Relay device, communication system, processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a repeater capable of suppressing a decrease in a radio communication rate between a terminal and an access point even when there is no change in the radio communication rate between the repeater and the terminal in radio communication performed between the terminal and the access point via the repeater.SOLUTION: The relay device is a relay device connected to an access point and a terminal including a first terminal and a second terminal, and when a communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal decreases due to a change in a communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal, the relay device selects a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the second terminal from among a plurality of frequencies specified for communication rates in wireless communication with the second terminal. A CPU that performs a process of setting a frequency at which a communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from a current communication rate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a repeater, a communication system, a processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Wireless communication is used in a variety of fields. Patent Document 1 discloses a related technology relating to a wireless communication system that performs wireless communication via a repeater. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-175470 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a first terminal and an access point perform wireless communication via a repeater, if the wireless communication rate between the repeater and the access point, or between the repeater and a second terminal different from the first terminal, changes, the wireless communication rate between the first terminal and the access point decreases even when the wireless communication rate between the repeater and the first terminal does not change. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that can suppress a decrease in the wireless communication rate between a terminal and an access point in wireless communication performed via a repeater, even when the wireless communication rate between the repeater and the terminal does not change.

[0005] Each aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide a repeater, a communication system, a processing method, and a program that can solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a repeater is connected to an access point and terminals including a first terminal and a second terminal, and is equipped with a CPU that performs processing to change the frequency to be used in wireless communication with the second terminal to a frequency from among multiple frequencies identified for the communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal that does not result in a decrease in the communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal from the current rate when the communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal decreases due to a change in the communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal.

[0007] To achieve the above object, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system includes the above-mentioned repeater, the access point connected to the repeater, the first terminal, and the second terminal.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, a processing method is executed by a repeater connected to an access point and terminals including a first terminal and a second terminal, and includes, when the communication rate of the first terminal in wireless communication decreases due to a change in the communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal, setting the frequency to be used in wireless communication with the second terminal to a frequency from among multiple frequencies identified for the communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal at which the communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from the current rate.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, a program causes a computer of a repeater connected to an access point and terminals including a first terminal and a second terminal to execute the following: when the communication rate of the first terminal in wireless communication decreases due to a change in the communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal, set the frequency to be used in wireless communication with the second terminal to a frequency from among multiple frequencies identified for the communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal that does not cause the communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal to decrease from the current rate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to each aspect of the present disclosure, in wireless communication between a terminal and an access point via a repeater, even if there is no change in the wireless communication rate between the repeater and the terminal, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the wireless communication rate between the terminal and the access point. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a repeater according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a first diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a second diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the communication system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a list of surrounding environments generated by an access point according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a list of surrounding environments generated by a repeater according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of frequencies identified from FIGS. 5 and 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in a wireless communication rate in the communication system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a DFS detection frequency table according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a communication system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of a communication system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of a communication system when a terminal 30a2 moves according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first example of a list of surrounding environments generated by a repeater according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of a list of surrounding environments generated by a repeater according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in wireless communication rate in a communication system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a minimum configuration of a repeater according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of a repeater having a minimum configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First Embodiment (Communication System Configuration) A communication system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The communication system 1 is a system that can suppress a decrease in the wireless communication rate between a terminal and an access point in wireless communication performed via a repeater, even when there is no change in the wireless communication rate between the repeater and the terminal.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the communication system 1 includes a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) access point (hereinafter referred to as "access point") 10, a wireless LAN repeater (hereinafter referred to as "repeater") 20, and a wireless LAN terminal (hereinafter referred to as "terminal") 30.

[0014] The access point 10 is a device that connects the terminal 30 to the wireless LAN. The repeater 20 is a device that is installed when the radio waves in the wireless LAN are weak. The repeater 20 strengthens weak radio waves to expand the range of the radio waves. The repeater 20 periodically monitors the surrounding environment. Examples of items that the repeater 20 periodically monitors the surrounding environment include Channel Load (usage rate [%] of the relevant frequency), NF (Noise Figure [dB]), and RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication [dBm]) of the device to communicate with.

[0015] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the repeater 20 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the repeater 20 includes antennas 201a1, 201a2, 201a3, 201a4, 201b1, 201b2, 201b3, and 201b4, transmission / reception circuits 202a1, 202a2, 202a3, 202a4, 202b1, 202b2, 202b3, and 202b4, a baseband unit 203, a memory unit 204, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 205.

