment.

[0029] The vehicle-mounted equipment 1000 includes a communication device 101, an interface circuit 102, a memory 103, and a CPU (central processing unit) 104. The communication device 101 is controlled by the CPU 104 via the interface circuit 102 and performs signal transmission and reception processing.

[0030] The communication device 101 does not need to be built into the vehicle equipment 1000. For example, the communication device 101 only needs to be able to connect to the interface circuit 102 via USB (Universal Serial Bus) or the like, so the communication device 101 can also be external.

[0031] The roadside device 2000 includes a communication device 201, an interface circuit 202, a memory 203, and a CPU 204. The communication device 201 is controlled by the CPU 204 via the interface circuit 202 and performs signal transmission and reception processing.

[0032] The roadside device 2000 may not have a built-in communication device 201. For example, the communication device 201 only needs to be able to connect to the interface circuit 202 via USB or the like, so the communication device 201 can also be external.

[0033] The following describes an example of communication device 101 and communication device 201 communicating using infrastructure mode.

[0034] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates an example of the functional blocks in the CPU 104 of the vehicle-mounted device 1000 according to this embodiment. The CPU 104 includes a scan processing unit 301, a join processing unit 302, an association processing unit 303, a handshake processing unit 304, an error processing unit 305, an error cause determination unit 306, and a delay processing unit 307. The processing of each structure will be explained along with the operation example of the vehicle-mounted device 1000 shown below.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the vehicle-mounted device 1000 in this embodiment. Figure 4 The example shown illustrates the initial connection processing of the supplicant, which performs an authentication process based on the active scan and association of IEEE 802.11ad and / or IEEE 802.11ay, which are 60 GHz millimeter-wave communication standards.

[0036] Furthermore, there are cases where the vehicle-mounted device 1000 is described as a "terminal (or, site: STA)". Additionally, there are cases where the roadside device 2000 is described as a "wireless base station (or, access point: AP)". In this embodiment, although examples are shown where the terminal corresponds to the vehicle-mounted device 1000 and the wireless base station corresponds to the roadside device 2000, this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the terminal is not limited to the vehicle-mounted device and may correspond to a device different from the vehicle-mounted device. Similarly, the wireless base station is not limited to the roadside device and may correspond to a device different from the roadside device.

[0037] In addition, a wireless base station can also be an AP or a PCP (referred to as "AP / PCP"). Furthermore, in this case, a non-AP / PCP wireless communication device can also be a STA (or, a sub-device, terminal).

[0038] Additionally, the description related to the process of authenticating the requester by an authenticator is omitted.

[0039] In S1001, the scan processing unit 301 performs a scan (SCAN) process. For example, in the scan process, the scan processing unit 301 first performs an active scan to find communicable APs as candidate connection destinations. During the active scan, it performs BTI (Beacon Transmission Interval) processing, A-BFT (Association-Beamforming Training) processing, and probe exchange processing.

[0040] For example, the scan processing unit 301 receives a DMG (Directional Multi-Gigabit) beacon from an AP and completes a probe exchange. Even after a probe exchange with a communicable AP has been completed, there may still be other communicable APs. Therefore, the STA continues to search for APs until the scan time expires. The scan processing unit 301 performs an active scan on each frequency (channel). Once the scan processing unit 301 has finished scanning each channel, the process transfers to the processing in S1002.

[0041] Furthermore, when probe switching can be completed even with a shortened scan time, the scan processing unit 301 can shorten the time from S1001 to the transition to S1002. Additionally, the scan processing unit 301 can shorten the scan processing time in S1001 by limiting the scanned channels and reducing the number of scanned channels. For example, by limiting the scanned channels to those allocated specifically for ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems), the scan processing time can be shortened, thereby shortening the time to the transition to S1002 and enabling faster active scan processing. Furthermore, frequency utilization efficiency can also be improved.

[0042] In S1002, the scan processing unit 301 determines whether there is an SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​that matches the candidate connection destination (e.g., AP) in the list of scan results in S1001.

[0043] If a consistent SSID is found (if S1002 is "YES"), the process proceeds to S1003. Here, the SSID is an identifier used to identify the AP, and the scanning processing unit 301 may have information in advance that matches the SSID of the candidate connection destination (e.g., AP). Alternatively, the information related to the candidate connection destination (e.g., AP) may be recorded in the connection history stored by the STA, or the vehicle carrying the STA may be a pre-approved vehicle, and the above information may have been pre-registered. Alternatively, the STA may obtain information about nearby APs from GPS (Global Positioning System) location information or navigation information, or from other communication paths such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) and / or DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications), or from the Internet.

