Communication control device and communication control method

Abstract

To allow communication to be performed using an empty channel according to the usage status of a plurality of frequency channels.SOLUTION: A communication device includes a control unit that performs control to generate channel information about frequency channels that can transmit data and bandwidth information about the bandwidth of a frequency used for data transmission, transmit a request signal including the generated channel information and bandwidth information to another communication device using a frequency channel selected from the frequency channels that can transmit, and transmit data to the other communication device using the frequency channel selected as a frequency channel that can be received by the other communication device. The present technique can be applied to, for example, a wireless LAN system.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present technology relates to a communication device, and more particularly to a communication device capable of performing communication on a vacant channel depending on the usage status of a plurality of frequency channels. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional wireless LAN (Local Area Network) systems have been designed as communication methods conforming to the IEEE802.11a and IEEE802.11g standards, which use OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), with a basic frequency bandwidth of 20 MHz defined as one frequency channel.

[0003] However, due to the need to increase communication speeds, the successor standard, IEEE802.11n, adopted a technique for transmitting data simultaneously on two adjacent frequency channels.

[0004] Furthermore, in order to accommodate higher speeds, the IEEE802.11ac standard adopts channel bonding technology that combines and utilizes more frequency channels, and discloses technology that allows the simultaneous use of up to eight channels and a frequency bandwidth of up to 160 MHz.

[0005] As such, it is expected that the demand for higher speeds will continue to increase in the future, and it is anticipated that communications will be carried out using even more frequency channels.

[0006] Furthermore, in a wireless LAN system, a technique related to communication using multiple frequency channels is known, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for selecting one frequency channel that can be used for both transmission and reception in a receiver from multiple frequency channels. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2017-533671 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Incidentally, when communicating using multiple frequency channels, it is expected that communication will be carried out on an available channel depending on the usage status of the multiple frequency channels. However, a method for selecting such an available channel to communicate has not been established, and there has been a demand for the establishment of such a method.

[0009] The present technology has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and makes it possible to carry out communication using vacant channels depending on the usage status of multiple frequency channels. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A communication device of one aspect of the present technology is a communication device that generates channel information regarding a frequency channel over which data can be transmitted, and bandwidth information regarding a bandwidth of a frequency used to transmit the data, transmits a request signal including the generated channel information and bandwidth information to another communication device using a frequency channel selected from the transmittable frequency channels, and is equipped with a control unit that controls the transmission of the data to the other communication device using a frequency channel selected as a frequency channel receivable by the other communication device.

[0011] In a communication device according to one aspect of the present technology, channel information regarding a frequency channel via which data can be transmitted, and bandwidth information regarding a frequency bandwidth to be used for transmitting the data are generated, and a request signal including the generated channel information and bandwidth information is transmitted to another communication device using a frequency channel selected from the transmittable frequency channels, and the data is transmitted to the other communication device using a frequency channel selected as a frequency channel receivable by the other communication device.

[0012] A communication device according to one aspect of the present technology is a communication device that receives a request signal transmitted from another communication device, the request signal including channel information regarding a frequency channel on which the other communication device can transmit data and bandwidth information regarding the bandwidth of the frequency used to transmit the data, using a frequency channel selected from the transmittable frequency channels, selects a receivable frequency channel from the transmittable frequency channels based on the channel information and bandwidth information contained in the received request signal, and is equipped with a control unit that performs control to transmit a response signal to the other communication device using the selected receivable frequency channel.

[0013] In a communication device according to one aspect of the present technology, a request signal transmitted from another communication device, the request signal including channel information regarding a frequency channel over which the other communication device can transmit data and bandwidth information regarding a frequency bandwidth used to transmit the data, is received using a frequency channel selected from the transmittable frequency channels, a receivable frequency channel is selected from the transmittable frequency channels based on the channel information and bandwidth information contained in the received request signal, and a response signal is transmitted to the other communication device using the selected receivable frequency channel.

[0014] A communication device according to one aspect of the present technology is a communication device that uses a first frequency channel to transmit data to another communication device, generates a request signal for requesting confirmation of successful reception of the data, the request signal including channel information regarding a frequency channel over which the other communication device can transmit a confirmation signal, and has a control unit that controls transmission of the generated request signal to the other communication device using a second frequency channel selected from the transmittable frequency channels.

[0015] In a communication device according to one aspect of the present technology, data is transmitted to another communication device using a first frequency channel, a request signal is generated to request confirmation of successful reception of the data, the request signal including channel information regarding a frequency channel over which the other communication device can transmit a confirmation signal, and the generated request signal is transmitted to the other communication device using a second frequency channel selected from the transmittable frequency channels.

[0016] A communication device according to one aspect of the present technology is a communication device that receives data transmitted from another communication device using a first frequency channel, receives a request signal transmitted from the other communication device using a second frequency channel, the request signal being a signal for requesting confirmation of normal reception of the data and including channel information regarding a frequency channel capable of transmitting a confirmation signal, and, if the data is received normally, is equipped with a control unit that selects a frequency channel from the transmittable frequency channels based on the channel information included in the received request signal, and controls the transmission of the confirmation signal to the other communication device using the selected frequency channel.

[0017] In a communication device of one aspect of the present technology, a first frequency channel is used to receive data transmitted from another communication device, and a second frequency channel is used to receive a request signal transmitted from the other communication device, the request signal being a signal for requesting confirmation of normal reception of the data and including channel information regarding a frequency channel capable of transmitting a confirmation signal, and if the data is received normally, a frequency channel is selected from the transmittable frequency channels based on the channel information included in the received request signal, and the confirmation signal is transmitted to the other communication device using the selected frequency channel.

[0018] Note that the communication device according to one aspect of the present technology may be an independent device, or may be an internal block constituting a single device. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to one aspect of the present technology, communication can be performed using a vacant channel depending on the usage status of a plurality of frequency channels.

[0020] Note that the effects described herein are not necessarily limited to those described herein, and may be any of the effects described in this disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a wireless network configuration. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of access control in a wireless network according to a current method. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of access control of a wireless network according to the new method. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement of frequency channels available in a wireless LAN system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-channel access control procedure according to the new method. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data frame. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a multi-channel RTS frame to which the present technology is applied. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of parameters of channel information in a bitmap format of a map. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of parameters of bandwidth information. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a CTS frame. [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a multi-channel BAR frame to which the present technology is applied. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of the configuration of a Block Ack frame. [Figure 13] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication device to which the present technology is applied. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication module. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a communication device on the data transmitting side. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a communication device on the data transmitting side. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a communication device on a data receiving side. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a communication device on a data receiving side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings. The description will be given in the following order.

[0023] 1. Embodiments of the present technology 2. Variations

[0024] <1. Embodiment of the present technology>

[0025] As mentioned earlier, conventional wireless LAN systems have been able to support higher communication speeds by, for example, adopting technology to send data simultaneously over two adjacent frequency channels, or by adopting channel bonding technology that allows up to eight channels with a frequency bandwidth of up to 160 MHz to be used simultaneously. However, as demand for even higher speeds is expected to continue to grow, it is anticipated that communications will be carried out using even more frequency channels.

[0026] In these wireless LAN systems, the conventional communication method using multi-channels (multiple frequency channels) was configured such that when a predetermined access control was performed on the primary channel to enable access to the transmission path, if no other secondary channels were being used, communication could be performed using the secondary channels in addition to the primary channel.

[0027] For example, the configuration disclosed in the following document A discloses a technology in which, when an access point (AP) performs multi-user transmission to multiple terminals, it transmits channel information previously assigned to each terminal as an RTS (Request to Send) frame (multi-user RTS) on the primary channel, and transmits data upon receipt of a CTS (Clear to Send) frame from each terminal.

[0028] Document A: International Publication No. 2016 / 143718

[0029] In addition, as an access control method in conventional wireless LAN systems, a technology is widely used that grasps the usage status of a transmission path by carrier detection and enables transmission when the transmission path has not been used for a specified period of time.

[0030] Furthermore, to ensure proper signal reception at the receiving communication device, an access control procedure based on virtual carrier sensing is defined in which RTS and CTS frames are exchanged prior to data transmission and a network allocation vector (NAV) is set in surrounding communication devices.

[0031] However, when transmitting data using multiple frequency channels, there is a problem in that, due to the existence of conventional wireless LAN systems, it is necessary to grasp the usage status of each frequency channel with a bandwidth of 20 MHz.

[0032] In particular, when a receiving communication device is in the vicinity of the communication device itself due to the setting of the network allocation vector (NAV), a problem occurs in that the communication device cannot transmit even if it does not detect a signal.

[0033] In the conventional setting of the network allocation vector (NAV), the network allocation vector (NAV) is set for the duration of the duration described in both the RTS frame and the CTS frame. Therefore, even if the communication device that transmitted the RTS frame did not detect the use of the transmission path, if the communication device that transmitted the CTS frame detected a signal or the network allocation vector (NAV) was set by a signal from an adjacent basic service set (BSS), the CTS frame could not be returned (reply), and data could not be transmitted or received.

[0034] Furthermore, when an RTS frame is sent from the source communication device, a network allocation vector (NAV) is set in the surrounding area, so that other communication devices cannot transmit for the duration of the Duration even though no data is being sent or received.

[0035] In the configuration for allocating frequency channels in a multi-user RTS disclosed in the above-mentioned document A, the data transmission channel is allocated in advance to each terminal by the access point, and unless a network allocation vector (NAV) is set from a communication device of an overlapping basic service set (BSS) on the terminal side, the multi-user RTS cannot respond to a CTS frame, and furthermore, data cannot be transmitted, resulting in the problem that the frequency channel cannot be utilized effectively.