[0016] Antennas 201a1, 201a2, 201a3, and 201a4 may be collectively referred to as antenna 201a. Antennas 201b1, 201b2, 201b3, and 201b4 may be collectively referred to as antenna 201b. Antennas 201a and 201b may be collectively referred to as antenna 201. Transmitting and receiving circuits 202a1, 202a2, 202a3, and 202a4 may be collectively referred to as transmitting and receiving circuit 202a. Transmitting and receiving circuits 202b1, 202b2, 202b3, and 202b4 may be collectively referred to as transmitting and receiving circuit 202b. Transmitting and receiving circuits 202a and 202b may be collectively referred to as transmitting and receiving circuit 202.

[0017] The antenna 201a is an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves in the 2.4 GHz band, for example, to perform wireless communication with the access point 10 and the terminal 30. The antenna 201b is an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves in the 5 GHz band, for example, to perform wireless communication with the access point 10 and the terminal 30.

[0018] The transmission / reception circuit 202a1 communicates with the access point 10 and the terminal 30 via the antenna 201a1 by transmitting and receiving signals via a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). The transmission / reception circuit 202a2 communicates with the access point 10 and the terminal 30 via the antenna 201a2 by transmitting and receiving signals via the wireless LAN. The transmission / reception circuit 202a3 communicates with the access point 10 and the terminal 30 via the antenna 201a3 by transmitting and receiving signals via the wireless LAN. The transmission / reception circuit 202a4 communicates with the access point 10 and the terminal 30 via the antenna 201a4 by transmitting and receiving signals via the wireless LAN.

[0019] The transmission / reception circuit 202b1 transmits and receives signals via wireless LAN to communicate with the access point 10 and the terminal 30 via the antenna 201b1. The transmission / reception circuit 202b2 transmits and receives signals via wireless LAN to communicate with the access point 10 and the terminal 30 via the antenna 201b2. The transmission / reception circuit 202b3 transmits and receives signals via wireless LAN to communicate with the access point 10 and the terminal 30 via the antenna 201b3. The transmission / reception circuit 202b4 transmits and receives signals via wireless LAN to communicate with the access point 10 and the terminal 30 via the antenna 201b4.

[0020] The baseband unit 203 modulates the transmission data transmitted by the transmission / reception circuit 202. The baseband unit 203 also demodulates the reception data received by the transmission / reception circuit 202.

[0021] The memory unit 204 stores various information such as radio wave conditions in the surrounding environment of the repeater 20. The CPU 205 controls the frequency band used for transmission and reception to the optimal frequency band based on the information stored in the memory unit 204.

[0022] The terminal 30 is a device that performs wireless communication by connecting to a wireless LAN via the access point 10. The terminal 30 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet device.

[0023] The above-described processes performed by the access point 10, the repeater 20, and the terminal 30 are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these processes. For example, the access point 10, the repeater 20, and the terminal 30 may each perform the processes described below.

[0024] Next, a description will be given of processing performed by the communication system 1. Fig. 3 is a first diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the communication system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 is a second diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the communication system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, with reference to Figs. 3 and 4, a description will be given of processing performed by the communication system 1 shown in Fig. 1 to set the frequency band used for transmission and reception to an optimal frequency band.

[0025] It is assumed that the communication between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 and the communication between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30 (i.e., transmission and reception) uses the 5 GHz frequency band and operates in quad channel mode with channel 100 selected by auto channel selection. The communication between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 and the communication between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30 (i.e., transmission and reception) are established at a wireless communication rate of 2stream HE80 MCS6, with the actual wireless communication rate being 518.8 Mbps (Megabits per second). In this case, the wireless communication rate between the access point 10 and the terminal 30 is 518.8 Mbps / 2 = 259.4 Mbps. It is also assumed that the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30 has decreased.

[0026] The repeater 20 monitors the surrounding environment (step S1). The repeater 20 determines whether the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30 has decreased based on the wireless communication rate with the terminal 30 (step S2). For example, if the repeater 20 determines that the wireless communication rate with the terminal 30 has become equal to or lower than a set threshold (e.g., a threshold value predetermined corresponding to the wireless communication rate between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30 at the start of communication), the repeater 20 determines that the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30 has decreased. Also, for example, if the repeater 20 determines that the wireless communication rate with the terminal 30 exceeds the set threshold, the repeater 20 determines that the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30 has not decreased.

