Wireless communication device, control method, and program

Abstract

To solve the problem in which the convenience of executing communication that does not include a primary channel is low.SOLUTION: A wireless communication device compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standards determines whether the primary channel of the Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the wireless communication device belongs is in a busy state, transmits an occupancy request frame to request securing of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) on the same channel, and on one or more channels other than the primary channel when it is determined that the primary channel is in a busy state, executes predetermined communication that transmits data without using the primary channel in accordance with the response to the occupancy request frame. The occupancy request frame includes predetermined information that enables identification of a request for securing a transmission opportunity (TXOP) for predetermined communication.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless communication device, a control method, and a program compliant with the IEEE802.11 standard.

Background Art

[0002] As a communication standard for Wireless Local Area Network (Wireless LAN), the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 standard is known. In the IEEE802.11be standard and its successor standard, the IEEE802.11bn standard, reducing communication latency and improving channel utilization efficiency are being considered. Patent Document 1 describes a technique for performing communication using another channel when the primary channel (PCH) used to acquire a transmission opportunity cannot be used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For the activation of Non-Primary Channel (NPCH) communication without the above-mentioned primary channel, control signals for notifying the receiving side to that effect and for status confirmation are required. In the conventional IEEE802.11 standard, when control signals are detected on channels other than the primary channel instead of detecting them on the primary channel, the receiving side often interprets it as an error. On the other hand, when a new frame is defined as in Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to transmit a frame for securing a transmission opportunity and the new frame, time overhead may occur. Also, it is necessary to confirm whether the wireless communication device on the other side can interpret the new frame, and transmission of additional signals may occur.

[0005] As described above, the problem was that the convenience for executing communication without including the primary channel was low.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problems, the wireless communication device of the present invention is a wireless communication device compatible with the IEEE802.11 series of standards, determination means for determining whether the primary channel of the Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the wireless communication device belongs is in a busy state, transmission means for transmitting an occupancy request frame for requesting securing of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) in one or more channels different from the primary channel when the determination means determines that the primary channel is in a busy state, communication control means for executing predetermined communication for transmitting data without using the primary channel in response to a response to the occupancy request frame, and comprising, the occupancy request frame includes predetermined information that can specify requesting securing of a TXOP for the predetermined communication.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the convenience for executing communication without including the primary channel can be improved.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0008]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <Explanation of Terms> Primary Channel (PCH): A 20MHz channel that is required to be in an idle state during transmission in standards up to the IEEE802.11be standard.

[0011] Channel Wider: A concept introduced in the IEEE802.11n standard when adjacent channels of a 20MHz channel are bonded to form a 40MHz bandwidth. In this case, the original 20MHz may be denoted as P20 (Primary 20), and the bonded channel may be denoted as S20 (Secondary 20). Note that the bandwidth may also be denoted as Channel Width.

[0012] Badnwidth Signaling: A bandwidth negotiation procedure introduced in the 802.11ac standard. In the IEEE802.11be standard, a bandwidth up to 320MHz is possible.

[0013] Non-Primary Channel (NPCH) Communication: Communication that is executed even when the PCH is busy (not idle). In NPCH communication, bandwidth reservation is not performed on the PCH.

[0014] SPCH (Secondary Primary Channel): A 20 MHz channel that serves as an alternative to the PCH when NPCH communicates.

[0015] <Configuration of the communication system> With reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of the wireless communication system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0016] The wireless communication system 1 includes access points (APs) 101 and 104 (hereinafter, may be referred to as APs without distinction), terminals (STAs) 102, 103, 105, and 106 (hereinafter, may be referred to as STAs without distinction), and a distribution system (DS) 107.

[0017] The APs 101 and 104 are wireless communication devices that communicate with terminals (STAs) that can be located within the area indicated by the circles in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, the solid-line circle indicates the range (service area) where communication with the AP 101 is possible, and the dotted-line circle indicates the range where communication with the AP 104 is possible. In the example of FIG. 1, it is assumed that STAs 102, 103, and 106 exist within the service area of the AP 101, and STAs 103, 105, and 106 exist within the service area of the AP 104, but the number of STAs is not limited. The APs 101 and 104 manage a Basic Service Set (BSS), and the BSS managed by the AP 104 is an Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS) for the AP 101.

[0018] STA102, 103, 105, and 106 are wireless communication devices that connect to an AP for communication. A STA may also be called a non-access point terminal (non AP STA). In this embodiment, it is described that STA102 and 103 are connected to AP101, and STA105 and 106 are connected to AP104. Note that in this embodiment, STA102 and AP104 are in a hidden terminal state. AP101 and STA102, 103 exchange wireless frames compliant with the IEEE802.11bn standard, which is a successor standard to the IEEE802.11be standard targeting a maximum transmission speed of 46.08 Gbps, and can perform data communication. Also, AP104 and STA105, 106 can exchange wireless frames compliant with the IEEE802.11bn standard and perform data communication. In this IEEE802.11bn, which is a successor standard to IEEE802.11be, high-reliability communication, low-latency communication, throughput improvement during congestion, etc. are listed as main features. The wireless frame for communication in this successor standard is also called a UHR (Ultra High Reliability) PPDU. PPDU is the abbreviation of Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit. Note that the name UHR is provided for convenience based on the goals to be achieved in the successor standard and the prominent features of the standard, and may become another name when the standard formulation is completed. Similarly, the name IEEE802.11bn may become another name when the standard formulation is completed. On the other hand, it should be noted that this specification and the appended claims are essentially applicable to all successor standards that are successor standards to the 802.11be standard. Also, each device is assumed to support the communication (transmission and reception) of UHR PPDUs. In addition to this, it is configured to support the communication of PPDUs of legacy standards that are standards prior to the UHR standard. Specifically, AP101 and STA102 are configured to support the transmission and reception of PPDUs of standards such as IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be. Also, in this embodiment, a PPDU corresponding to a standard prior to the IEEE802.11n standard (High Throughput standard) is called a non-HT PPDU.

[0019] DS107 provides a distributed system access function (DSAF) to APs 101 and 104, and is a network device that can connect to other BSSs and external networks in addition to the BSSs managed by APs 101 and 104. This access function may be a wired communication such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or a telephone line. Alternatively, this access function may be a wireless communication such as LTE (Long-Term Evolution) or WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). Furthermore, it may be a wireless LAN compliant with the IEEE802.11 standard. In this case, the wireless channel used for communication between DS107 and the AP may be the same as or different from the wireless channel used for communication between the AP and the STA.