[0044] Furthermore, when there are multiple identical SSIDs, the scanning processing unit 301 receives signals from APs corresponding to each of the multiple identical SSIDs, compares the quality of the received signals, and can determine the AP that sent the best quality received signal as a candidate communication target, or determine the AP that can be judged to have the longest connection time as a candidate communication target. In addition, as an example of "quality (received signal quality)," SNR (Signal Noise Ratio) and RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) can be listed.

[0045] On the other hand, if there is no consistent SSID, or if the probe exchange fails (in the case of "NO" in S1002), the process is transferred to S1013.

[0046] In S1003, the joining processing unit 302 performs the joining process. For example, in the joining process, the joining processing unit 302 again receives the DMG beacon from the AP determined in S1002, and sets a timer (e.g., a join failure timer) for synchronization with the AP, waiting for the joining to complete. For example, the timer waiting for the joining to complete can be set to a time that is an integer multiple of the beacon interval (BI) plus a predetermined synchronization time. Then, the process proceeds to S1004.

[0047] In S1004, the error handling unit 305 determines whether the joining has been successful by receiving the DMG beacon again and completing synchronization with the AP. If the joining was successful (if S1004 is "yes"), the process proceeds to S1005. On the other hand, if the joining was unsuccessful (failed) (if S1004 is "no"), the process proceeds to S1009.

[0048] For example, joining failures include situations where the join completion timer times out, and situations where the join failure is determined before the join completion timer times out. Examples of join completion timer timeouts include situations such as deteriorated communication environment, communication loss due to vehicles obstructing the path between the AP and STA, and failure to receive DMG beacons due to being outside the communication area.

[0049] In S1005, the association processing unit 303 performs association processing. For example, the association processing unit 303 sets a timer (e.g., an authentication timer) to wait for the association to complete, and performs an association exchange. For example, the timer to wait for the association to complete can be set to approximately the duration of the BFT and the association exchange completion (e.g., tens of milliseconds). Then, the process proceeds to S1006.

[0050] In S1006, the error handling unit 305 determines whether the association exchange has been completed (successfully). If the association exchange has been completed (successfully) and a connection permission has been obtained from the AP (if S1006 is "Yes"), the process proceeds to S1007. On the other hand, if the association exchange fails (if S1006 is "No"), the process proceeds to S1009.

[0051] For example, association failure can occur when the association completion timer times out, and / or when the association is deemed unsuccessful before the timer expires. The association completion timer timeout can occur, for example, due to a deterioration in the communication environment during the association exchange, communication loss caused by vehicles obstructing the path between the AP and STA, and / or continuous packet reception errors due to being outside the communication area. Conversely, a failure to be deemed unsuccessful before the association completion timer times out can occur, for example, due to incorrect password settings leading to AP connection rejection (e.g., referred to as "Association Reject"), or due to unauthorized access from a third party.

[0052] In S1007, the handshake processing unit 304 performs key generation processing for encrypted data communication (e.g., a four-way handshake). For example, the handshake processing unit 304 sets a timer (e.g., an authentication timer) to wait for the key generation processing (four-way handshake) to complete. For example, the timer for waiting for the key generation processing (four-way handshake) to complete can be set to approximately tens of milliseconds. Then, the process proceeds to S1008.

[0053] In S1008, the error handling unit 305 determines whether the four-way handshake has been completed (successfully). If the four-way handshake has been completed (successfully) (if S1008 is "yes"), the AP-STA enters a wireless connection state. Figure 4The illustrated process ends. Afterwards, encrypted data communication using the wireless connection (Layer 2) can proceed. In fact, for data communication to occur, negotiation at Layer 3 or higher (DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) or DNS (Domain Name System), TLS (Transport Layer Security) / SSL (Secure Socket Layer), etc.) will begin. On the other hand, if the four-way handshake fails (S1008 is "No"), the process proceeds to S1009.

[0054] For example, a four-way handshake failure could occur if the timer for waiting for key generation processing to complete times out, and / or if the handshake is deemed to have failed before the timer expires. A timer expired for key generation processing to complete times out could be due to a deteriorated communication environment during the four-way handshake process, communication being interrupted by vehicles obstructing the path between the AP and STA, and / or continuous packet reception errors occurring because the user is outside the communication area. Conversely, a handshake being deemed to have failed before the timer expires could be due to the AP refusing the connection because of incorrect password settings (e.g., a "related rejection"), or due to unauthorized access from a third party.