[0027] If the repeater 20 determines that the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30 has not decreased (NO in step S2), the repeater 20 returns to the process of step S1. If the repeater 20 determines that the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30 has decreased (YES in step S2), the repeater 20 determines whether there has been a change in the surrounding environment (step S3). For example, if the repeater 20 determines that at least one of the monitoring items for monitoring the surrounding environment, such as Channel Load, NF, and RSSI of the communication target device, has fallen outside a set range, the repeater 20 determines that there has been a change in the surrounding environment. If the repeater 20 determines that all of the monitoring items for monitoring the surrounding environment are within a set range, the repeater 20 determines that there has been no change in the surrounding environment. Examples of the set range include the range between the upper and lower limits of each monitoring item for monitoring the surrounding environment, and the allowable range of the amount of change per unit time for each monitoring item value.

[0028] If the relay device 20 determines that there is a change in the surrounding environment (YES in step S3), it determines that the change is due to a change in the wireless communication rate between the relay device 20 and the terminal 30. Then, the relay device 20 returns to the processing of step S1.

[0029] Furthermore, if the relay device 20 determines that there is no change in the surrounding environment (NO in step S3), it determines that the change is due to a change in the wireless communication rate between the access point 10 and the relay device 20. Then, the relay device 20 transmits a notification to the access point 10 to cause it to execute a predetermined process (step S4).

[0030] The access point 10 receives a notification from the repeater 20. In response to the received notification, the access point 10 determines whether or not radar waves have been detected (step S5). If the access point 10 determines that radar waves have been detected (YES in step S5), it checks the frequency of the detected radar waves. Then, the access point 10 updates the DFS detection frequency table (step S6). The contents updated by the access point 10 are the frequency and date of the detected radar waves. This updated DFS detection frequency table is used when performing frequency selection. The access point 10 monitors the surrounding environment. The items monitored by the access point 10 are the same as the items monitored by the repeater 20. Then, the access point 10 creates a list of the surrounding environment based on the monitoring results (step S7).

[0031] Furthermore, if the access point 10 determines that radar waves have not been detected (NO in step S5), it skips the process of step S6 and proceeds to the process of step S7.

[0032] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a surrounding environment list generated by the access point 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, the surrounding environment list generated by the access point 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that the access point 10 classifies information obtained by monitoring the surrounding environment into four levels, and displays the four-level classification in the generated surrounding environment list. For example, in the generated surrounding environment list, the access point 10 classifies a Channel Load of 0% as L1, a Channel Load of 1 to 25% as L2, a Channel Load of 26 to 50% as L3, and a Channel Load of 51% or more as L4.

[0033] In addition, the access point 10 indicates the actual measured value of NF [dB] and the actual measured value of RSSI [dBm] in the generated surrounding environment list, as shown in Fig. 5. The access point 10 also calculates the SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) from the NF and RSSI. The access point 10 also indicates the wireless communication rate expected between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 in the generated surrounding environment list.

[0034] Here, when the Channel Load is L1 or L2, the wireless communication rate is determined by the NF and RSSI. Furthermore, when the Channel Load is other than L1 or L2 (i.e., when the Channel Load is L3 or L4), the wireless communication rate is likely to be lower than the calculated result. Therefore, for example, if the frequency being used has one L3, 0.8 is used as a correction value; if there are two or more L3s, 0.6; and if there is at least one L4, 0.4 is used as a correction value and multiplied by the wireless communication rate. Specifically, for example, when the surrounding environment of the access point is as shown in FIG. 5, an SNR of 25 dB is ensured in the 5 GHz band, so a wireless communication rate of 648.5 Mbps for 2stream HE80 MCS6 is expected. However, with the currently used 100ch, only a SNR of 15 dB is ensured due to deterioration of the NF, and the wireless communication rate has changed to 288.2 Mbps for 2stream HE80 MCS3. Considering the Channel Load correction value of 0.6, the wireless communication rate is 230.6 Mbps. Therefore, in this state, the wireless communication rate between the access point 10 and the terminal 30 is 230.6 / 2=115.3 Mbps. In this case, if there is a frequency currently in use whose corrected wireless communication rate using the Channel Load correction value exceeds 230.6 Mbps in the 5 GHz band, or 115.3 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band, there is a possibility that the current wireless communication rate will be improved.