[0036] Furthermore, when requesting the return (reply) of an ACK (Acknowledgement) frame after completing data transmission, if a communication device in another overlapping network is receiving data, there is a problem that the transmission of the ACK frame will collide with that reception.

[0037] This technology solves the above-mentioned problems and proposes a communication method (new scheme) for communicating using vacant channels depending on the usage status of multiple frequency channels.

[0038] That is, in a communication method (new method) to which the present technology is applied, a communication device (e.g., a base station) that transmits data generates a request signal (e.g., a request frame such as an MCH_RTS frame) that includes information on a transmittable frequency channel selected from available frequency channels (hereinafter referred to as channel information) and information on the bandwidth of the frequency (number of frequency channels) used for transmitting the data (hereinafter referred to as bandwidth information), and transmits the generated request signal to a communication device (e.g., a terminal station) that receives the data.

[0039] On the other hand, a communication device (e.g., a terminal station) that is the data receiver receives a request signal (e.g., an MCH_RTS frame) transmitted from a communication device (e.g., a base station), selects a receivable frequency channel from among the transmittable frequency channels based on the channel information and bandwidth information contained in the received request signal, and transmits a response signal (e.g., a response frame such as a CTS frame) to the communication device (e.g., a base station) using the selected receivable frequency channel.

[0040] Then, the communication device (e.g., a base station) that is the data transmitter receives a response signal (e.g., a CTS frame) transmitted from the receiving communication device (e.g., a terminal station), and transmits data (e.g., a data frame) to the receiving communication device (e.g., the terminal station) using a frequency channel selected as a frequency channel that can be received by the receiving communication device (e.g., the terminal station).

[0041] In this case, by transmitting a CTS frame, which is used in the current method, as a response frame (response signal), the surrounding communication devices are notified of reception availability, and a network allocation vector (NAV) corresponding to the reception duration is set, thereby making it possible to reliably receive data on that channel.

[0042] In addition, in a communication method (new method) to which the present technology is applied, a communication device (e.g., a base station) that is a data transmitting side transmits data (e.g., a data frame) to a communication device (e.g., a terminal station) that is a receiving side using a first frequency channel (e.g., frequency channels f3 and f4). On the other hand, the communication device (e.g., a terminal station) that is a data receiving side receives data (e.g., a data frame) transmitted from the communication device (e.g., a base station) that is a transmitting side using the first frequency channel (e.g., frequency channels f3 and f4).

[0043] Next, the communication device (e.g., a base station) that is the data sender generates a request signal (e.g., a request frame such as a BAR frame) which is a signal for requesting confirmation (e.g., an ACK frame) of normal reception of the data (e.g., a data frame), and which includes information (channel information) regarding a transmittable frequency channel (e.g., a frequency channel on which the receiving communication device (e.g., a terminal station) can transmit a confirmation signal (e.g., an ACK frame)) selected from the available frequency channels, and transmits the generated request signal (e.g., a BAR frame) using a second frequency channel (e.g., a frequency channel f1 different from frequency channels f3 and f4).

[0044] On the other hand, a communication device (e.g., a terminal station) receiving data receives a request signal (e.g., a BAR frame) transmitted from a communication device (e.g., a base station) using a second frequency channel (e.g., frequency channel f1), and if the data (e.g., a data frame) is received successfully, selects a frequency channel from among the transmittable frequency channels based on the channel information contained in the received request signal, and transmits an acknowledgement signal (e.g., an ACK frame) to the communication device (e.g., a base station) using the selected frequency channel.

[0045] In this case, the request frame (request signal) is a BAR (Block Ack Request) frame, and the response frame is an ACK frame used in the current method, thereby making it possible to reliably return an ACK frame.

[0046] The following describes in detail the communication method (new method) to which this technology is applied.

[0047] (Example of wireless network configuration) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless network.

[0048] 1, a wireless network of a basic service set BSS is composed of a base station AP10, a terminal station STA11, and a terminal station STA12. Furthermore, a wireless network of an adjacent overlapping basic service set OBSS is composed of a base station AP20, a terminal station STA21, and a terminal station STA22.

[0049] In FIG. 1, terminal station STA12 of the basic service set BSS and terminal station STA21 of the basic service set OBSS are located in positions where they can receive each other's signals (dotted arrow A1 in the figure), and the signal transmission by these terminal stations STA causes interference with the reception by the other terminal station STA.

[0050] (Example of current access control) FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of wireless network access control according to the current method, assuming the wireless network configuration shown in FIG.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows access control sequences exchanged between base station AP10 and terminal station STA12 in the basic service set BSS, and between terminal station STA21 and base station AP20 in the basic service set OBSS, and is configured so that radio waves from adjacent terminal stations STA can reach each other.

[0052] That is, this shows a sequence in which an RTS frame and a CTS frame are exchanged prior to data transmission on the same frequency channel, data communication is performed using data frames, and then an ACK frame is returned.

[0053] Specifically, an RTS frame is transmitted from base station AP10 of the basic service set BSS and from base station AP20 of the basic service set OBSS (S1, S11), and terminal station STA12 and terminal station STA21 each respond to the RTS frame with a CTS frame (S2, S12).

[0054] Then, data communication is carried out between base station AP10 and terminal station STA12, and between base station AP20 and terminal station STA21 (S3, S13), respectively. However, if there is a difference in data transmission time, the timing of returning the ACK frame will differ, so that the return of the ACK frame from terminal station STA21 occurs while terminal station STA12 is receiving data (S14).

[0055] This causes a signal collision, and the terminal station STA12 becomes unable to receive data from the base station AP10.

[0056] (Example of access control using this technology) FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of wireless network access control according to the new method, assuming the wireless network configuration shown in FIG.

[0057] As in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 shows access control sequences exchanged between base station AP10 and terminal station STA12 in the basic service set BSS, and between terminal station STA21 and base station AP20 in the basic service set OBSS, and is configured so that radio waves from adjacent terminal stations STA can reach each other.

[0058] Here, an MCH_RTS frame is transmitted from the base station AP10 of the basic service set BSS and the base station AP20 of the basic service set OBSS on the same frequency channel (f1) (S21, S31).

[0059] The terminal stations STA12 and STA21 that received this MCH_RTS frame each select an available frequency channel and respond with a CTS frame. At this time, the terminal station STA12 returns a CTS frame using frequency channel (f3) (S22), while the terminal station STA21 returns a CTS frame using frequency channel (f2) (S32).

[0060] As a result, base station AP10 and base station AP20 receive the CTS frame on different frequency channels (f3, f2). Then, base station AP10 transmits a data frame using frequency channel (f3) (S23), while base station AP20 transmits a data frame using frequency channel (f2) (S33). Note that, here too, there is a difference in data transmission time.

[0061] Thereafter, when the time arrives for the terminal station STA21 to return an ACK frame to the base station AP20, since different frequency channels (f3, f2) are used here, the ACK frames can be exchanged without affecting reception at the terminal station STA12.

[0062] That is, the base station AP20 transmits an MCH_BAR frame to the terminal station STA21 using a predetermined frequency channel (f1) (S34). At this time, the terminal station STA21 detects the CTS frame on the frequency channel (f3), so it selects the remaining frequency channel (f2) and returns an ACK frame using the selected frequency channel (f2) (S35). At this time, a data frame is being transmitted from the base station AP10 to the terminal station STA12 (S23), but because the frequency channel (f3) is used to transmit the data frame, no signal collision occurs.

[0063] In this way, in the access control of a wireless network using this technology, at least channel information regarding available frequency channels is included in a request frame (e.g., an MCH_RTS frame or an MCH_BAR frame) sent from the base station AP, and a response frame (e.g., a CTS frame or an ACK frame) sent from the terminal station STA is returned on the frequency channel to be used, thereby preventing interference with other terminal stations STA in the overlapping network.

[0064] 3, an MCH_BAR frame is then transmitted from the base station AP10 to the terminal station STA12 using a predetermined frequency channel (f1) (S24), and the terminal station STA12 selects a frequency channel (f3) other than the frequency channel (f2) and returns an ACK frame using the selected frequency channel (f3) (S25). At this time, a data frame is transmitted from the base station AP20 to the terminal station STA21 (S36), but no signal collision occurs because the frequency channel (f2) is used to transmit the data frame.

[0065] (Example of frequency channel allocation) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement of frequency channels available in a wireless LAN system.

[0066] Figure 4 shows, for example, the channel arrangement in the 5 GHz band, which is a currently available frequency band. As shown in A of Figure 4, i.e., the top row, channels 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, and 64 are arranged from the lowest frequency in 20 MHz increments according to the center frequency. At even higher frequencies, channels 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 120, 124, 128, 132, 136, 140, and 144 are arranged in 20 MHz increments.

[0067] It should be noted that the ranges of these available frequency channels may differ from country to country since the available frequency bands legally regulated in each country are different.

[0068] FIG. 4B (second row) shows a configuration in which frequency channels are used in 40 MHz increments, with channels 38, 46, 54, and 62 being allocated at low frequencies and channels 102, 110, 118, 126, 134, and 142 being allocated at high frequencies according to the center frequency.

[0069] FIG. 4C (third row) shows a configuration in which frequency channels are used in 80 MHz units, with channels 42 and 58 being allocated at low frequencies and channels 106, 122, and 138 being allocated at high frequencies according to the center frequency.

[0070] FIG. 4D (fourth row) shows a configuration in which frequency channels are used in 160 MHz units, with channel 50 being allocated at low frequencies and channel 114 being allocated at high frequencies according to the center frequency.