[0020] Figure 2 shows a hardware configuration applicable to a wireless communication device including an AP and an STA according to this embodiment. As an example of the hardware configuration, the wireless communication device includes a storage unit 201, a control unit 202, a functional unit 203, an input unit 204, an output unit 205, a communication unit 206, and an antenna 207.

[0021] The storage unit 201 is composed of a memory such as a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), and stores programs for performing various operations described later and various information such as communication parameters for wireless communication. Note that the storage unit 201 may use a storage medium such as a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, and a DVD instead of or in addition to a memory such as a ROM or a RAM. Also, the storage unit 201 may include a plurality of memories and the like described above.

[0022] The control unit 202 is composed of, for example, a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessing unit (MPU), an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), a DSP (digital signal processor), an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), etc. The control unit 202 controls the operation of the entire AP by executing the program stored in the storage unit 201. Note that the control unit 202 may control the operation of the entire AP by collaborating with the program stored in the storage unit 201 and the OS (Operating System). Also, the control unit 202 may be provided with a plurality of processors such as a multi-core and control the operation of the entire AP.

[0023] Also, the control unit 202 controls the functional unit 203 to execute the AP function, STA function, and predetermined processes such as imaging, printing, and projection that the functional unit 203 has.

[0024] The functional unit 203 is hardware for the AP or STA to execute predetermined processes. In one example, the functional unit 203 may have functions such as an AP function, an STA function, an imaging function, a printing function, and a projection function. When the wireless communication device has at least one of an imaging function, a printing function, and a projection function, the wireless communication device may be a multifunction printer, a projector, or the like.

[0025] The input unit 204 includes an input interface for receiving various operations from the user. The output unit 205 includes an output interface for performing various outputs to the user. Here, the output by the output unit 205 includes at least one of display on the screen, audio output by the speaker, vibration output, etc. Note that the functions of both the input unit 204 and the output unit 205 may be realized by one module such as a touch panel.

[0026] The communication unit 206 controls wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series, wireless communication compliant with Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and IP (Internet Protocol) communication. Further, the communication unit 206 controls the antenna 207 to transmit and receive wireless signals for wireless communication. That is, the communication unit 206 cooperates with the antenna 207 to transmit and receive wireless frames such as the aforementioned UHR PPDU.

[0027] In FIG. 2, for simplicity, the antenna 207 is illustrated as having one antenna, but it may have a plurality of antennas. Generally, the antenna 207 has a number of antennas corresponding to the number of spatial streams. Note that the communication unit 206 and the antenna 207 have a number of radio frequency (RF) chains corresponding to the corresponding frequency band (2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 6 GHz band) and the number of streams.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a software configuration diagram of the wireless communication device. As an example, the wireless communication device has a wireless LAN control unit 301, an NPCH communication control unit 302, a Punctured communication control unit 303, a Bandwidth control unit 304, a 20 MHz communication control unit 305, and a storage unit 306. Further, the wireless communication device has a user interface (UI) control unit 307 and an antenna control unit 308.

[0029] The wireless LAN control unit 301 includes a circuit for transmitting and receiving wireless signals to and from other wireless LAN devices (for example, other APs and STAs) and a program for controlling them. By the wireless LAN control unit 301, the wireless communication device executes wireless LAN communication control such as frame generation, frame transmission, and reception of wireless frames from other wireless communication devices according to the IEEE 802.11 standard series.

[0030] The NPCH communication control unit 302 attempts to control communication in the NPCH when the PCH is in a busy state.

[0031] The punctured communication control unit 303 executes communication in a configuration in which no signal including a preamble exists in an adjacent 20 MHz channel in a certain bandwidth.

[0032] The bandwidth control unit 304 combines 20 MHz to perform communication. The 20 MHz communication control unit 305 performs NPCH communication when the bandwidth used for communication is 20 MHz.

[0033] The storage unit 306 includes storage devices such as ROM and RAM that store programs executed by the AP and various data.

[0034] The UI control unit 307 includes hardware related to a user interface (UI), such as a touch panel or buttons, for accepting user operations on the wireless communication device, and a program for controlling these. The UI control unit 307 may also have a function for presenting information to the user, such as displaying images or outputting audio. The antenna control unit 308 controls the antenna function.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the MAC layer and the PHY layer that constitute a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), which is a frame conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard.

[0036] Training Symbols 401 is a two-octet field that is a training symbol. Here, an octet indicates a data size similar to a byte, and one octet is eight bits. Header 402 is a two-octet field that is a physical layer (PHY) header. Details will be described later with reference to 406 to 411. Physical Service Data Unit (PSDU) 403 is a six-octet field that indicates the data unit of the service that the PHY provides to the upper layer (MAC layer).

[0037] Tail Bit404 is a 0 or 6-octet field indicating the tail bit of the PDU. Padding405 is the padding of the PPDU and is a 0 or 6-octet field.

[0038] RATE406 is a 4-bit field that stores data indicating the transmission rate of the frame. Reserved407 is a reserved area (1-bit long). LENGTH408 is a 12-bit field indicating the frame length. Parity409 is a 1-bit field indicating the code calculated and added to detect errors that occur during frame transmission. Tail410 is a 6-bit field that is the tail bit of the PHY header. Service411 is a 12-bit service field.

[0039] Subsequently, the structure of the MAC frame stored in PSDU403 will be described. Frame Control412 is a 2-octet frame control field that includes 10 Subfields and indicates types such as Management / Control / Data and the transmission direction.

[0040] Duration413 is a field 2 octets in length and indicates the length of a predetermined period. For example, Duration413 indicates the frame length or the length of the transmission opportunity (TXOP) period required to be reserved by the frame. The most significant bit (MSB: B15) of Duration413 is set to "1", and the remaining 15 bits indicate the length of time from 0 to 32767 microseconds.

[0041] Addresses 1 to 4 (414, 415, 416, 418) are 6-octet fields in which addresses such as the BSS identifier (BSSID), source terminal, and destination terminal are set depending on the type of MAC frame. Depending on the frame type, Addresses 2 to 4 may not be included in the frame. In the following explanation, Address 1 414, Address 2 415, Address 3 416, and Address 4 418 may be referred to as the Address field without distinction.

[0042] Sequence Control 417 is a two-octet field used for sequence control. Depending on the frame type, Sequence Control 417 may not be included in the frame.

[0043] QoS Control 419 is a 0- or 2-octet field for controlling the QoS of a data frame. The buffer status report (BSR) of the standard before IEEE 802.11ax is stored in QoS Control 419.