[0035] Therefore, the access point 10 determines whether or not there is a frequency in the generated surrounding environment list that exceeds the current wireless communication rate (step S8). If the access point 10 determines that there is no frequency in the generated surrounding environment list that exceeds the current wireless communication rate (NO in step S8), the access point 10 continues communication using the current frequency (step S9). The processing of step S9 is based on the idea that if there is no frequency that exceeds the current wireless communication rate, then the current frequency is optimal. Then, the access point 10 generates the surrounding environment list again by returning to the processing of step S7.

[0036] Furthermore, when the access point 10 determines that the generated surrounding environment list contains a frequency that exceeds the current wireless communication rate (YES in step S8), the access point 10 identifies the frequency as a candidate frequency for reviewing the current wireless communication rate (step S10). For example, in the surrounding environment list shown in FIG. 5, the wireless communication rate is 518.8 Mbps for channels 36 to 48 in the 5 GHz band, 259.4 Mbps for channels 52 to 62, and 518.8 Mbps for channels 132 to 144. Also, for example, in the surrounding environment list shown in FIG. 5, the wireless communication rate is 220.2 Mbps for channels 6 to 10 in the 2.4 GHz band, and 165.2 Mbps for channels 9 to 13. Therefore, there is a possibility that the wireless communication rate will be improved from the current wireless communication rate for five frequencies. Note that, in each embodiment of the present disclosure, "review" corresponds to "changing" the state when the state is changed from the previous state, and corresponds to "maintaining" the state when the state is changed to the same state as the previous state.

[0037] Note that communications in the 5 GHz band are divided into groups W52, W53, and W56. Reassessing the frequency to group W53 or W56 requires halting communications for one minute through radar search. Therefore, if a terminal 30 is currently communicating, reassessing to W52 or the 2.4 GHz band takes priority over reassessing to W53 or W56. For example, in the case of the surrounding environment list shown in FIG. 5, three frequencies—channels 36-48 (518.8 Mbps), 6-10 (220.2 Mbps), and 9-13 (165.2 Mbps)—are targeted for reassessment. While the identified frequencies provide good wireless communication rates around the access point 10, they may not necessarily provide good wireless communication rates around the repeater 20. Therefore, the repeater 20 also identifies candidate frequencies for reassessment in the surrounding environment list it generates (step S11).

[0038] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a surrounding environment list generated by the repeater 20 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the wireless communication rates are 389.1 Mbps on channels 100 to 112 in the 5 GHz band, 389.1 Mbps on channels 116 to 128, and 518.8 Mbps on channels 132 to 144. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the wireless communication rates are 220.2 Mbps on channels 6 to 10 in the 2.4 GHz band, and 165.2 Mbps on channels 9 to 13. In this case, there is a possibility that the wireless communication rates may be improved over the current wireless communication rates for five frequencies. However, similar to the access point 10, when the repeater 20 switches to W53 or W56 in the 5 GHz band, it must stop communication for one minute by radar search. Therefore, if a terminal 30 is currently communicating, switching to W52 or the 2.4 GHz band takes priority over switching to W53 or W56. For example, in the case of the surrounding environment list shown in Fig. 6, three frequencies, 100-112ch (389.1Mbps), 6-10ch (220.2Mbps), and 9-13ch (165.2Mbps), are targeted for review. Therefore, the repeater 20 determines whether the 5 GHz band is included in the frequencies identified by both the access point 10 and the repeater 20 (step S12).

[0039] If the repeater 20 determines that the 5 GHz band is not included in the frequencies identified by both the access point 10 and the repeater 20 (NO in step S12), the repeater 20 sets the frequency band to be used in communication between the repeater 20 and the access point 10 to the 2.4 GHz band (step S13) and sets the frequency with the highest wireless communication rate among the frequency bands to be used (in this case, the 2.4 GHz band) (step S14). The repeater 20 then notifies the access point 10 of the frequency band. The access point 10 receives the notification from the repeater 20. In response to the received notification, the access point 10 sets the frequency band to be used in communication between the repeater 20 and the access point 10 to the 2.4 GHz band and the frequency in the frequency band to be used (in this case, the 2.4 GHz band). The frequency band and frequency to be used in communication between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30 are maintained.