[0071] In addition, Figure 4E (fifth row) and Figure 4F (sixth row) show configurations in which even more frequency channels are bundled together for use, showing the case in which all channels at the high frequency of 240 MHz are used, and the case in which a 320 MHz channel is used across low and high frequencies, respectively.

[0072] (Example of access control procedure of this technology) FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-channel access control procedure according to the new method.

[0073] For ease of explanation, FIG. 5 shows a procedure for implementing multi-channel access control using four frequency channels f1 to f4; however, the number of frequency channels is merely an example, and access control may be implemented using three or less or five or more frequency channels.

[0074] In A of FIG. 5, that is, the first row in the figure, the vertical axis represents frequency channel (f) and the horizontal axis represents time (t) as the operation of the base station AP10.

[0075] In A of Fig. 5, when the base station AP10 determines at time t11 that the frequency channels f1 to f4 that are not being used in the vicinity are available for its own transmission, it transmits an MCH_RTS frame ("MCH_RTS" in A of Fig. 5) including channel information and bandwidth information to the destination (receiving side) terminal station STA12 using a specific frequency channel f1. For example, this MCH_RTS frame describes frequency channels f1 to f4 as channel information, and describes two channels (e.g., 40 MHz) as bandwidth information.

[0076] Furthermore, at time t12, the base station AP10 waits for reception of a response frame (CTS frame) to the MCH_RTS frame as a request frame on frequency channels f1 to f4 that it has determined to be available for its own transmission, and in this example, receives a CTS frame ("Rx" in A of FIG. 5, which corresponds to "CTS" in B of FIG. 5) from the destination terminal station STA12 on frequency channels f3 and f4. As a result, between time t13 and time t14, the base station AP10 transmits a data frame ("Data" in A of FIG. 5) to the terminal station STA12 using frequency channels f3 and f4.

[0077] Also, at time t15, when the base station AP10 determines that the frequency channels f1 to f4 that are not being used in the surrounding area can be used for its own transmission, it transmits an MCH_BAR frame ("MCH_BAR" in A of FIG. 5) including channel information to the terminal station STA12 that was the destination of the data frame, using the predetermined frequency channel f1. For example, the frequency channels f1 to f4 are described as the channel information in this MCH_BAR frame.

[0078] However, the frequency channel (f3, f4) used when transmitting the data frame and the frequency channel (f1) used when transmitting the MCH_BAR frame are different frequency channels.

[0079] Then, at time t16, the base station AP10 waits to receive a response frame (ACK frame) to the MCH_BAR frame as a request frame on frequency channels f1 to f4 that it has determined to be available for its own transmission, and in this example, receives an ACK frame from the destination terminal station STA12 on frequency channel f3 ("Rx" in A of Figure 5, which corresponds to "ACK" in B of Figure 5).

[0080] In Fig. 5B (second row), the vertical axis represents frequency channel (f) and the horizontal axis represents time (t) as the operation of the terminal station STA12. Note that the horizontal axis of Fig. 5B (second row) also corresponds to the time series of the horizontal axis of Fig. 5A (first row), and times t22 to t27 of Fig. 5B correspond to times t11 to t16 of Fig. 5A, respectively.

[0081] In B of FIG. 5, when the terminal station STA12 receives a CTS frame ("Rx" in B of FIG. 5, corresponding to "CTS" in C of FIG. 5) from the surrounding terminal station STA21 on frequency channel f2 at time t21, it sets a network allocation vector ("BUSY / NAV" in B of FIG. 5) for the duration of the subsequent data reception on frequency channel f2.

[0082] Furthermore, at time t22, the terminal station STA12 receives an MCH_RTS frame ("Rx" in FIG. 5B corresponding to "MCH_RTS" in FIG. 5A) addressed to itself from the base station AP10 on a predetermined frequency channel f1. For example, this MCH_RTS frame describes frequency channels f1 to f4 as channel information, and describes two channels (e.g., 40 MHz) as bandwidth information.

[0083] Of the frequency channels f1 to f4 described in the channel information included in the MCH_RTS frame, the terminal station STA12 selects two channels (e.g., 20 MHz×2=40 MHz), f3 and f4, excluding frequency channel f2, as the frequency channels to be used, since the network allocation vector (NAV) is set for frequency channel f2. Here, by selecting multiple channels (multi-channels) instead of a single channel, for example, the reception time (transmission time) of a data frame can be shortened.

[0084] Then, at time t23, the terminal station STA12 uses the selected frequency channels f3 and f4 to transmit a CTS frame ("CTS" in FIG. 5B) to the base station AP10. As a result, between time t24 and time t25, the terminal station STA12 receives a data frame ("Rx" in FIG. 5B, which corresponds to "Data" in FIG. 5A) from the base station AP10 using frequency channels f3 and f4.

[0085] Furthermore, at time t26 after receiving the data frame, the terminal station STA12 waits for reception on frequency channels f1 to f4 that the base station AP10 previously designated as available, and in this example, receives an MCH_BAR frame ("Rx" in FIG. 5B corresponding to "MCH_BAR" in FIG. 5A) from the base station AP10 on the specified frequency channel f1. For example, the frequency channels f1 to f4 are written in this MCH_BAR frame as channel information.

[0086] Again, since the network allocation vector (NAV) is set for frequency channel f2, or since this is the timing when an ACK frame is received from the terminal station STA21, the terminal station STA12 selects frequency channel f3, excluding frequency channel f2, from among frequency channels f1 to f4. Then, at time t27, the terminal station STA12 transmits an ACK frame ("ACK" in FIG. 5B) to the base station AP10 using the selected frequency channel f3.

[0087] In Fig. 5C (third row), the vertical axis represents frequency channel (f) and the horizontal axis represents time (t) as the operation of the terminal station STA21. Note that the horizontal axis of Fig. 5C (third row) also corresponds to the time series of the horizontal axis of Fig. 5B (second row), and time t32 of Fig. 5C corresponds to time t21 of Fig. 5B, and time t34 of Fig. 5C corresponds to time t23 of Fig. 5B, respectively.

[0088] In C of Fig. 5, at time t31, terminal station STA21 receives an MCH_RTS frame ("Rx" in C of Fig. 5 corresponding to "MCH_RTS" in D of Fig. 5) addressed to itself from base station AP20 on a specific frequency channel f1. For example, this MCH_RTS frame describes frequency channels f1 to f4 as channel information, and one channel (e.g., 20 MHz) as bandwidth information.

[0089] Here, the terminal station STA21 selects one channel (eg, 20 MHz) of frequency channel f2, since there is no frequency channel being used in the vicinity among frequency channels f1 to f4 described in the channel information included in the MCH_RTS frame.

[0090] Then, at time t32, the terminal station STA21 uses the selected frequency channel f2 to transmit a CTS frame ("CTS" in FIG. 5C) to the base station AP20. As a result, between time t33 and time t35, the terminal station STA21 receives a data frame ("Rx" in FIG. 5C corresponding to "Data" in FIG. 5D) from the base station AP20 using the frequency channel f2.

[0091] However, here, the terminal station STA21 waits for reception on frequency channels f1 to f4 that the base station AP20 has designated as available for use, and in this example, when it receives a CTS frame from the surrounding terminal station STA12 on frequency channels f3 and f4 at time t34, it sets a network allocation vector for frequency channels f3 and f4 ("Rx" in FIG. 5C corresponding to "CTS" in FIG. 5B) for the duration of the subsequent data reception.

[0092] Then, at time t36 after receiving the data frame, the base station AP20 waits for reception on frequency channels f1 to f4 that it had previously designated as available, and in this example, receives an MCH_BAR frame from the base station AP20 on the specified frequency channel f1 ("Rx" in FIG. 5C corresponding to "MCH_BAR" in FIG. 5D). For example, the frequency channels f1 to f4 are written as channel information in this MCH_BAR frame.

[0093] Here, since the network allocation vector (NAV) is set for the frequency channels f3 and f4, the terminal station STA21 selects the frequency channel f2 excluding the frequency channels f3 and f4 from among the frequency channels f1 to f4. Then, at time t37, the terminal station STA21 transmits an ACK frame ("ACK" in FIG. 5C) to the base station AP20 using the selected frequency channel f2.

[0094] In Fig. 5D (fourth row), the vertical axis represents frequency channel (f) and the horizontal axis represents time (t) as the operation of the base station AP20. Note that the horizontal axis of Fig. 5D also corresponds to the time series of the horizontal axis of Fig. 5C (third row), and times t41 to t46 of Fig. 5D correspond to times t31 to t37 (excluding time t34) of Fig. 5C, respectively.

[0095] In D of Fig. 5, when the base station AP20 determines at time t41 that the frequency channels f1 to f4 that are not being used in the vicinity are available for its own transmission, it transmits an MCH_RTS frame ("MCH_RTS" in D of Fig. 5) including channel information and bandwidth information to the destination (receiving side) terminal station STA21 using a specific frequency channel f1. For example, this MCH_RTS frame describes frequency channels f1 to f4 as channel information, and one channel (e.g., 20 MHz) as bandwidth information.

[0096] Furthermore, at time t42, the base station AP20 waits for reception of a CTS frame in response to the MCH_RTS frame on frequency channels f1 to f4 that it has determined to be available for its own transmission, and in this example, receives a CTS frame from the destination terminal station STA21 on frequency channel f2 ("Rx" in FIG. 5D corresponding to "CTS" in FIG. 5C). As a result, between time t43 and time t44, the base station AP20 transmits a data frame ("Data" in FIG. 5D) to the terminal station STA21 using frequency channel f2.