[0044] HT Control (HTC) 420 is a 0 or 4 octet field that contains control information related to high throughput HT or very high throughput (VHT).

[0045] The Frame Body 421 is a variable-length field that stores various information elements (IEs) when the type of the Frame Control 412 indicates a management frame, that is, a beacon or probe request / response.

[0046] The frame check sequence (FCS) 422 is a four-octet field that stores a value for checking whether there are any errors in the MAC header or data portion.

[0047] The TXVECTOR 423 and RXVECTOR 424 indicate how a MAC frame is transmitted between the MAC layer and the PHY layer in the IEEE 802.11 standard. For example, the MAC layer indicates to the PHY layer how to transmit a MAC frame using a parameter (TXVECTOR parameter). Conversely, the PHY layer indicates to the MAC layer how to receive a frame using a parameter (RXVECTOR parameter). This parameter includes, for example, CH_BANDWIDTH, which indicates the bandwidth.

[0048] The PHY layer in Figure 4 has a different format for each standard, but here it shows the format of a non-High Throughput (HT) PPDU. The term "non-HT" indicates that this is a format that predates the IEEE802.11n standard (High Throughput standard). This non-HT format is used for control frames such as Request To Send (RTS), which is an exclusive request frame that requests the reservation of a transmission opportunity, and Clear To Send (CTS), which is an exclusive response frame to an exclusive request frame. In addition, with a non-HT PPDU, the QoS Control 419 and HT Control 420 of the MAC layer do not exist in the MAC frame.

[0049] Notification of PCH and Bandwidth will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 12. These are indicated in the Basic Service Set (BSS) by the operation element of the IEEE 802.11 management frame.

[0050] Figure 5 shows the arrangement of elements in a Beacon frame. Elements are also called information elements (IEs). "Order" indicates the order in the Beacon frame body, and "Information" indicates the name of the information element. Among these elements, information about the operating channel has been distributed across several Operation elements as the IEEE 802.11 standard has evolved.

[0051] Figures 6(A) and 6(B) show the configuration of the HT Operation element compliant with the IEEE802.11n standard.

[0052] The Primary Channel 601 is a 1-octet field that indicates the channel number of the primary channel. The HT Operation Information 602 is a 5-octet field. The Secondary channel offset 603 is a 2-bit field that indicates the frequency relative position of the secondary channel with respect to the primary channel, or the presence or absence of the secondary channel. The STA Channel Width 604 is a 1-bit field that indicates whether the bandwidth of the transmitted PPDU is 20 MHz.

[0053] Figures 7(A) and 7(B) show the configuration of the Very High Throughput (VHT) Operational element of the IEEE802.11ac standard. Figure 7(B) is a diagram showing the configuration of the VHT Operation Information field in Figure 7(A).

[0054] The VHT Operation Information 701 is a 3-octet field that is information about the channel.

[0055] The Channel Width 702 is a 1-octet field that indicates whether the bandwidth is 20 or 40 MHz, 80 MHz or 160 MH or 80+80 MHz, 160 MHz, and 80+80 MHz. The Channel Center Frequency Segment 0 703 and the Channel Center Frequency Segment 1 704 are each 1-octet fields that indicate the center frequency of the channel.

[0056] The IEEE802.11ac standard allows transmission over a 160 MHz band, which is a combination of two non-continuous 80 MHz bands. Therefore, the values of Channel Center Frequency Segments 703 and 704 indicate the center frequencies below 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 80+80 MHz.

[0057] The IEEE802.11ac standard also introduced bandwidth signaling using RTS. This is a procedure in which bandwidth information is carried in the RTS, which is in non-HT PPDU format, and the TA (Transmitter Address, i.e., Address2 415) of the RTS is used as the group address. Here, the bandwidth information is indicated by the bits corresponding to CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT and DYN_BANDWIDTH_IN_NOT_HT in the SERVICE field of the PHY header. Also, a group address is an address with the Individual / Group bit in the MAC address structure set to "1".

[0058] Figure 8 shows the High Efficiency (HE) Operation element of the IEEE 802.11ax standard.

[0059] HE Operation Parameters 801 is a 3-octet field that stores HE operation parameters. VHT Operation Information 802 is a 0- or 3-octet field that stores VHT operation parameters. 6GHz Operation Information 803 is a 0- or 5-octet field that stores information indicating channel information for the 6GHz band that has become available since IEEE802.11ax.

[0060] The presence or absence of VHT Operation Information 802 and 6 GHz Operation Information 803 is indicated by the corresponding field (1 bit) of the HE Operation Parameters 801.

[0061] Primary Channel 804 is a 1-octet field indicating the primary channel in the 6 GHz band.

[0062] Control 805 is a 1-octet field including Channel Width 808, Duplicate Beacon 809, and Regulatory Info 810 described later.

[0063] Channel Center Frequency Segment 0 806 and 1 807 are 1-octet fields storing information indicating the center frequency of the channel, similar to the fields existing in VHT Operation.

[0064] Channel Width 808 is a 2-bit field indicating whether the channel width is 20 / 40 / 80 / 160 MHz. Duplicate Beacon 809 is a 1-bit field indicating whether beacon frames with the same BSSID are transmitted on different channels. Regulatory Info 810 is a 3-bit field indicating regulations and restrictions regarding the specifications of wireless communication in a specific region.

[0065] Figure 9 shows the configuration of the EHT Operation element in the IEEE 802.11be standard (Draft 4.1).

[0066] EHT Operation Information 901 is a field of 0, 3, or 5 octets storing Control 902, CCFS0 903, CCFS1 904, and Disabled Subchannel Bitmap 905.

[0067] Control 902 is a one-octet control field that stores Channel Width 906, which will be described later.

[0068] CCFS0 903 is a one-octet field that indicates the center frequency when the bandwidth is up to 80 MHz. When the bandwidth is 160 MHz, it indicates the center frequency of the primary channel at 80 MHz, and when the bandwidth is 320 MHz, it indicates the center frequency of the primary channel at 160 Hz. CCFS1 904 indicates the center frequency of the secondary channel when the bandwidth is 160 or 320 MHz.

[0069] The Disabled Subchannel Bitmap 905 is a two-octet field that uses 16 bits to indicate 20 MHz channels that are not used (put into a punctured state) in bandwidths up to 320 MHz.

[0070] Channel Width 906 is a 3-bit field that indicates either 20 / 40 / 80 / 160 / 320 MHz using 3 bits.

[0071] FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the SERVICE field of a non-HT PPDU and the TXVECTOR / RXVECTOR parameters, particularly CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT and DYN_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT.