[0055] In S1009, the error cause determination unit 306 determines whether the failure cause of S1004, S1006 and S1008 is a timer timeout.

[0056] If the failure is due to a timer timeout (if S1009 is "Yes"), the process proceeds to S1001.

[0057] On the other hand, if the failure is not due to a timer timeout (in the case of "No" in S1009), the process proceeds to S1010.

[0058] Because there may be other APs that agree to the association exchange, in S1010, the latency processing unit 307 adds the BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier) ​​of the failed AP to the STA's blacklist. Then, the process moves to S1011.

[0059] In S1011, the latency processing unit 307 determines whether the blacklist already contains a BSSID identical to the BSSID added in S1010. In other words, in S1011, the latency processing unit 307 determines whether the BSSID added in S1010 is the BSSID of an AP that was previously added to the blacklist.

[0060] If a BSSID identical to the one added in S1010 already exists in the blacklist (if S1011 is "Yes"), the process proceeds to S1012. If no BSSID identical to the one added in S1010 exists in the blacklist (if S1011 is "No"), the process proceeds to S1001.

[0061] The case where S1011 is "Yes" corresponds to the situation where the BSSID added in S1010 has been added to the blacklist multiple times. This situation indicates difficulty in connecting to other APs, or that attempts to connect to other APs have already been made. Therefore, in S1012, the delay processing unit 307 increases the delay so that the scan does not immediately continue. Alternatively, a process can be added to extend the delay time each time the number of times the BSSID is added to the blacklist increases. After the standby time ends, the process proceeds to S1001.

[0062] In S1013, the delay processing unit 307 generates a standby time, for example, to suppress power consumption, which is the standby time of the scan interval when no AP is detected. Therefore, after waiting for the set interval, that is, the interval until rescanning, the process transfers to S1001. Then, rescanning is performed.

[0063] Furthermore, the delay processing unit 307 can also shorten the scanning interval. By shortening the scanning interval, the transfer to S1001 can be accelerated.

[0064] Alternatively, the delay processing unit 307 may change the timeout value set by the scan processing unit 301, taking into account that the number of search objects may change depending on the number of SSIDs registered in the blacklist.

[0065] Alternatively, the error handling unit 305 and the error cause determination unit 306 may change the timeout value set for each of the processing units in the addition processing unit 302, association processing unit 303 and handshake processing unit 304, taking into account that the number of search objects may change depending on the number of SSIDs registered in the blacklist.

[0066] like Figure 4As shown, the scanning processing unit 301 (an example of a "processing circuit") of the STA ("an example of a wireless communication device") scans for candidate connection destinations for wireless connections. Next, the error handling unit 305, the error cause determination unit 306, and the delay processing unit 307 (an example of a "control circuit") determine the start time of the second initial connection process based on the cause of failure if the initial connection processing (first initial connection processing) for a candidate connection destination fails. Furthermore, in addition to timeout, the cause of failure could be a lack of response even after multiple retransmissions of connection processing packets, or, in millimeter-wave communication, a failure to receive a beacon within a certain period.

[0067] In this embodiment, the STA executes the processes included in the initial connection process and determines the start time of the initial connection process (e.g., the standby time until the start) based on, for example, whether the executed process fails due to timeout. According to this structure, for example, in the event of a timeout due to communication environment degradation, the connection destination of the processing object will not be added to the blacklist, thus avoiding increased latency and shortening (speeding up) the initial connection time.

[0068] For example, suppose a STA implements a process of adding APs as connection destinations to a blacklist with the aim of improving the efficiency of the scanning process by excluding APs with certain problems as connection destinations from the scanned objects. These problems might include, for example, not having an external internet connection, deliberately avoiding connecting to free Wi-Fi due to security concerns, or having significantly slower communication speeds than other APs when multiple APs are present. In mobile environments like V2X communication, continuous packet errors may occur. Therefore, sometimes APs that are connectable in static environments, where packet errors are unlikely, may also be added to the blacklist, increasing penalty latency.

[0069] According to this embodiment, in the event of a timeout due to deterioration of the communication environment, the AP can be prevented from being added to the blacklist and the increase in latency can be avoided, thus shortening the initial connection time (speeding up the process). For example, even in mobile environments, connectivity can be improved and the time available for data communication can be ensured, thereby improving data traffic and frequency utilization efficiency. Furthermore, in cases where the AP refuses to connect due to reasons such as password and / or encryption settings, the AP will be added to the blacklist, thus maintaining scanning efficiency.