[0097] Also, at time t45, when the base station AP20 determines that the frequency channels f1 to f4 that are not being used in the surrounding area can be used for its own transmission, it transmits an MCH_BAR frame ("MCH_BAR" in FIG. 5D) including channel information to the terminal station STA21 that was the destination of the data frame, using the predetermined frequency channel f1. For example, the frequency channels f1 to f4 are described as the channel information in this MCH_BAR frame.

[0098] However, the frequency channel (f2) used when transmitting a data frame and the frequency channel (f1) used when transmitting an MCH_BAR frame are different frequency channels.

[0099] Then, at time t46, base station AP20 waits to receive an ACK frame for the MCH_BAR frame on frequency channels f1 to f4 that it has determined to be available for its own transmission, and in this example, receives an ACK frame from the destination terminal station STA21 on frequency channel f2 ("Rx" in Figure 5D, which corresponds to "ACK" in Figure 5C).

[0100] As described above, in the multi-channel access control according to the present technology, when transmitting a data frame from the base station AP to the terminal station STA, an MCH_RTS frame including channel information and bandwidth information is transmitted, so that the data frame can be transmitted and received using an available channel (f3, f4, f2, etc.) according to the usage status of multiple frequency channels (f1 to f4, etc.). Also, when the base station AP receives an ACK frame from the terminal station STA, an MCH_BAR frame including channel information is transmitted, so that the ACK frame can be transmitted and received using an available channel (f3, f2, etc.) according to the usage status of multiple frequency channels (f1 to f4, etc.).

[0101] (Example of data frame configuration) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data frame.

[0102] The frame configuration shown in FIG. 6 is called an MPDU (MAC Protocol Data Unit), and is transmitted following a preamble signal of the PHY layer.

[0103] In FIG. 6, the data frame includes Frame Control, Duration, Address 1 to Address 4, Sequence Control, QoS Control, HT Control, Frame Body, and FCS.

[0104] Frame control information and the type of frame are described in Frame Control. Duration describes the duration of the frame. Address 1 to Address 4 describe address information for identifying the sender and receiver.

[0105] The Sequence Control field describes sequence number information for controlling the sequence of frames. The QoS Control field describes parameters for QoS control of frames. The HT Control field describes parameters for high throughput control.

[0106] This information is added to the data that is actually transmitted as a MAC header. In a data frame, the data portion that is actually transmitted is configured as a Frame Body for the MAC header, and an FCS (Frame Check Sequence) is added to the end for error detection.

[0107] (Example of MCH_RTS frame configuration) FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a multi-channel RTS frame (MCH_RTS frame) to which the present technology is applied.

[0108] In Figure 7, the MCH_RTS frame includes Frame Control, Duration, Transmit Address, Receive Address, Available Channel Map, Requirement Bandwidth, and FCS.

[0109] In other words, in addition to the current RTS frame's Duration, which indicates the duration of transmission, Transmit Address (TA), which indicates the sending address, Receive Address (RA), which indicates the receiving address, and FCS at the end of the frame, the MCH_RTS frame newly adds Available Channel Map and Requirement Bandwidth (parameters).

[0110] The Available Channel Map describes channel information on available frequency channels selected from available frequency channels, that is, frequency channels on which a transmitting communication device (e.g., a base station AP) can transmit data (e.g., data frames). For example, FIG. 8 shows an example of the Available Channel Map expressed in a bitmap format.

[0111] In Fig. 8, each bit of the 32-bit bitmap is represented by a number from 0 to 31. Here, the first bit 0 represents channel 36, the next bit 1 represents channel 40, ..., and the last bit 31 represents channel 160, and an available frequency channel is assigned to each bit. For example, in the Available Channel Map, among the available frequency channels represented by bits 0 to 31, the bit corresponding to a transmittable frequency channel can be set to "1", and the other bits can be set to "0".

[0112] Although the channel information is expressed in a bitmap format here, the format is not limited to this, and other formats may be adopted as the channel information as long as the format allows for specifying the channel number.

[0113] The Requirement Bandwidth describes bandwidth information related to the bandwidth of the frequency used for data transmission (number of frequency channels). For example, Fig. 9 shows an example in which the Requirement Bandwidth indicates the bandwidth of the frequency used in association with a numerical value.

[0114] 9, by associating a numerical value with the bandwidth of the frequency used for data transmission, for example, the numerical value 0 is a bandwidth of 20 MHz, the numerical value 1 is a bandwidth of 40 MHz, ... the bandwidth increases as the numerical value increases, and the numerical value 15 can be specified as a bandwidth (number of channels) that uses a bandwidth of 320 MHz. Note that, for example, if frequency channels are allocated in units of 20 MHz, then a bandwidth of 20 MHz corresponds to a number of channels of 1, and a bandwidth of 40 MHz corresponds to a number of channels of 2.

[0115] (Example of CTS frame configuration) FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a CTS frame.

[0116] In FIG. 10, the CTS frame includes Frame Control, Duration, Receive Address, and FCS.

[0117] That is, the CTS frame is composed of a Duration field that describes the duration of transmission, a Receive Address (RA) field that describes the receiving address, and an FCS field at the end of the frame, just like the current CTS frame. In this way, the CTS frame is structured in the same way as the current frame, so that it can maintain compatibility with the current wireless LAN system.

[0118] (Example of MCH_BAR frame configuration) FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a multi-channel BAR frame (MCH_BAR frame) to which the present technology is applied.

[0119] In Figure 11, the MCH_BAR frame includes Frame Control, Duration, Transmit Address, Receive Address, Available Channel Map, BA Control, BA Information, and FCS.

[0120] That is, in addition to the current BAR frame's included fields, such as Duration, which indicates the duration of transmission, Transmit Address (TA), which indicates the transmitting address, Receive Address (RA), which indicates the receiving address, BA Control, which indicates control information for the Block Ack, BA Information, which indicates information regarding the required Block Ack, and FCS at the end of the frame, the MCH_BAR frame newly adds Available Channel Map (parameters).

[0121] The Available Channel Map describes channel information related to a transmittable frequency channel selected from available frequency channels, i.e., a frequency channel through which a receiving communication device (e.g., a terminal station STA) can transmit a confirmation signal (e.g., an ACK frame), such as the bitmap format information shown in Fig. 8. In other words, the channel information can be said to be a frequency channel through which a transmitting communication device (e.g., a base station AP) can transmit a request signal (e.g., an MCH_BAR frame).

[0122] In addition, since the information of the returned ACK frame (ACK information) is short information (information with a small amount of data) unlike data, the Requirement Bandwidth parameter can be omitted in the MCH_BAR frame compared to the configuration of the MCH_RTS frame.

[0123] (Example of Block ACK frame configuration) FIG. 12 illustrates an example of the structure of a Block Ack frame.

[0124] In FIG. 12, the Block Ack frame includes Frame Control, Duration, Transmit Address, Receive Address, BA Control, BA Information, and FCS.

[0125] That is, like the current Block Ack frame, the Block Ack frame is composed of Duration, which describes the duration of transmission, Transmit Address (TA), which describes the sending address, Receive Address (RA), which describes the receiving address, BA Control, which describes control information for the Block Ack, BA Information, which describes information related to the required Block Ack, and FCS at the end of the frame. In this way, by having the same configuration as the current one, the Block Ack frame can maintain compatibility with the current wireless LAN system.

[0126] (Example of communication device configuration) Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication device (wireless communication device) to which the present technology is applied. A communication device 10 shown in Fig. 13 is configured as a base station AP or a terminal station STA in the wireless network (Fig. 1).

[0127] In FIG. 13, the communication device 10 includes an Internet connection module 11, an information input module 12, a device control unit 13, an information output module 14, and a wireless communication module 15.

[0128] The Internet connection module 11 is composed of, for example, a circuit having a function for connecting to the Internet network from an optical fiber network or other communication lines via a service provider as a base station AP, its peripheral circuits, a microcontroller, a semiconductor memory, etc. The Internet connection module 11 performs processing related to the Internet connection according to the control of the device control unit 13. For example, the Internet connection module 11 is configured to implement functions such as a communication modem for connecting to the Internet network when the communication device 10 operates as a base station AP.

[0129] The information input module 12 is configured with input devices such as push buttons, a keyboard, a touch panel, etc. The information input module 12 has a function of inputting, to the device control unit 13, instruction information corresponding to an instruction from a user.

[0130] The device control unit 13 is configured by, for example, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, etc. The device control unit 13 controls each unit (module) to operate the communication device 10 as a base station AP or a terminal station STA.

[0131] The device control unit 13 processes information supplied from the Internet connection module 11, the information input module 12, or the wireless communication module 15. In addition, the device control unit 13 supplies information obtained as a result of its own processing to the Internet connection module 11, the information output module 14, or the wireless communication module 15.

[0132] For example, when transmitting data, the device control unit 13 supplies the transmission data passed from an application or the like in an upper layer of the protocol to the wireless communication module 15, and when receiving data, passes the received data supplied from the wireless communication module 15 to an application or the like in an upper layer of the protocol.

[0133] The information output module 14 is composed of an output device including a display element such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), or an LED (Light Emitting Diode) display.

[0134] The information output module 14 has a function of displaying necessary information to the user based on information supplied from the device control unit 13. Here, the information processed by the information output module 14 includes, for example, the operating state of the communication device 10 and information obtained via the Internet network.

[0135] The wireless communication module 15 is composed of, for example, a wireless chip, a peripheral circuit, a microcontroller, a semiconductor memory, etc. The wireless communication module 15 performs processing related to wireless communication according to the control of the device control unit 13. The configuration of the wireless communication module 15 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

[0136] Although a wireless communication module equipped with a wireless communication chip and peripheral circuits will be described as an example here, the present technology is not limited to wireless communication modules and can be applied to, for example, wireless communication chips and wireless communication LSIs, etc. Furthermore, whether or not to include an antenna in a wireless communication module is optional.