[0072] Column 1001 shows the first seven bits of SERVICE 411 in non-HT PPDU. Of the first seven bits of SERVICE 411, column 1002 shows the four bits from bit 0 (B0) to bit 3 (B3), column 1003 shows bit 4 (B4), and column 1004 shows the two bits from bit 5 (B5) to bit 6 (B6).

[0073] Row 1005 is a 7-bit configuration when CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT is present and DYN_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT is not present when transmitting from TXVECTOR, that is, the MAC layer to the PHY layer.

[0074] Line 1006 is a 7-bit configuration when CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT and DYN_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT are present in the case of TXVECTOR.

[0075] Row 1007 is a 7-bit configuration when CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT and DYN_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT are present for RXVECTOR.

[0076] 11 shows the relationship between the 3-bit value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT of TXVECTOR and the channel bandwidth (CBW). When the value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT is 1, it indicates 40 MHz (CBW40), when it is 2, it indicates 80 MHz (CBW80), when it is 3, it indicates 160 MHz (CBW160 or CBW80+80), and when it is 4, it indicates 320 MHz (CBW320).

[0077] Figures 12(A) and 12(B) show the relationship between the CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT and CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR of the RXVECTOR. Figure 12(A) shows the value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT for a VHT (802.11ac) STA or an HE (802.11ax) STA. Figure 12(B) shows the value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT for an EHT (802.11be) STA.

[0078] Column 1201 in FIG. 12(A) is the value of the CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR field of the first 7 bits of the scramble sequence. Column 1202 is the value of dot11CurrentChannelCenterFrequencyIndex1. Column 1203 indicates the value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT associated with the value of Column 1201 and the value of Column 1202.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 12(A), when the value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR is 0, it indicates 20 MHz (CBW20); when the value is 1, it indicates 40 MHz (CBW40); when the value is 2, it indicates 80 MHz (CBW80). When the value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR is 3 and the value of dot11CurrentChannelCenterFrequencyIndex1 is 0, it indicates 160 MHz (CBW160). When the value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR is 3 and the value of dot11CurrentChannelCenterFrequencyIndex1 is not 0, it indicates 80 MHz + 80 MHz (CBW80+80).

[0080] Column 1211 in FIG. 12(B) is the value of bits 0 and 1 of the CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR field of the first 7 bits of the scramble sequence. Column 1212 is the value of bit 2 of the CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR field. Column 1213 indicates the value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT associated with the value of Column 1211 and the value of Column 1212.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 12(B), when the values of bits 0 and 1 of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR are 1, it indicates 40 MHz (CBW40). When the values of bits 0 and 1 of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR are 2, it indicates 80 MHz (CBW80), and when the values are 3, it indicates 160 MHz (CBW160). When the values of bits 0 and 1 of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR are 0 and bit 2 is 0, CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT indicates 20 MHz (CBW20). When the values of bits 0 and 1 of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR are 0 and bit 2 is 1, CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT indicates 320 MHz (CBW320).

[0082] FIG. 13(A) is a table showing the relationship between the 4-bit value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT of the TXVECTOR for NPCH communication and the CBW (Channel BandWidth). Columns 1101 to 1103 are the same as columns 1101 to 1103 described with reference to FIG. 11, so the description is omitted.

[0083] Column 1301 is bit 3 of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR, which is the bit set to "1" during NPCH communication. That is, in NPCH communication, as shown in FIG. 11, bit 3, which was set to "0" and unused in PCH communication, is given meaning. That is, bit 3 of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR is treated as information that can identify it as the RTS for NPCH communication. However, column 1302 shows the value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT.

[0084] In the example of FIG. 13(A), when the 4-bit value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT is 8, the bandwidth indicates 20 MHz (CBW20), and when the value is 9, the bandwidth indicates 40 MHz (CBW40). Also, when the value is 10, the bandwidth indicates 80 MHz (CBW80), when the value is 11, the bandwidth indicates 160 MHz or 80 + 80 MHz (CBW160 or CBW80+80), and when the value is 12, the bandwidth indicates 320 MHz (CBW320).

[0085] FIG. 13(B) is a table showing the relationship between the 4-bit value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT of the RXVECTOR for NPCH communication and the CBW (Channel BandWidth). Columns 1211 to 1213 are the same as columns 1211 to 1213 described with reference to FIG. 12(B), so the description is omitted.

[0086] Column 1311 is bit 3 of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR, which is the bit set to "1" during NPCH communication. That is, in NPCH communication, bit 3, which was set to "0" and unused in PCH communication in the same way as column 1301, has meaning.

[0087] In the example of FIG. 13(B), when the 4-bit value of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT is 8, the bandwidth indicates 20 MHz (CBW20), and when the value is 9, the bandwidth indicates 40 MHz (CBW40). Also, when the value is 10, the bandwidth indicates 80 MHz (CBW80), when the value is 11, the bandwidth indicates 160 MHz (CBW160), and when the value is 12, the bandwidth indicates 320 MHz (CBW320).

[0088] <Example 1> FIG. 14 shows the operation sequence of the first example according to this embodiment. FIG. 14 shows the operation when, in the configuration of FIG. 1, when transmitting from AP101 to STA103, AP104 in the OBSS transmits an RTS to STA105 and operates as a TXOP holder.

[0089] Channels 1401 to 1404 are each a schematic representation of a 20 MHz channel.

[0090] AP 101 broadcasts in advance information about channels used by the BSS by including it in Operation element 1405. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the primary channel is channel 1401, the bandwidth is 80 MHz, and channels 1401 to 1404 are used.

[0091] Next, the AP 104 transmits an RTS 1406 to the STA 105. This ensures a TXOP period 1407. In general, the length of the TXOP period 1407 corresponds to the time specified in the Duration field of the RTS 1406.

[0092] When AP 101 detects RTS 1406 transmitted from AP 104, AP 101 sets NAV (Network Allocation Vector) 1408. NAV is also called a transmission prohibition period, and transmission on channel 1401 is prohibited for the time specified in the Duration field of RTS 1406. STA 103 can also detect RTS 1406 transmitted from AP 104, and so sets NAV 1409 on channel 1401 in the same way as AP 101. If STA 102 is the receiving end of AP 101, STA 102 will not detect a signal from AP 104 in the terminal arrangement shown in FIG. 1, i.e., STA 102 and AP 104 are in a hidden terminal relationship. For this reason, STA 102 does not set a NAV.