[0070] Furthermore, although V2X communication has been described in the above embodiments, this disclosure is not limited to V2X communication. For example, this disclosure can also be applied to communication environments different from V2X communication, i.e., environments that are prone to packet errors (e.g., environments with many obstructions between AP and STA, communication near the cell edge or at the null point).

[0071] Furthermore, the action example shown in the above embodiment is just one example and can be appropriately modified. Hereinafter, variations of the action will be described.

[0072] (Variation Example 1)

[0073] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the vehicle-mounted device 1000 according to a modified example 1 of this embodiment. Furthermore, in Figure 5 In China, sometimes with Figure 4 The same treatments are given the same labels and the explanations are omitted.

[0074] Because there may be other APs with the same association, in S2009, similar to S1010, the latency processing unit 307 adds the BSSID of the failed AP to the STA's blacklist. By adding it to the blacklist, the aforementioned AP can be excluded from the objects of a re-executed scan, thus enabling faster rescanning.

[0075] In S2010, similar to S1009, the error cause determination unit 306 determines whether the failure cause of S1004, S1006, and S1008 is a timer timeout.

[0076] If the failure is due to a timer timeout (if S2010 is "Yes"), the process proceeds to S2011.

[0077] If the failure is not due to a timer timeout (in the case of "No" in S2010), the process proceeds to S2012.

[0078] In S2011, the latency processing unit 307 removes the BSSID that was added to the blacklist in S2009 (clears the blacklist). Then, the process moves to S2012.

[0079] In S2012, the latency processing unit 307 determines whether the blacklist already contains a BSSID identical to the BSSID added in S2009. In other words, the latency processing unit 307 determines whether the BSSID added in S2009 is the BSSID of an AP that was previously added to the blacklist.

[0080] If a BSSID identical to the one added in S2009 already exists in the blacklist (if S2012 is "Yes"), the process proceeds to S2013. If no BSSID identical to the one added in S2009 exists in the blacklist (if S2012 is "No"), the process proceeds to S1001. In S2013, similarly to S1012, the delay processing unit 307 adds a delay so that the scan does not immediately continue.

[0081] As mentioned above, in Figure 5 In the example, if the failure reason is a timer timeout (if S2010 is "Yes"), the BSSID added to the blacklist in S2009 is removed from the blacklist. Therefore, if the failure reason is a timer timeout (if S2010 is "Yes"), the BSSID added in S2009 will not become the BSSID of an AP that was previously added to the blacklist. In other words, if the failure reason is a timer timeout (if S2010 is "Yes"), S2012 becomes "No".

[0082] In this modified example 1, when a timeout occurs due to factors such as deterioration of the communication environment, the connection destination of the processing object will not be added to the blacklist, thus avoiding increased latency and shortening (speeding up) the initial connection time.

[0083] (Variation Example 2)

[0084] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of functional blocks in the CPU 104 of the vehicle-mounted device 1000 according to a modified example 2 of this embodiment. Furthermore, in Figure 6 In China, sometimes with Figure 3 The same structure is given the same label and the description is omitted.

[0085] CPU 104 includes a scan processing unit 301, an add processing unit 302, an association processing unit 303, a handshake processing unit 304, an error processing unit 305, an error cause determination unit 401, a scan list determination unit 402, and a delay processing unit 307. The processing of each structure will be explained together with the operation example of the vehicle-mounted device 1000 shown below.

[0086] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the vehicle-mounted device 1000 in Modification 2 of this embodiment. Furthermore, in Figure 7 In China, sometimes with Figure 4 The same treatments are given the same labels and the explanations are omitted.

[0087] In S3009, the error cause determination unit 401 determines whether the failure cause of S1004, S1006, and S1008 is a timer timeout.

[0088] If the failure is due to a timer timeout (if S3009 is "Yes"), the process proceeds to S3010.

[0089] On the other hand, if the failure is not due to a timer timeout (in the case of "No" in S3009), the process proceeds to S1010.

[0090] In S3010, the scan list determination unit 402 determines whether the scan result list of S1001 retains the BSSID corresponding to the AP (candidate connection destination) to which the user wants to connect.

[0091] If the BSSID corresponding to the AP to be connected is retained in the list of scan results (if S3010 is "Yes"), the process proceeds to S1003.

[0092] If the BSSID corresponding to the AP to be connected is not retained in the list of scan results (if S3010 is "No"), the process proceeds to S1001.

[0093] As mentioned above, in Figure 7 In the example, if the BSSID to be connected is retained in the list of scan results, the scan processing of S1001 (as well as S1002 and S1013) is skipped.