[0137] In addition, in the communication device 10 of FIG. 13, the equipment control unit 13 and the wireless communication module 15 are required components, but it is optional whether or not to include the Internet connection module 11, the information input module 12, and the information output module 14 as components other than those.

[0138] That is, each communication device 10 operating as a base station AP or a terminal station STA can be configured with only the necessary modules, and unnecessary parts can be simplified or not built in. More specifically, for example, the Internet connection module 11 can be built only in the base station AP, and the information input module 12 and the information output module 14 can be built only in the terminal station STA.

[0139] (Example of wireless communication module configuration) FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the wireless communication module 15 of FIG.

[0140] In FIG. 14, the wireless communication module 15 is composed of an interface 101, a transmission buffer 102, a network management unit 103, a transmission frame construction unit 104, a multi-channel management unit 105, a management information generation unit 106, a control frame transmission processing unit 107, a transmission power control unit 108, a wireless transmission processing unit 109, an antenna control unit 110, a wireless reception processing unit 111, a detection threshold control unit 112, a control frame reception processing unit 113, a management information processing unit 114, a reception data construction unit 115, and a reception buffer 116.

[0141] The interface 101 is composed of, for example, an input / output interface circuit etc. The interface 101 is an interface for exchanging data with the device control unit 13 (FIG. 13), and has a function for exchanging information input thereto and information output therefrom in a predetermined signal format.

[0142] The interface 101 writes transmission data input from the device control unit 13 into a transmission buffer 102. The interface 101 also supplies information input from the device control unit 13 to a network management unit 103, or outputs information supplied from the network management unit 103 to the device control unit 13.

[0143] The transmission buffer 102 is composed of a semiconductor memory device such as a buffer memory, etc. The transmission buffer 102 temporarily stores the transmission data written via the interface 101.

[0144] The network management unit 103 manages address information and the like of the communication device 10 in the wireless network. In addition, the network management unit 103 is configured to connect the communication device 10 to the Internet when the communication device 10 operates as a base station AP.

[0145] The transmission frame construction unit 104 reads out the transmission data stored in the transmission buffer 102, constructs it as a data frame for transmission by wireless communication, and supplies it to the wireless transmission processing unit 109. In addition, the transmission frame construction unit 104 supplies transmission frame information related to the transmission frame to the management information generation unit 106.

[0146] The multi-channel management unit 105 has a multi-channel management function for managing the usage status of each of a plurality of frequency channels. The multi-channel management unit 105 also has a function for monitoring the status of available frequency channels described in a request frame (request signal) or a response frame (response signal) and for immediately grasping available channels.

[0147] The multi-channel management unit 105 processes information supplied from the network management unit 103, the detection threshold control unit 112, the control frame reception processing unit 113, or the management information processing unit 114. In addition, the multi-channel management unit 105 supplies information (multi-channel management information) obtained as a result of its own processing to the network management unit 103, the management information generation unit 106, the control frame transmission processing unit 107, the transmission power control unit 108, the antenna control unit 110, or the detection threshold control unit 112.

[0148] The management information generating unit 106 is supplied with the transmission frame information from the transmission frame constructing unit 104 and the multi-channel management information from the multi-channel managing unit 105. The management information generating unit 106 generates management information based on the transmission frame information and the multi-channel management information, and supplies the management information to the control frame transmission processing unit 107 and the wireless transmission processing unit 109.

[0149] This management information includes, for example, header information of a frame actually transmitted by wireless communication and various parameters. For example, various parameters (for example, Available Channel Map, Requirement Bandwidth, etc.) of a multi-control frame such as an MCH_RTS frame or an MCH_BAR frame are also generated here and supplied to the control frame transmission processing unit 107.

[0150] The control frame transmission processing unit 107 is supplied with multi-channel management information from the multi-channel management unit 105, management information from the management information generation unit 106, and control frame reception information from the control frame reception processing unit 113. The control frame transmission processing unit 107 controls the wireless transmission processing unit 109 based on the multi-channel management information, the management information, and the control frame reception information to perform processing for transmitting a control frame (including a multi-control frame).

[0151] In this transmission process, in addition to the current processing for transmitting control frames such as CTS frames and ACK frames, a function has been added to centrally control the processing for transmitting multi-control frames such as MCH_RTS frames and MCH_BAR frames.

[0152] The transmission power control unit 108 controls the transmission power of the wireless transmission processing unit 109 so that the signal does not reach an unnecessary radio wave reachable range when transmitting a predetermined frame. Here, based on the multi-channel management information from the multi-channel management unit 105, the transmission power control unit 108 has a function of controlling the transmission of data by adjusting the minimum necessary transmission power so that the signal reaches the receiving side with the intended reception field strength.

[0153] The wireless transmission processing unit 109 converts a frame to be transmitted by wireless communication into a baseband signal, processes it as an analog signal, and supplies the transmission signal obtained as a result of this processing to the antenna control unit 110.

[0154] Here, when transmitting a data frame, radio transmission processing unit 109 is supplied with a data frame (a frame for transmitting transmission data) from transmission frame construction unit 104 and management information (header information of the data frame) from management information generation unit 106. Radio transmission processing unit 109 includes the header information in the data frame, and generates a transmission signal corresponding to the data frame under control of transmission power control unit 108.

[0155] Furthermore, when transmitting a control frame (including a multi-control frame), management information is supplied to the wireless transmission processing unit 109 from the management information generating unit 106. This management information includes various parameters of the control frame and the multi-control frame. The wireless transmission processing unit 109 generates a transmission signal according to the control frame (CTS frame, ACK frame, etc.) or the multi-control frame (MCH_RTS frame, MCH_BAR frame, etc.) obtained from the management information, under the control of the control frame transmission processing unit 107 and the transmission power control unit 108.

[0156] The antenna control unit 110 is configured by connecting a plurality of antenna elements. The antenna control unit 110 controls the transmission of a transmission signal supplied from the wireless transmission processing unit 109 via the antenna elements by wireless communication. The antenna control unit 110 also receives a wireless signal transmitted by wireless communication via the antenna elements, and supplies the wireless signal to the wireless reception processing unit 111 and the detection threshold control unit 112.

[0157] The radio reception processing unit 111, under the control of the detection threshold control unit 112, performs processing to receive the header information and data portion added after the detection of a predetermined preamble signal from the received signal supplied from the antenna control unit 110.

[0158] Here, when a data frame is received, wireless reception processing section 111 supplies header information of the data frame to management information processing section 114, and supplies the data frame to received data construction section 115. Also, when a control frame (including a multi-control frame) is received, wireless reception processing section 111 supplies the control frame (including a multi-control frame) to control frame reception processing section 113 and management information processing section 114.

[0159] The detection threshold control unit 112 sets a signal detection level that can detect a radio signal from a base station AP or a terminal station STA (communication device 10) within the range when the transmission power control unit 108 performs transmission power control. Here, when applying the spatial reuse technology, a function of controlling to detect a signal at the minimum detection threshold required is provided.

[0160] The control frame reception processing unit 113 is supplied with a control frame (including a multi-control frame) from the wireless reception processing unit 111. The control frame reception processing unit 113 performs processing for receiving the control frame (including a multi-control frame) supplied from the wireless reception processing unit 111, and supplies control frame reception information obtained as a result of the processing to the multi-channel management unit 105, the control frame transmission processing unit 107, the detection threshold control unit 112, and the management information processing unit 114.

[0161] In addition to the current processing when control frames such as CTS frames and ACK frames are received, this receiving process adds a function to centrally control the processing when multi-control frames such as MCH_RTS frames and MCH_BAR frames are received.

[0162] Management information processing unit 114 is supplied with header information and control frames (including multi-control frames) from wireless reception processing unit 111, and control frame reception information from control frame reception processing unit 113. Based on the header information, control frames, and control frame reception information, management information processing unit 114 analyzes management information including header information and the like of a frame actually transmitted by wireless communication, and if management information processing unit 114 itself is specified in the reception address information, extracts parameters described in the frame.

[0163] For example, various parameters (for example, Available Channel Map, Requirement Bandwidth, etc.) of multi-control frames such as the MCH_RTS frame and the MCH_BAR frame are also extracted here and supplied to the multi-channel management unit 105. In addition, the management information processing unit 114 supplies information such as header information obtained by analyzing the management information to the received data construction unit 115.

[0164] Based on information such as header information supplied from the management information processing unit 114, the received data construction unit 115 removes predetermined header information from the data frame from the wireless receiving processing unit 111, extracts only the required data portion, and writes it to the receiving buffer 116 as received data.

[0165] The receiving buffer 116 is composed of a semiconductor memory device such as a buffer memory. The receiving buffer 116 temporarily stores the received data written by the received data construction unit 115. The received data stored in the receiving buffer 116 is read out as necessary and output to the device control unit 13 via the interface 101.

[0166] In the wireless communication module 15 configured as described above, in particular, the multi-channel management unit 105, the management information generation unit 106, the control frame transmission processing unit 107, the control frame reception processing unit 113, and the management information processing unit 114 process multi-control frames such as an MCH_RTS frame including channel information and bandwidth information, and an MCH_BAR frame including channel information.

[0167] In FIG. 14, the components constituting the wireless communication module 15 can be divided into three blocks, for example, a transmission / reception data input / output unit 151, a control unit 152, and a front-end unit 153, as indicated by the dotted line frame.