[0093] A description of the transmission and reception of frames after RTS 1406 within the OBSS, that is, frames after CTS transmitted from STA 105, which is the TXOP responder, to AP 104, will be omitted.

[0094] Following the NAV setting, the AP 101 decides to perform NPCH communication, selects one channel other than the PCH from the 80 MHz band, and starts backoff (BO) counter control 1410. Here, the BO counter control 1410 is illustrated as being performed on channel 1402, but it may also be performed on other channels 1403 or 1404.

[0095] Assume that channel 1402 continues to be idle, and channels 1403 and 1404 are idle during priority inter-frame intervals (PIFS) 1411 and 1412 before the counter of BO counter control 1410 reaches zero. In this case, AP 101 transmits RTSs 1413 to 1415 for NPCH communication on channels 1402 to 1404, respectively.

[0096] Upon receiving RTSs 1413 to 1415 from the AP 101, the STA 103 confirms that each channel is idle and then transmits CTSs 1416 to 1418 to the AP 101. In this embodiment, three channels are determined to be idle, but it may also be determined that one of the channels is busy. In that case, no CTS is transmitted on the busy channel.

[0097] The AP 101 determines the Punctured Channel Information 1419 of the preamble according to the channel on which the CTS was received. As a result, the PHY header of the 80 MHz PPDU indicates that the channel 1401 is in a punctured state 1420. Note that if a CTS corresponding to any of the channels 1402 to 1404 is not returned, the channel on which the CTS was not transmitted also becomes punctured. Following the preamble, the AP 101 transmits the PSDU 1421 of the PPDU.

[0098] Upon receiving the PSDU 1421, the STA 103 transmits a BlockAck (BA) 1422 to the AP 101 if the data can be decoded successfully.

[0099] As described above, even if the PCH is busy, the AP 101 can transmit data to the STAs in the BSS using the NPCH without using the PCH.

[0100] 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a BSS channel operation setting process executed by AP 101. At S1500, AP 101 starts BSS management frame processing. BSS management frame processing is executed, for example, at predetermined time intervals. In the process of FIG. 15, AP 101 determines conditions related to operation, such as the channel to be used by the BSS and bandwidth, and broadcasts that information within the BSS using management frames such as Beacon and Action frames.

[0101] In S1501, the AP 101 determines a PCH. In S1502, the AP 101 determines a bandwidth to be used for communication. These determinations can be made based on settings made by an administrator of the AP 101 or setting values stored in the storage unit 201.

[0102] In S1503, the AP 101 determines whether or not to permit NPCH communication within the BSS. In S1504, the AP 101 constructs an Operational element and broadcasts it by Beacon. The Beacon signal enables the AP 101 to notify non-access point terminals (Non-AP STAs) whether or not to permit NPCH.

[0103] In S1505, the AP 101 notifies information for NPCH communication. This information notification may be included in element 505 of a Beacon and notified, or may be notified by a newly defined Action Frame.

[0104] Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by a wireless communication device on the transmitting side. That is, the flowchart in Fig. 16 is common to both the AP and the STA. The processing in Fig. 16 is executed when transmission data occurs (S1600).

[0105] At S1601, the wireless communication device detects that a terminal in the OBSS has become the TXOP holder of the primary channel. For example, when an RTS signal is detected on the primary channel from a terminal in the OBSS, it can be determined that the terminal in the OBSS has become the TXOP holder of the primary channel.

[0106] At S1602, the wireless communication device sets the NAV for the BSS and starts the NAV timer. In this embodiment, Spatial Reuse introduced in IEEE802.11ax is not operated. Therefore, control by two types of NAV (basic NAV and intra-BSS NAV) is not performed, and the NAV set at S1602 is synonymous with the basic NAV.

[0107] At S1603, the wireless communication device determines whether to attempt NPCH communication. At S1603, for example, when the PCH is in a busy state, it can be determined to attempt NPCH communication. In another example, at S1603, when an RTS from the OBSS is detected, it can be determined to attempt NPCH communication. When attempting NPCH communication (Yes at S1603), the wireless communication device proceeds to S1604 and determines the channel for transmitting the RTS that activates the NPCH communication. This process corresponds to 1410 of the sequence. On the other hand, when it is determined not to attempt NPCH communication (No at S1603), the wireless communication device proceeds to S1615 and performs communication control using the conventional PCH.

[0108] At S1605, the wireless communication device constructs the preamble and MAC frame of the RTS for NPCH communication. This preamble reflects the TXVECTOR notified from the MAC layer to the PHY layer. Specifically, it is a preamble in which bit 3 is set to "1" among the 4 bits corresponding to CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT. Also, the Duration of the RTS in NPCH communication is set to be shorter than the NAV period by the OBSS. This is based on the position that NPCH communication is allowed only during the NAV setting period by the OBSS.

[0109] At S1606, the wireless communication device executes backoff control to transmit an RTS requesting the securing of a TXOP for NPCH communication, and determines whether one of the NPCH channels is in an idle state until the backoff counter becomes zero. When the backoff counter becomes zero while one of the NPCH channels remains in an idle state, the wireless communication device transmits an RTS on that channel (S1608). At the same time, an RTS is also transmitted on an NPCH that was in an idle state during the priority frame interval (PIFS) before the backoff counter became zero. Here, the NPCH on which the RTS is transmitted is specified by the Channel Width notified by the Opearation element.

[0110] Subsequently, the wireless communication device receives a CTS, which is a response to the RTS transmitted in S1608 (S1608). As described above, the wireless communication device on the other side that has received the RTS transmits the CTS only on the channels that are in the idle state. Therefore, the wireless communication device identifies the channel on which the CTS is received (S1608) among the NPCHs on which the RTS has been transmitted. The wireless communication device creates Punctured Channel Information with the channels on which the CTS has not been received disabled and constructs a PHY header for the transmission data (S1609). Note that in Draft 4.1 of the IEEE802.11be standard, the number of bits provided for transmitting the Punctured Channel Information in the U-SIG of the PHY header is 5 bits. In this 5-bit area, there may be cases where the pattern in which any 20 MHz out of 320 MHz is punctured cannot be expressed. In this case, it may be configured to select a puncturing pattern that makes the communication on the channel on which the CTS is received as effective as possible. Also, the PPDU format can be extended to show more flexible puncturing. In that case, the PPDU used for data communication is for Ultra High Reliability (UHR), and a field for transmitting a new 16-bit puncturing may be defined in the UHR-SIG, which is the PHY header specific to UHR. This 16-bit field may be a bitmap area that indicates whether each 20 MHz sub-band is disabled or enabled.