[0094] In this modified example 2, when a timeout occurs due to factors such as communication environment degradation, the connection destination of the processing object will not be added to the blacklist, thus avoiding increased latency and shortening the initial connection time (speeding up the process). Furthermore, according to this structure, since the scanning process can be omitted, the initial connection time can be further shortened (speeding up the process).

[0095] For example, during the period when the desired BSSID is retained in the scan result list in S1002, the scan processing steps (S1001 and S1002) can be skipped. In addition, by allowing a certain STA to skip the scan processing, the exchange of packets such as probe switching can be reduced. Therefore, interference in the exchange of packets of STAs around that STA can be reduced, thereby improving the scanning efficiency of STAs around that STA.

[0096] Furthermore, while examples of communication using infrastructure mode based on IEEE 802.11ad and / or IEEE 802.11ay, which are 60GHz millimeter-wave communication standards, have been shown in the above embodiments, this disclosure is not limited thereto. This disclosure can be applied to communication standards different from the aforementioned communication standards, and also to communications using modes different from infrastructure mode (e.g., ad-Hoc mode).

[0097] Furthermore, the terminology used to represent each signal (each group) in the above embodiments is an example, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, groups can also be replaced with slots, time slots, micro-slots, frames, subframes, etc.

[0098] In addition, the terms “…part”, “…device”, and “…apparatus” in the above embodiments can also be “…circuitry”, “…assembly”, “…device”, “…unit”, or “…module”.

[0099] This disclosure can be implemented in software, hardware, or software in cooperation with hardware. The functional blocks used in the above embodiments are implemented partially or wholly as LSIs (Large Scale Integration), and the processes described in the above embodiments can also be controlled partially or wholly by a single LSI or a combination of LSIs. An LSI can be composed of individual chips, or it can be composed of a single chip containing some or all of the functional blocks. An LSI may also include data input and output. Depending on the degree of integration, an LSI may also be referred to as an "IC (Integrated Circuit)," "System LSI," "Super LSI," or "Ultra LSI."

[0100] The method of integrating LSIs is not limited to LSIs; it can also be implemented using dedicated circuits, general-purpose processors, or special-purpose processors. Alternatively, LSIs can be used to fabricate programmable FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), or reconfigurable processors that allow for reconfiguration of the connections or settings of the internal circuit blocks of an LSI. This invention can also be implemented for digital or analog processing.

[0101] Furthermore, if advancements in semiconductor technology or the emergence of other derivative technologies lead to integrated circuit technologies that can replace LSIs, these technologies could also be used to integrate functional blocks. There are also possibilities for applications such as biotechnology.

[0102] This invention can be implemented in all kinds of devices, apparatuses, and systems with communication capabilities (collectively referred to as "communication devices"). A communication device may also include a wireless transceiver and processing / control circuitry. The wireless transceiver may also include a receiving unit and a transmitting unit, or perform the functions of these units. The wireless transceiver (transmitting unit, receiving unit) may also include an RF (Radio Frequency) module and one or more antennas. The RF module may also include an amplifier, an RF modulator / demodulator, or similar devices. Non-limiting examples of communication devices include: telephones (mobile phones, smartphones, etc.), tablet computers, personal computers (PCs) (laptops, desktops, laptops, etc.), cameras (digital cameras, digital camcorders, etc.), digital players (digital audio / video players, etc.), wearable devices (wearable cameras, smartwatches, tracking devices, etc.), game consoles, e-book readers, remote health / telemedicine (remote healthcare / medical prescription) devices, vehicles or transportation vehicles with communication capabilities (cars, airplanes, ships, etc.), and combinations of the various devices described above.

[0103] Communication devices are not limited to portable or movable devices, but also include all kinds of devices, equipment, and systems that cannot be carried or fixed. Examples include: smart home devices (home appliances, lighting equipment, smart meters or meters, control panels, etc.), vending machines, and all other "things" that can exist on the IoT (Internet of Things) network.

[0104] In addition to data communication via cellular systems, wireless LAN (Local Area Network) systems, and communication satellite systems, communication also includes data communication via a combination of these systems.

[0105] In addition, the communication device also includes devices such as controllers or sensors that are connected or linked to the communication equipment performing the communication functions described in this invention. For example, it includes controllers or sensors that generate control signals or data signals used by the communication equipment performing the communication functions of the communication device.

[0106] In addition, the communication device includes infrastructure equipment that communicates with or controls the various devices described above (not limited to these), such as base stations, access points, and all other devices, equipment, and systems.