[0168] Here, the transmission / reception data input / output unit 151 is composed of an interface 101, a transmission buffer 102, a network management unit 103, a transmission frame construction unit 104, a reception data construction unit 115, and a reception buffer 116, and mainly performs processing and control related to input transmission data and output reception data. The control unit 152 is composed of a multi-channel management unit 105, a management information generation unit 106, a control frame transmission processing unit 107, a control frame reception processing unit 113, and a management information processing unit 114, and mainly performs processing and control related to frames such as control frames and multi-control frames. Furthermore, the front-end unit 153 is composed of a transmission power control unit 108, a wireless transmission processing unit 109, an antenna control unit 110, a wireless reception processing unit 111, and a detection threshold control unit 112, and mainly performs processing and control related to signals such as transmission signals and reception signals.

[0169] (Data sender operation) First, the operation of the communication device 10 (wireless communication module 15) on the data transmitting side such as the base station AP10 or the base station AP20 in FIG. 5 will be described with reference to the flowcharts in FIG. 15 and FIG.

[0170] In the wireless communication module 15, it is determined whether or not transmission data has been received via the interface 101 (S101), and if it is determined that the transmission data has been received ("YES" in S101), the received transmission data is stored in the transmission buffer 102 (S102), and the processing from step S103 onwards is executed.

[0171] That is, the multi-channel management unit 105 sets the number of frequency channels (bandwidth) required for transmitting the transmission data from the amount of transmission data stored in the transmission buffer 102 (S103). At this time, the multi-channel management unit 105 also sets a predetermined access waiting time and a random waiting time in which the priority is set according to the category of the transmission data (S104).

[0172] Next, the multi-channel management unit 105 grasps the usage status of the transmission paths of all the frequency channels available for transmission (S105), and judges whether the transmission of the transmission data is possible (S106). Here, the processes of steps S105 and S106 are repeated, and when it is judged that the transmission of the transmission data is possible ("YES" in S106), the process proceeds to step S107.

[0173] The management information generating unit 106 acquires channel information on the frequency channel available for transmitting the transmission data (or a data frame including the transmission data) at the timing when the transmission data can be transmitted, and bandwidth information on the frequency bandwidth used for transmitting the transmission data, and writes them in the MCH_RTS frame (Available Channel Map, Requirement Bandwidth) (S107). At this time, the control frame transmission processing unit 107 sets one frequency channel from the channel information written in the MCH_RTS frame (Available Channel Map) as the transmission channel (S108).

[0174] Here, the frequency channel designated as the primary channel may be set as the transmission channel. Then, the wireless transmission processing unit 109 transmits the MCH_RTS frame using the transmission channel set in the process of step S108 (S109).

[0175] Next, the control frame reception processor 113 performs setting to wait for reception of a CTS frame on the multiple frequency channels (so-called multi-channels as candidate reception channels) entered as the channel information in the process of step S107 (S110).

[0176] Then, in the wireless communication module 15, it is determined whether or not a CTS frame has been received from the receiving communication device 10 (e.g., a terminal station STA) on the multiple frequency channels (receiving candidate channels) set in the processing of step S110 (S111), and if it is determined that a CTS frame has been received ("YES" in S111), the multi-channel management unit 105 sets the target receiving candidate channel as a receivable channel on which the receiving communication device 10 can receive data frames (S112).

[0177] Also, here, it is determined whether information on all frequency channels (receivable channels) on which a CTS frame has been received has been acquired at approximately the same time (S113), and if it is determined that information on all frequency channels has not been acquired ("NO" in S113), the processes of steps S111 to S113 are repeated. In this manner, the processes of steps S111 to S113 are repeated in parallel to acquire information on all frequency channels (receivable channels) on which a CTS frame has been received.

[0178] As a result, the multi-channel management unit 105 acquires the number of frequency channels (bandwidth) receivable by the communication device 10 (eg, terminal station STA) on the receiving side, which is obtained by repeating the processes of steps S111 to S113 (S114).

[0179] Then, the multi-channel management unit 105 compares the number of frequency channels (bandwidth) required for transmitting the transmission data (including a data frame) by the transmitting communication device 10 (e.g., a base station AP) set in the processing of step S103 with the number of frequency channels (bandwidth) capable of receiving the transmission data (including a data frame) by the receiving communication device 10 (e.g., a terminal station STA) obtained in the processing of step S114, and determines whether it is possible to set more than the requested number of frequency channels (bandwidth) (more than the requested number) (S115).

[0180] If it is determined that more than the requested number can be set ("YES" in S115), the multi-channel management unit 105 sets one or more frequency channels that are set to more than the requested number as receivable channels for the receiver (receiving communication device 10) (S116). Also, the control frame transmission processing unit 107 sets the receivable channels for the receiver set in the process of step S116 as transmission channels for the transmission data (S117).

[0181] The wireless transmission processing unit 109 transmits a data frame including transmission data using the transmission channel set in the process of step S117 (S118). Note that, in this case, even during the transmission of the data frame, the wireless transmission processing unit 109 may be configured to receive data frames and CTS frames from other communication devices 10 in order to grasp the usage status of the frequency channels in all frequency channels designated as transmittable by the wireless transmission processing unit 109 (S119).

[0182] Furthermore, in the wireless communication module 15, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to receive an ACK frame (S120), and if it is determined that it is necessary to receive an ACK frame ("YES" in S120), the processes from step S121 onwards are executed.

[0183] That is, the management information generating unit 106 acquires channel information on frequency channels that the receiving communication device 10 (e.g., terminal station STA) can transmit the ACK frame at the timing when the ACK frame needs to be received, and writes the channel information in the MCH_BAR frame (Available Channel Map) (S121). At this time, the control frame transmission processing unit 107 sets one frequency channel from the channel information written in the MCH_BAR frame (Available Channel Map) as the transmission channel (S122).

[0184] Here, the frequency channel designated as the primary channel may be set as the transmission channel. Then, the wireless transmission processing unit 109 transmits the MCH_BAR frame using the transmission channel set in the process of step S122 (S123).

[0185] Alternatively, the transmission channel (first frequency channel) used when transmitting the data frame (S118) and the transmission channel (second frequency channel) used when transmitting the MCH_BAR frame (S123) may be different frequency channels.

[0186] Next, the control frame reception processor 113 performs setting to wait for reception of an ACK frame on the multiple frequency channels (so-called multi-channels as candidate reception channels) entered as the channel information in the process of step S121 (S124).

[0187] Then, in the wireless communication module 15, it is determined whether or not an ACK frame has been received on any of the multiple frequency channels (candidate receiving channels) set in the processing of step S124 (S125), and if it is determined that an ACK frame has been received ("YES" in S125), the transmission data stored in the transmission buffer 102, the reception of which has been confirmed by the ACK frame, is deleted (S126).

[0188] If it is determined in the determination process of step S120 that receipt of an ACK frame is not necessary ("NO" in S120), the processes related to the ACK frame (S121 to S125) are skipped, and the process proceeds to step S126, where the transmission data stored in the transmission buffer 102 is deleted (S126). When the process of step S126 ends, the process shown in the flowcharts of Figs. 15 and 16 ends.

[0189] Furthermore, if it is determined in the determination process of step S115 that the number of frequency channels (bandwidth) required for transmitting the transmission data is not available ("NO" in S115), or if it is determined in the determination process of step S125 that there is transmission data whose receipt has not been confirmed by an ACK frame ("NO" in S125), the process returns to step S103, and the number of frequency channels (bandwidth) required for transmission is selected again. Also, if it is determined in the determination process of step S101 that the transmission data has not been received ("NO" in S101), the process thereafter is not performed and is terminated.

[0190] The operation of the data transmitting communication device has been described above.

[0191] (Data receiving side operation) Next, the operation of the communication device 10 (wireless communication module 15 thereof) on the data receiving side, such as the terminal station STA12 or the terminal station STA21 in FIG. 5, will be described with reference to the flowcharts in FIG. 17 and FIG.

[0192] The wireless communication module 15 determines whether the communication device 10 (wireless communication module 15) itself is compatible with multi-channels (S201). If it is determined in the determination process of step S201 that the communication device 10 is compatible with multi-channels and that the user wishes to set up communication using multi-channels ("YES" in S201), the wireless communication module 15 is set to wait for reception on multi-channels (S202), and the processes from step S203 onwards are executed.

[0193] That is, when an MCH_RTS frame is received by the wireless reception processing unit 111 ("YES" in S203), the control frame reception processing unit 113 checks whether the MCH_RTS frame is addressed to itself (a request whose destination is itself) (S204).

[0194] Then, when an MCH_RTS frame addressed to itself is received ("YES" in S204), the control frame receiving processor 113 acquires the channel information described in the MCH_RTS frame addressed to itself (in its Available Channel Map) (S205), and grasps the usage status of the transmission paths of all frequency channels through which the transmitting communication device 10 (e.g., base station AP) can transmit transmission data (including a data frame) (S206).

[0195] The control frame reception processor 113 also acquires bandwidth information written in the MCH_RTS frame (Requirement Bandwidth) addressed to itself (S207). The multi-channel manager 105 then determines whether or not there is a frequency channel that can receive signals from itself as a receiving destination among the transmittable frequency channels based on the channel information and the bandwidth information (S208).

[0196] Here, if there is a frequency channel available for reception with itself as the receiving destination ("YES" in S208), the control frame transmission processing unit 107 sets that frequency channel as the available channel (S209) and sets the duration of data transmission as Duration information (S210). As a result, the wireless transmission processing unit 109 transmits the CTS frame using the available channel set in the process of step S209 (S211).

[0197] Furthermore, the control frame reception processor 113 sets the receivable channel set in the process of step S209 to wait for reception of a data frame (S212). In this manner, the receivable channel selected from among the transmittable frequency channels is both a receiving channel for receiving a data frame and a transmitting channel for transmitting a CTS frame.