[0111] Next, the wireless communication device transmits a PPDU including the constructed PHY header to the other wireless communication device (S1610). As described above, the channel on which the PPDU is transmitted is the NPCH channel on which the CTS was received. After transmitting the PPDU, the wireless communication device receives a BlockAck (BA) (S1611) and terminates the NPCH communication (S1612). The PPDU transmitted in S1610 is, for example, a UHR PPDU of the IEEE 802.11bn standard. Note that the PPDU may also be an EHT (Extremely High Throughput) PPDU of the IEEE 802.11be standard.

[0112] 17 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by a non-AP STA operating as a receiving wireless communication device. The following processing is realized by control unit 202 of the non-AP STA executing a program stored in storage unit 201.

[0113] The control unit 202 waits for a signal from another wireless communication device at a predetermined timing. If a non-AP STA receives a Management frame including a Beacon or Action frame (Yes in S1701), the process proceeds to S1702; if not (No in S1701), the process proceeds to S1703.

[0114] In S1702, the control unit 202 acquires an operation element included in a Beacon or Action frame. The elements to be acquired are the information elements described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9 and 18. In S1703, the control unit 202 determines whether or not an RTS compliant with standards up to the IEEE 802.11n standard has been received. If it is determined that an RTS compliant with standards up to the IEEE 802.11n standard has been received (Yes in S1703), the control unit 202 checks whether or not the channel on which the RTS was received is in an idle state (S1704). If the control unit 202 determines that the channel on which the RTS was received is in an idle state (Yes in S1704), the process proceeds to S1705; if it determines that the channel on which the RTS was received is not in an idle state (No in S1704), the process proceeds to S1713. In S1705, the control unit 202 prepares to transmit a CTS compliant with standards up to the IEEE 802.11n standard on the channel on which the RTS was received.

[0115] In S1706, the control unit 202 determines whether an RTS for conventional bandwidth control (Bandwidth signaling) has been received. Here, "conventional" means "up to 802.11be Draft 4.1." That is, in S1706, the control unit 202 determines whether the RTS requests the reservation of a TXOP on one or more channels including the primary channel. If it is determined that an RTS for bandwidth control has been received (Yes in S1706), the control unit 202 proceeds to S1707; if it is determined that an RTS for bandwidth control has not been received (No in S1706), the control unit 202 proceeds to S1709.

[0116] In S1707, the control unit 202 determines whether the channel on which the RTS was received is in an idle state. If the control unit 202 determines that the channel on which the RTS was received is in an idle state (Yes in S1707), the process proceeds to S1708. If the control unit 202 determines that the channel on which the RTS was received is not in an idle state, the process proceeds to S1713.

[0117] In S1708, the control unit 202 prepares for transmitting CTS for the conventional bandwidth control RTS on the channel where the RTS is received.

[0118] In S1709, the control unit 202 determines whether it has received an RTS for NPCH communication. This determination is based on the RXVECTOR notified from the PHY layer to the MAC layer. Specifically, it is a determination of whether bit 3 of the 4 bits corresponding to CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT_INDICATOR is set to "1". In this embodiment, it is assumed that no RTS for NPCH communication is transmitted on the PCH. If the control unit 202 determines in S1709 that it has received an RTS for NPCH communication (Yes in S1709), the process proceeds to S1710, and if it determines that it has not received an RTS for NPCH communication (No in S1709), the process proceeds to S1712.

[0119] In S1710, the control unit 202 determines whether the channel where the RTS for NPCH communication is received is in an idle state. If the control unit 202 determines that the channel where the RTS for NPCH communication is received is in an idle state (Yes in S1710), the process proceeds to S1711, and if it determines that it is not in an idle state (No in S1710), the process proceeds to S1713. Note that in S1710, if the control unit 202 determines that at least one of the plurality of channels is in an idle state, the process proceeds to S1711. In S1711, the control unit 202 prepares for transmitting CTS for NPCH communication on the channel where the RTS is received.

[0120] In S1712, the control unit 202 executes the reception process for frames other than Beacon or RTS.

[0121] In S1713, the control unit 202 transmits the CTS prepared in S1705, S1708, or S1711 on each 20 MHz channel. For example, if a CTS is not prepared here, the control unit 202 may not transmit a CTS. In S1714, the control unit 202 receives a PPDU on the channel on which the CTS was transmitted. Note that, depending on the CTS return status, a PPDU without a PHY header may be received on one or more channels. The absence of a PHY header can be determined by the control unit 202 analyzing the Punctured Channel Information in the PHY header. If the PPDU reception is successful, the control unit 202 transmits a BA (S1715) and returns the process to S1701. Note that in FIG. 17, if the wireless communication device on the receiving side is an AP, instead of the processes of S1701 and S1702, the AP determines an Operation element and transmits it by including it in a Beacon.

[0122] In S1703 and S1706, it is determined that an RTS has been received on the condition that the RTS has been received on the PCH. Therefore, if an RTS conforming to the conventional standard is received but not on the PCH, it may be determined to be an error. On the other hand, in S1709, the receiving wireless communication device can recognize that an RTS is not transmitted on the PCH. Therefore, in S1709, the processing proceeds to S1710 on the condition that an RTS for NPCH communication is received on one or more channels other than the PCH.

[0123] As explained above, the RTS for NPCH communication is distinguished from the conventional RTS. Even if the receiving side determines that the PCH is idle and does not detect the PCH RTS, it is not judged as an error, which has the effect of stabilizing communication. In addition, since the time length of the control frame is not increased, there is the effect of increasing the medium utilization efficiency.

[0124] <Example 2> In the first embodiment, the transmitting and receiving sides are capable of transmitting and receiving RTS / CTS signals on a 20 MHz channel adjacent to the primary channel. In the second embodiment, the concept of 40 MHz coupling in IEEE802.11n and the concept of wider channels in IEEE802.11ac and later are not used. In this case, the wireless communication device must perform 20 MHz bandwidth communication on an arbitrary channel unrelated to the PCH. Therefore, the transmitting and receiving sides must recognize the channel they will use, using information other than the HT / VHT / HE / EHT operation element information. The Non-Primary operation element shown in FIG. 18 is used for this recognition.

[0125] The Non Primary Channel status 1801 is an 8-bit field, and the bits in the field have the following meanings:

[0126] Bit 0, when set to 1, indicates that NPCH communication is permitted. Bit 1, when set to 1, indicates that the control frame for NPCH communication is shared with the control frame for Bandwidth signaling. Bit 2, when set to 1, indicates that the control frame for Bandwidth signaling is not used to control NPCH communication. Bits 3 and onwards are unused (Reserved).