[0107] A wireless communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a processing circuit that scans candidate connection destinations for wireless connections; and a control circuit that, in the event that a first initial connection process for the candidate connection destination fails, determines a start time for a second initial connection process based on the cause of the failure, wherein the processing circuit scans the candidate connection destination based on the start time of the second initial connection process.

[0108] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the reason is a timeout of the first process included in the first initial connection process, and the control circuit determines the start timing based on whether the first process failed due to a timeout.

[0109] In one embodiment of this disclosure, if the first process fails due to timeout, the control circuit does not increase the standby time up to the start time of the second initial connection process.

[0110] In one embodiment of this disclosure, if the first process fails due to timeout, the control circuit determines whether to omit the scanning process in the second initial connection process based on the list of connection destinations of the wireless communication device.

[0111] In one embodiment of this disclosure, if the first process does not fail due to timeout, the control circuit determines the start timing based on a list of connection destinations excluded from the processing objects of the initial connection process.

[0112] In one embodiment of this disclosure, if the first process fails due to timeout, the control circuit removes the connection destination that was the processing object of the first initial connection process from a list of connection destinations excluded from the processing object of the first initial connection process.

[0113] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first process is at least one of the following: a process for synchronizing between the wireless communication device and the communication object of the wireless communication device, an association process between the wireless communication device and the communication object, and a key generation process for performing encrypted data communication.

[0114] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the control circuit shortens the scan processing time included in the initial connection process.

[0115] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the control circuit changes the timeout value of the first process.

[0116] In a wireless communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a wireless communication device scans candidate connection destinations for wireless connections. If a first initial connection process for a candidate connection destination fails, a start time for a second initial connection process is determined based on the reason for the failure, and the candidate connection destinations are scanned based on the start time of the second initial connection process.

[0117] The entire contents of the specification, drawings and abstract of the specification contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-127570, filed on July 28, 2020, are incorporated herein by reference.

[0118] Industrial applicability

[0119] One embodiment of this disclosure is useful for mobile communication systems.

[0120] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0121] 101, 201 communication device

[0122] 102, 202 interface (IF) circuit

[0123] 103 and 203 memory

[0124] 104, 204CPU(central processing unit)

[0125] 301 Scanning Processing Department

[0126] 302 Added to Processing Department

[0127] 303 Related Processing Department

[0128] 304 Handshake Processing Department

[0129] 305 Error Handling Department

[0130] 306 and 401 Error Root Cause Determination Section

[0131] 307 Delay Processing Department

[0132] 402 Scan List Determination Department

[0133] 1000 vehicle-mounted equipment

[0134] 2000 roadside equipment

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, characterized in that, include: The processing circuitry scans for potential wireless connection destinations. as well as If the first initial connection process for the candidate connection destination fails, the control circuit determines the timing for starting the second initial connection process based on the reason for the failure. The processing circuit scans the candidate connection destinations based on the start timing of the second initial connection process.

2. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The reason is the timeout of the first process included in the first initial connection process. The control circuit determines the start time based on whether the first process failed due to a timeout.

3. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, If the first process fails due to timeout, the control circuit does not increase the standby time up to the start time of the second initial connection process.

4. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, If the first process fails due to timeout, the control circuit determines whether to omit the scanning process in the second initial connection process based on the list of connection destinations of the wireless communication device.

5. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, If the first process does not fail due to timeout, the control circuit determines the start timing based on a list of connection destinations excluded from the processing objects of the initial connection process.

6. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, If the first process fails due to timeout, the control circuit will remove the connection destination that was the processing object of the first initial connection process from the following list, which is a list of connection destinations excluded from the processing object of the first initial connection process.

7. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, If the first process fails due to timeout, the control circuit will not add the connection destination that was the processing object of the first initial connection process to the following list, which is a list of connection destinations excluded from the processing object of the first initial connection process.

8. The wireless communication device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein, The first process is at least one of the following: a process for synchronizing between the wireless communication device and the communication object of the wireless communication device, an association process between the wireless communication device and the communication object, and a key generation process for performing encrypted data communication.

9. The wireless communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The control circuit shortens the scanning time included in the initial connection process.

10. The wireless communication device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein, The control circuit changes the timeout value of the first process.

11. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: The wireless communication device scans candidate connection destinations for wireless connections. If the first initial connection processing for a candidate connection destination fails, it determines the start time of a second initial connection processing based on the reason for the failure, and scans the candidate connection destination based on the start time of the second initial connection processing.

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