[0198] In addition, the process of setting the receivable channels returns to step S208, and the processing of steps S208 to S213 is repeated until all frequency channels that the data transmitting communication device 10 (wireless communication module 15 thereof), such as the base station AP10 in FIG. 5, has determined as being transmittable ("YES" in S213).

[0199] This makes it possible to select a frequency channel on which the receiving communication device 10 (e.g., a terminal station STA) can receive the transmission data (including a data frame) from among frequency channels on which the transmitting communication device 10 (e.g., a base station AP) can transmit the transmission data (including a data frame), thereby securing the frequency bandwidth used to transmit the data frames (it becomes possible to secure the number of frequency channels required for transmitting the data frames).

[0200] Thereafter, in the wireless communication module 15, the processing of steps S208 to S213 is repeated to determine whether or not a data frame has been received on the set receivable channel (S214), and if it is determined that a data frame has been received ("YES" in S214), it is further determined whether or not the reception data stored in the data frame has been received normally (S215).

[0201] Then, in the wireless communication module 15, if it is determined that the received data has been normally received ("YES" in S215), the received data is stored in the receive buffer 116 (S216) and a sequence number or the like is constructed as ACK information (S217). Also, in the wireless communication module 15, it is determined whether all the received data has been collected (S218), and if all the received data has been collected ("YES" in S218), the received data stored in the receive buffer 116 is output to an application in the upper layer of the protocol via the interface 101 (S219).

[0202] When the process of step S219 ends, the process proceeds to step S220. Note that the process also proceeds to step S220 when it is determined that the data frame has not been received ("NO" in S214), when it is determined that the reception data has not been received normally ("NO" in S215), or when it is determined that all the reception data has not been received ("NO" in S218).

[0203] Here, for example, if the bandwidth of the frequency used for transmitting the data frame cannot be secured, that is, if the communication device 10 (base station AP) transmitting the data determines that the receivable channels set in response to receiving the CTS frame cannot be set to more than the requested number of frequency channels (bandwidth) (more than the requested number) ("NO" at S115 in FIG. 16), the data frame is not transmitted (S118 in FIG. 16 is not executed), and the communication device 10 (terminal station STA) receiving the data determines that the data frame is not received ("NO" at S214).

[0204] In the wireless communication module 15, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to return an ACK frame (S220), and if it is determined that it is necessary to return an ACK frame ("YES" in S220), it is further determined whether or not it supports multi-channel (S221). Then, if it is determined that it supports multi-channel ("YES" in S221), the multi-channel management unit 105 grasps the usage status of the transmission paths of all transmittable frequency channels (S222).

[0205] Furthermore, the wireless communication module 15 determines whether or not an MCH_BAR frame has been received (S233). If it is determined that an MCH_BAR frame has been received ("YES" in S233), the control frame reception processing unit 113 acquires channel information regarding a frequency channel through which the receiving communication device 10 can transmit an ACK frame (for example, a terminal station STA), which is described in (the Available Channel Map of) the MCH_BAR frame (S224).

[0206] At this time, the transmission channel (first frequency channel) used when receiving the data frame (S214) and the transmission channel (second frequency channel) used when receiving the MCH_BAR frame (S223) may be different frequency channels, and reception is performed on all channels.

[0207] Furthermore, the control frame transmission processing unit 107 sets at least one channel frequency in the channel information acquired in the process of step S224 as a transmission channel (S225). As a result, the wireless transmission processing unit 109 transmits an ACK frame using the transmission channel set in the process of step S225 (S226).

[0208] If it is determined in the determination process of step S221 that the device itself does not support multi-channel ("NO" in S221), the processes of steps S222 to S225 are skipped, and the ACK frame is transmitted on a single transmission channel (S226). If it is determined in the determination process of step S220 that the transmission of the ACK frame is unnecessary ("NO" in S220), the processes of steps S221 to S226 are skipped, and the ACK frame is not transmitted. When the process of step S226 ends, the process shown in the flowcharts of Figs. 17 and 18 ends.

[0209] Furthermore, if the judgment process of step S203 determines that an MCH_RTS frame has not been received ("NO" in S203), if the judgment process of step S204 determines that the MCH_RTS frame is addressed to another communication device 10 ("NO" in S204), or if the judgment process of step S208 determines that there is no receivable frequency channel ("NO" in S208), then the process proceeds to step S214, and the data frame is received.

[0210] The operation of the communication device on the data receiving side has been described above.

[0211] As described above, in the communication method (new method) to which the present technology is applied, in a wireless LAN system that transmits and receives data using multiple frequency channels configured as one channel with a bandwidth of 20 MHz, a request frame (MCH_RTS frame) including information (channel information) of channel resources available at a transmitting communication device 10 (e.g., a base station AP) and information (bandwidth information) of the channel amount of the 20 MHz bandwidth is transmitted. Meanwhile, at a receiving communication device 10 (e.g., a terminal station STA), at least one available channel resource is selected based on the information of the request frame, and a response frame (CTS frame) is returned using the selected frequency channel.

[0212] As a result, in a wireless LAN system, when a communication device 10 (e.g., a base station AP) that transmits data and a communication device 10 (e.g., a terminal station STA) that receives data communicate with each other, the communication device 10 can use an available channel depending on the usage status of multiple frequency channels. That is, the communication can be performed using frequency channels that overlap and are not used in adjacent basic service sets (BSSs). For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when frequency channels are used in units of 240 MHz or 320 MHz, the bandwidth is wide, so there is a high possibility that the frequency channels will overlap with other frequency channels. However, in the communication method (new method) to which the present technology is applied, an available channel can be selected depending on the usage status of multiple frequency channels, so that the frequency bands can be prevented from overlapping.

[0213] In addition, communication can be performed using an optimal frequency channel depending on the transmission line usage status of the data sending communication device 10 (e.g., base station AP) as well as the transmission line usage status of the data receiving communication device 10 (e.g., terminal station STA). As a result, even if the frequency channel is used in a wireless LAN system of the current method, access control can be performed while maintaining compatibility with communication devices (legacy terminals) that support the current method.

[0214] Furthermore, in a wireless LAN system, after transmitting data, a request frame (MCH_BAR frame) including information (channel information) on available channel resources is transmitted at the transmitting communication device 10 (e.g., a base station AP), so that the data receiving communication device 10 (e.g., a terminal station STA) can select a frequency channel on which it can return an ACK frame when returning an ACK frame after receiving the data. This allows the data receiving communication device 10 to return an ACK frame on a frequency channel on which no other communication is likely to be taking place, and therefore the ACK frame can be returned reliably.

[0215] Here, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that can select only one frequency channel that can be used for transmission or reception in a receiver from among multiple frequency channels, but it is assumed that a frequency channel that can be transmitted and received is selected in consideration of the reception of a data frame and the subsequent transmission (return) of an ACK frame. In contrast, the present technology is configured to select an available frequency channel each time an MCH_BAR frame is used to transmit (return) an ACK frame after receiving a data frame, so that a frequency channel that can only receive data frames can also be selected. As a result, the configuration of the present technology increases the number of available frequency channels up to frequency channels that are not selected in the configuration of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 (frequency channels that can only receive data frames), thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the transmission path.

[0216] In addition, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for measuring power density to detect that a channel is occupied due to interference from other devices and determining the ID of the occupied channel, but when a network allocation vector (NAV) is set by virtual carrier detection, the channel is not recognized as an occupied channel, so there is a risk of collision occurring when such a channel is used. In contrast, this technology is configured to recognize a frequency channel in which a network allocation vector (NAV) is set and select a frequency channel other than the frequency channel, so that such collision can be avoided.

[0217] The above-mentioned document A discloses a configuration in which channel information previously assigned to each terminal is transmitted as an RTS frame (multi-user RTS) on the primary channel, and data is transmitted upon receipt of a CTS frame from each terminal, but if the data transmission channel is previously assigned to each terminal and the network allocation vector (NAV) is set, a response cannot be made by a CTS frame, and data transmission is also not possible. In contrast, this technology is configured to select an available frequency channel each time a CTS frame is transmitted (responded), thereby making it possible to avoid such a situation in which data transmission is not possible.

[0218] Also, the following document B discloses a configuration in which the requested channel bandwidth is written in the RTS frame and the CTS frame includes a field for approving the requested channel bandwidth, and although the RTS frame is transmitted with a bandwidth of the requested number of channels and the CTS frame is transmitted with a bandwidth of the response number of channels, they have the same center frequency. In contrast, this technology is configured to select an available frequency channel each time a CTS frame is transmitted (responded) using the MCH_RTS frame, so that an available channel can be selected according to the usage status of multiple frequency channels.

[0219] Document B: JP 2014-195266 A

[0220] <2. Modifications>

[0221] (Examples of other configurations) In the above description, the communication device 10 is described as being configured as a base station AP or a terminal station STA, but a communication device to which the present technology is applied may be configured as a part of a device constituting a base station AP or a terminal station STA (e.g., a wireless communication module, a wireless chip, etc.), in addition to being configured as a base station AP or a terminal station STA.

[0222] Furthermore, the terminal station STA can be configured as an electronic device having a wireless communication function, such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, a personal computer, a digital camera, a game console, a television receiver, a wearable terminal, or a speaker device.

[0223] In the above description, the base station AP is the communication device 10 that transmits data, while the terminal station STA is the communication device 10 that receives data, but the transmitting and receiving sides may be reversed, with the terminal station STA being the communication device 10 that receives data, and the base station AP being the communication device 10 that transmits data. In this case, the terminal station STA executes the data transmitting side operation shown in the flowcharts of Figures 15 and 16, and the base station AP executes the data receiving side operation shown in the flowcharts of Figures 17 and 18.