[0127] The number of aux primary channels 1802 is a one-octet field that indicates the number of this optional channel.

[0128] The aux primary channel 1803 stores information regarding non-primary channels. The non-primary operation element includes the number of aux primary channels 1803 specified by the number of aux primary channel 1802. Note that when the number of aux primary channel 1802 is 0 (zero), there is no NPCH used for NPCH communication in the BSS, that is, NPCH communication is not performed.

[0129] Also, in the sequence of FIG. 14, when the receiving STA 103 does not detect the RTS 1406, the receiving STA 103 may not enter the state of waiting for an RTS on any channel. As described above, according to the characteristics of the receiving side, the channel for starting NPCH communication can be controlled, resulting in the effect of improved usability.

[0130] <Modification Example> In the above-described embodiment, the case where information that can identify that it is an RTS for NPCH communication is stored in the RTS transmitted on the secondary channel to perform NPCH communication is illustrated. However, it is not limited to this. When the AP attempts to start NPCH communication, etc., the MU-RTS Trigger frame may be configured to store information that can identify that it is NPCH communication. Also in this case, information that can identify that it is this NPCH communication may be stored in the PHY header portion of the frame. Further, other frames can also be configured to store information that can identify that it is NPCH communication. The other frame is, for example, a frame that serves as a trigger for communication exchanges between devices. Specifically, when the AP starts NPCH communication, it may be configured to store information that can identify that it is NPCH communication in a BSRP (Buffer Status Report Poll) Trigger frame or the like. Also in this case, information that can identify that it is this NPCH communication may be stored in the PHY header portion of the frame. <Other Embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. The disclosure of the present embodiments also includes the following wireless communication device, its control method, and program.

[0131] (Item 1) A wireless communication device that complies with the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, a determining means for determining whether a primary channel of a Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the wireless communication device belongs is in a busy state; a transmitting means for transmitting an occupation request frame to request securing of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) on one or more channels different from the primary channel when the determining means determines that the primary channel is busy; a communication control means for executing a predetermined communication for transmitting data without using the primary channel in response to the occupancy request frame; Equipped with The wireless communication device, wherein the occupation request frame includes predetermined information that can specify that the occupation request frame requests the reservation of a TXOP for the predetermined communication.

[0132] (Item 2) 2. The wireless communication device according to item 1, wherein the predetermined information is stored in a service field included in a physical layer (PHY) header of the occupancy request frame.

[0133] (Item 3) a detection unit for detecting a response to the occupancy request frame transmitted by the transmission unit, The wireless communication device according to item 1 or 2, wherein the communication control means transmits a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) on the channel on which the response is received among the one or more channels for which securing of a TXOP is requested by the occupancy request frame.

[0134] (Item 4) The transmission means transmits a plurality of occupancy request frames on a plurality of channels different from the primary channel, The wireless communication device according to item 3, wherein the communication control means controls not to transmit the PPDU on the channels among the plurality of channels on which the plurality of occupancy request frames are transmitted by the transmission means and for which no response is detected by the detection means.

[0135] (Item 5) The wireless communication device according to item 4, wherein the physical layer (PHY) header of the PPDU includes information capable of specifying the channels on which the PPDU is not transmitted.

[0136] (Item 6) Before transmitting an occupancy request frame on the plurality of channels, the transmission means executes backoff control on one of the plurality of channels, and on channels other than the one channel among the plurality of channels where the channel was idle during a priority frame interval (PIFS) before the backoff counter reaches zero, the transmission means transmits the occupancy request frame. The wireless communication device according to item 4 or 5.

[0137] (Item 7) The wireless communication device is an access point that manages the BSS, The wireless communication device according to any one of items 1 to 6, further comprising second transmission means for including parameters used for the predetermined communication in an operation element and transmitting the same.

[0138] (Item 8) The wireless communication device according to item 7, wherein the operation element includes information indicating whether to control the bandwidth in the occupancy request frame.

[0139] (Item 9) The wireless communication device according to item 7 or 8, wherein the operation element includes information indicating a channel on which the occupancy request frame can be transmitted.

[0140] (Item 10) A wireless communication device compatible with the IEEE802.11 series of standards, Receiving means for receiving an occupancy request frame requesting to secure a transmission opportunity (TXOP) in one or more channels different from the primary channel of the Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the wireless communication device belongs; Determining means for determining whether the one or more channels are idle with respect to the occupancy request frame received by the receiving means when the occupancy request frame includes predetermined information that can specify that the occupancy request frame requests to secure a TXOP for a predetermined communication for transmitting data without using the primary channel; Transmitting means for transmitting an occupancy response frame on a channel determined to be idle by the determining means among the one or more channels; Communication control means for executing the predetermined communication in response to the occupancy response frame; A wireless communication device, characterized by comprising:

[0141] (Item 11) The wireless communication device according to item 10, wherein the predetermined information is stored in a service field included in a physical layer (PHY) header of the occupancy request frame.

[0142] (Item 12) The receiving means detects a plurality of occupancy request frames in a plurality of channels different from the primary channel, Item 10 or 11, the wireless communication device, characterized in that the transmitting means controls not to transmit the occupancy response frame on a channel that the determining means determines to be in a busy state among a plurality of channels on which the receiving means receives a plurality of occupancy request frames.

[0143] (Item 13) the wireless communication device is a non-access point terminal (Non-AP STA) belonging to the BSS, 13. The wireless communication device according to any one of items 10 to 12, wherein the receiving means determines a channel on which to detect the occupancy request frame based on an operation element received from an access point.

[0144] (Item 14) Item 14. The wireless communication device according to item 13, wherein the operation element includes information indicating whether to control bandwidth in the occupation request frame.

[0145] (Item 15) 15. The wireless communication device according to any one of items 10 to 14, characterized in that the transmitting means does not transmit the occupancy response frame in response to the occupancy request frame if the receiving means does not receive the occupancy request frame on the primary channel and the occupancy request frame received on a channel other than the primary channel does not contain specified information that can identify that the occupancy request frame requests the reservation of a TXOP for the specified communication.

[0146] (Item 16) A control method executed by a wireless communication device conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, determining whether a primary channel of a Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the wireless communication device belongs is busy; When it is determined that the primary channel is in a busy state, transmitting an occupancy request frame that requests securing a transmission opportunity (TXOP) in one or more channels different from the primary channel, executing a predetermined communication for transmitting data without using the primary channel in response to a response to the occupancy request frame, including, The occupancy request frame includes predetermined information that can specify a request for securing a TXOP for the predetermined communication, and is a control method.

[0147] (Item 17) A control method executed by a wireless communication device compatible with the IEEE802.11 series of standards, receiving an occupancy request frame that requests securing a transmission opportunity (TXOP) in one or more channels different from the primary channel of the Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the wireless communication device belongs, when the occupancy request frame includes predetermined information that can specify a request for securing a TXOP for a predetermined communication for transmitting data without using the primary channel, determining whether the one or more channels are in an idle state with respect to the received occupancy request frame, transmitting an occupancy response frame in a channel determined to be in an idle state among the one or more channels, executing a predetermined communication for transmitting data without using the primary channel in response to the occupancy response frame, characterized by including,

[0148] (Item 18) A program for causing a computer to function as the wireless communication device according to any one of Items 1 to 15.

[0149] The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0150] 101: AP, 103: STA, 104: AP, 402: Header, 403: PSDU, 411: SERVICE, 412: Frame Control, 413: Duration / ID, 414: Address1, 415: Address2, 501: HT Operation, 502: VHT Operation, 503: HE Operation, 504: EHT Operation, 505: Non Primary Operation, 1005, 1006: TXVECTOR, 1007: RXVECTOR, 1301: Value in bits 3 of CH_BANDWIDTH_IN_NON_HT

Claims

1. A wireless communication device compatible with the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, judgment means for judging whether the primary channel of the Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the wireless communication device belongs is in a busy state or not; transmission means for transmitting an occupancy request frame that requests securing a transmission opportunity (TXOP) in one or more channels different from the primary channel when the judgment means determines that the primary channel is in a busy state; communication control means for executing a predetermined communication for transmitting data without using the primary channel in response to a response to the occupancy request frame; comprising, The occupancy request frame includes predetermined information that can specify a request for securing a TXOP for the predetermined communication. A wireless communication device characterized by this.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined information is stored in a service field included in a physical layer (PHY) header of the occupancy request frame.

3. further comprising detection means for detecting a response to the occupancy request frame transmitted by the transmission means, The communication control means transmits a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) in the channel that received the response among the one or more channels for which the occupancy request frame requests securing a TXOP. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, characterized by this.

4. The transmission means transmits a plurality of occupancy request frames in a plurality of channels different from the primary channel, The communication control means controls not to transmit the PPDU in the channels in which the detection means did not detect a response among the plurality of channels in which the transmission means transmitted a plurality of occupancy request frames. The wireless communication device according to claim 3, characterized by this.

5. The physical layer (PHY) header of the PPDU includes information that can specify the channels in which the PPDU is not transmitted. The wireless communication device according to claim 4, characterized by this.

6. Before transmitting an occupancy request frame in the plurality of channels, the transmission means executes backoff control in one of the plurality of channels, and in a channel other than the one channel among the plurality of channels, the occupancy request frame is transmitted in a channel where the channel was in an idle state during a Point Inter-Frame Space (PIFS) before the backoff counter reaches zero. The wireless communication device according to claim 4, characterized in that.

7. The wireless communication device is an access point that manages the BSS, The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising second transmission means for transmitting, including in an operation element, parameters used for the predetermined communication.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, characterized in that the operation element includes information indicating whether or not to control the bandwidth in the occupancy request frame.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, characterized in that the operation element includes information indicating a channel in which the occupancy request frame can be transmitted.

10. A wireless communication device compatible with the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, Receiving means for receiving an occupancy request frame requesting to secure a Transmission Opportunity (TXOP) in a channel different from the primary channel of the Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the wireless communication device belongs; Determination means for determining whether or not the one or more channels are in an idle state with respect to the occupancy request frame received by the receiving means when the occupancy request frame includes predetermined information that can identify that the TXOP for a predetermined communication for transmitting data without using the primary channel is requested; Transmission means for transmitting an occupancy response frame in a channel determined to be in an idle state by the determination means among the one or more channels; Communication control means for executing the predetermined communication in response to the occupancy response frame; A wireless communication device, characterized by comprising.

11. The wireless communication device according to claim 10, characterized in that the predetermined information is stored in a service field included in a physical layer (PHY) header of the occupancy request frame.

12. The receiving means detects a plurality of occupancy request frames on a plurality of channels different from the primary channel, The transmitting means controls not to transmit the occupancy response frame on a channel determined by the determination means to be in a busy state among the plurality of channels on which the receiving means has received a plurality of occupancy request frames, The wireless communication device according to claim 10, characterized in that. **Claim 13** The wireless communication device is a non-access point terminal (Non AP STA) belonging to the BSS, The receiving means determines a channel for detecting the occupancy request frame based on an operation element received from an access point, The wireless communication device according to claim 10, characterized in that. **Claim 14** The operation element includes information indicating whether to control a bandwidth in the occupancy request frame, The wireless communication device according to claim 13, characterized in that. **Claim 15** When the receiving means does not receive the occupancy request frame on the primary channel and the occupancy request frame received on a channel other than the primary channel does not include predetermined information capable of specifying that securing of a TXOP for the predetermined communication is required, the transmitting means does not transmit the occupancy response frame with respect to the occupancy request frame, The wireless communication device according to claim 10, characterized in that. **Claim 16** A control method executed by a wireless communication device compatible with the IEEE802.11 series of standards, determining whether a primary channel of a Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the wireless communication device belongs is in a busy state; when it is determined that the primary channel is in a busy state, transmitting an occupancy request frame for securing a transmission opportunity (TXOP) on one or more channels different from the primary channel; executing a predetermined communication for transmitting data without using the primary channel in response to a response to the occupancy request frame; including The occupancy request frame includes predetermined information capable of specifying that securing of a TXOP for the predetermined communication is required, A control method characterized by that. **Claim 17** A control method executed by a wireless communication device compatible with the IEEE802.11 series of standards, Receiving an occupancy request frame that requests securing a transmission opportunity (TXOP) in one or more channels different from the primary channel of the Basic Service Set (BSS) to which the wireless communication device belongs; When the occupancy request frame includes predetermined information that can specify that it requests securing a TXOP for a predetermined communication that transmits data without using the primary channel, determining whether the one or more channels are in an idle state with respect to the received occupancy request frame; Transmitting an occupancy response frame in a channel determined to be in an idle state among the one or more channels; Performing a predetermined communication that transmits data without using the primary channel in response to the occupancy response frame; A control method, characterized by including the above.

18. A program for causing a computer to function as the wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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