[0224] The embodiments of the present technology are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present technology.

[0225] The present technology can also be configured as follows.

[0226] (1) generating channel information relating to a frequency channel in which data can be transmitted and bandwidth information relating to a frequency bandwidth used for transmitting the data; Transmitting a request signal including the generated channel information and the bandwidth information to another communication device using a frequency channel selected from the available frequency channels; The data is transmitted to the other communication device using a frequency channel selected as a frequency channel receivable by the other communication device. Equipped with a control unit that controls Communications equipment. (2) The channel information includes a frequency channel selectable by the other communication device. The communication device according to (1). (3) The channel information includes a frequency channel that allows selection of a bandwidth wider than a bandwidth of a frequency used for transmitting the data. The communication device according to (1) or (2). (4) The control unit is receiving a response signal transmitted from the other communication device by using a frequency channel that the other communication device can receive; A frequency channel to be used is selected from the receivable frequency channels based on the received response signal. Take control A communication device according to any one of (1) to (3). (5) the request signal is a multi-channel RTS (Request to Send) frame, The response signal is a CTS (Clear to Send) frame. The communication device according to (4). (6) receiving a request signal transmitted from another communication device, the request signal including channel information regarding a frequency channel in which the other communication device can transmit data and bandwidth information regarding a frequency bandwidth used for transmitting the data, by using a frequency channel selected from the transmittable frequency channels; selecting a receivable frequency channel from among the transmittable frequency channels based on the channel information and the bandwidth information included in the received request signal; Transmitting a response signal to the other communication device using the selected receivable frequency channel. Equipped with a control unit that controls Communications equipment. (7) After transmitting the response signal, the control unit performs control to receive the data transmitted from the other communication device using the selected receivable frequency channel. The communication device according to (6) above. (8) The channel information includes frequency channels selectable by the communication device. The communication device according to (6) or (7). (9) The channel information includes a frequency channel that allows selection of a bandwidth wider than a bandwidth of a frequency used for transmitting the data. The communication device according to (8). (10) the request signal is a RTS frame compatible with multiple channels, The response signal is a CTS frame. A communication device according to any one of (6) to (9). (11) Transmitting data to another communication device using the first frequency channel; generating a request signal for requesting confirmation of normal reception of the data, the request signal including channel information regarding a frequency channel on which the other communication device can transmit a confirmation signal; Transmitting the generated request signal to the other communication device using a second frequency channel selected from the transmittable frequency channels. Equipped with a control unit that controls Communications equipment. (12) The second frequency channel is different from the first frequency channel. The communication device according to (11). (13) The control unit performs control to receive the confirmation signal transmitted from the other communication device by using a frequency channel selected from the frequency channels available for transmission by the other communication device. The communication device according to (11) or (12). (14) The channel information includes a frequency channel selectable by the other communication device. The communication device according to any one of (11) to (13). (15) The control unit performs control to receive the confirmation signal transmitted from the other communication device by using the transmittable frequency channel. The communication device according to any one of (11) to (14). (16) The request signal is a BAR (Block Ack Request) frame compatible with multiple channels, and the confirmation signal is an ACK (Acknowledgement) frame. The communication device according to any one of (11) to (15). (17) receiving data transmitted from another communication device using a first frequency channel; receiving a request signal, using a second frequency channel, from the other communication device for requesting confirmation of normal reception of the data, the request signal including channel information regarding a frequency channel capable of transmitting the confirmation signal; When the data is normally received, a frequency channel is selected from the transmittable frequency channels based on the channel information included in the received request signal; Transmitting the confirmation signal to the other communication device using the selected frequency channel. Equipped with a control unit that controls Communications equipment. (18) The second frequency channel is different from the first frequency channel. The communication device according to (17). (19) The channel information includes frequency channels selectable by the communication device. The communication device according to (17) or (18). (20) the request signal is a BAR frame compatible with multiple channels, The acknowledgement signal is an ACK frame. The communication device according to any one of (17) to (19). [Explanation of symbols]

[0227] 10 communication device, 11 internet connection module, 12 information input module, 13 device control unit, 14 information output module, 15 wireless communication module, 101 interface, 102 transmission buffer, 103 network management unit, 104 transmission frame construction unit, 105 multi-channel management unit, 106 management information generation unit, 107 control frame transmission processing unit, 108 transmission power control unit, 109 wireless transmission processing unit, 110 antenna control unit, 111 wireless reception processing unit, 112 detection threshold control unit, 113 control frame reception processing unit, 114 management information processing unit, 115 reception data construction unit, 116 reception buffer, 151 transmission and reception data input / output unit, 152 control unit, 153 front end unit, AP base station, STA terminal station

Claims

1. Transmitting a second signal including bandwidth information regarding a bandwidth of a frequency used for transmitting the data to another communication device, using a frequency channel available for transmitting the first signal including the data; receiving a third signal transmitted from the other communication device based on one or more frequency channels selected by the other communication device from among frequency channels available for transmitting the first signal, the frequency channels being responsive to the bandwidth information; a control unit that controls a wireless communication unit to transmit the first signal to the other communication device based on the third signal. Communications control device.

2. The second signal includes information regarding the duration of transmission of the first signal. The communication control device according to claim 1 .

3. The second signal includes information for identifying the other communication device. The communication control device according to claim 2.

4. The second signal indicates a plurality of frequency channels available for transmitting the first signal. The communication control device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The second signal includes first channel information indicating a plurality of frequency channels available for transmission of the first signal; Using the first channel information to indicate to the other communication device a number of frequency channels available for transmission of the first signal. The communication control device according to claim 4.

6. The control unit controls the wireless communication unit to transmit a fourth signal to request, after the first signal is transmitted, a confirmation of reception of the first signal from the other communication device. The communication control device according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The control unit controls the wireless communication unit to receive a fifth signal transmitted from the other communication device in response to the fourth signal. The communication control device according to claim 6.

8. The fourth signal includes second channel information regarding a frequency channel available to the other communication device for transmitting the fifth signal. The communication control device according to claim 7.

9. The fourth signal is transmitted using a frequency channel different from a frequency channel on which the first signal is transmitted. The communication control device according to claim 8.

10. The first channel information includes a frequency channel selectable by the other communication device. The communication control device according to claim 5.

11. The first channel information includes a frequency channel that enables selection of a bandwidth wider than a bandwidth of a frequency used to transmit the first signal. The communication control device according to claim 10.

12. The second signal is a request to send (RTS) frame compatible with multiple channels, The third signal is a CTS (Clear to Send) frame. The communication control device according to claim 1 .

13. A communication control device comprising: Transmitting a second signal including bandwidth information regarding a bandwidth of a frequency used for transmitting the data to another communication device, using a frequency channel available for transmitting the first signal including the data; receiving a third signal transmitted from the other communication device based on one or more frequency channels selected by the other communication device from among frequency channels available for transmitting the first signal, the frequency channels being responsive to the bandwidth information; Controlling a wireless communication unit to transmit the first signal to the other communication device based on the third signal. Communications control method.

14. A method for receiving a second signal including bandwidth information on a bandwidth of a frequency to be used for transmitting a first signal including data, the second signal being transmitted from another communication device using a frequency channel available for transmitting the first signal including data; selecting one or more frequency channels corresponding to a bandwidth of a frequency used for transmitting the first signal from among frequency channels available for transmitting the first signal based on the bandwidth information included in the received second signal; transmitting a third signal to the other communication device based on the one or more selected frequency channels; a control unit that controls a wireless communication unit to receive the first signal transmitted based on the third signal from the other communication device; Communications control device.

15. The second signal includes information regarding the duration of transmission of the first signal. The communication control device according to claim 14.

16. The second signal includes information for identifying the other communication device. The communication control device according to claim 15.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second signal indicates a plurality of frequency channels available for transmitting the first signal. The communication control device according to claim 15 or 16.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second signal includes first channel information indicating a plurality of frequency channels available for transmission of the first signal; Using the first channel information to indicate a number of frequency channels available for transmission of the first signal from the other communication device. The communication control device according to claim 17.

19. The control unit controls the wireless communication unit to receive a fourth signal for requesting confirmation of reception of the first signal from the other communication device after the first signal is received. The communication control device according to claim 17 or 18.

20. The control unit controls the wireless communication unit to transmit a fifth signal to the other communication device in response to the fourth signal. The communication control device according to claim 19.

21. The fourth signal includes second channel information regarding a frequency channel available for transmitting the fifth signal to the other communication device. The communication control device according to claim 20.

22. The fourth signal is received using a frequency channel different from a frequency channel on which the first signal is received. The communication control device according to claim 21.

23. The first channel information includes a frequency channel selectable by the wireless communication unit. The communication control device according to claim 18.

24. The first channel information includes a frequency channel that enables selection of a bandwidth wider than a bandwidth of a frequency used to transmit the first signal. The communication control device according to claim 23.

25. The second signal is a RTS frame corresponding to a multi-channel; The third signal is a CTS frame. The communication control device according to claim 14.

26. A communication control device comprising: receiving a second signal including bandwidth information on a bandwidth of a frequency used for transmitting a first signal including data, the second signal being transmitted from another communication device, using a frequency channel available for transmitting the first signal including data; selecting one or more frequency channels corresponding to a bandwidth of a frequency used for transmitting the first signal from among frequency channels available for transmitting the first signal based on the bandwidth information included in the received second signal; transmitting a third signal to the other communication device based on the one or more selected frequency channels; Controlling the wireless communication unit to receive the first signal transmitted based on the third signal from the other communication device. Communications control method.

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