[0040] Furthermore, if the repeater 20 determines that the 5 GHz band is included in the frequencies identified by both the access point 10 and the repeater 20 (YES in step S12), it sets the frequency band to be used in communication between the repeater 20 and the access point 10 to the 5 GHz band (step S15) and performs the process of step S14, i.e., it sets the frequency with the highest wireless communication rate among the frequency bands to be used (in this case, the 5 GHz band). FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of frequencies identified from FIGS. 5 and 6. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the 5 GHz band is not included in the identified frequencies. Therefore, the repeater 20 and the access point 10 set the frequency band to be used in communication between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 to the 2.4 GHz band. Then, of the two frequencies identified as shown in FIG. 7, the repeater 20 and the access point 10 set the frequency to be used in communication between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 to the frequency of ch 6 to ch 10 (220.2 Mbps) which is expected to provide a higher wireless communication rate.

[0041] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of changes in the wireless communication rate in the communication system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 illustrates the wireless communication rates between the access point 10 and the repeater 20, between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30, and the terminal 30 in the initial state, after the wireless communication rate between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 has changed from the initial state, and after the frequency used in communication between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 has been revised after the wireless communication rate has changed.

[0042] In the initial state shown in FIG. 8, the wireless communication rate between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 and between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30 is 518.8 Mbps. In this case, the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30 is 259.4 Mbps. Furthermore, if the wireless communication rate between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 changes from the initial state shown in FIG. 8 to 230.6 Mbps, the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30 drops to 115.3 Mbps. After the wireless communication rate shown in FIG. 8 changes, the frequency used in communication between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 is revised (i.e., the communication rate after the changed wireless communication rate between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 is revised to the highest wireless communication rate), and the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30 in this case is 220.2 Mbps. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 8, by improving the changed wireless communication rate between the access point 10 and the repeater 20, the communication rate of the terminal 30 can be improved from 115.3 Mbps to 220.2 Mbps.

[0043] After reviewing the frequency band and frequency, the repeater 20 checks the wireless communication rate between the access point 10 and the terminal 30 for a certain period of time. Then, the repeater 20 determines whether the wireless communication rate after reviewing the frequency band and frequency exceeds the wireless communication rate before reviewing the frequency band and frequency (e.g., 115.3 Mbps) (step S16). If the repeater 20 determines that the wireless communication rate after reviewing the frequency band and frequency does not exceed the wireless communication rate before reviewing the frequency band and frequency (NO in step S16), the repeater 20 returns to the processing of step S7.

[0044] Furthermore, if the repeater 20 determines that the wireless communication rate after reviewing the frequency band and frequency exceeds the wireless communication rate before reviewing the frequency band and frequency (YES in step S16), it determines that the frequency band and frequency are optimal and continues communication using the current frequency (step S17).

[0045] In Japan, the 2.4 GHz band is an ISM (Industrial Scientific and Medical) band. Therefore, the utilization rate of the 2.4 GHz band tends to be higher than that of the 5 GHz band. As a result, it is generally considered better to use the 5 GHz band rather than the 2.4 GHz band. Therefore, the repeater 20 determines whether there has been communication with the terminal 30 within a certain period of time (step S18). For example, the repeater 20 performs this determination periodically.

[0046] When the relay device 20 determines that communication with the terminal 30 is being performed (YES in step S18), the relay device 20 performs the process of step S17, that is, continues communication using the current frequency.

[0047] Furthermore, if the repeater 20 determines that there is no communication with the terminal 30 (for example, within a certain period of time) (NO in step S18), the repeater 20 selects the frequency with the highest wireless communication rate in the 5 GHz band for communication with the terminal 30 (step S19). The revised frequency is determined using the DFS detection frequency table updated in the processing of step S6, in addition to the surrounding environment list shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the DFS detection frequency table according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9, the DFS detection frequency table is a table representing radar detection history that associates the number of DFS detections with the date of detection for each frequency. In the example shown in FIG. 9, there are multiple radar detection histories for each of 52ch and 112ch. Therefore, frequencies including 52ch and 112ch are not selected. Furthermore, frequencies including 124ch and 136ch, which have only one radar detection history, are eligible for selection. However, it can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6 that the wireless communication rate of the frequency including 136ch is better than the wireless communication rate of the frequency including 124ch. Furthermore, channel 132, which has a relatively high channel load on the access point 10 side, is likely to trigger carrier sense. Therefore, it is better not to set it as the primary channel. As a result, in the first embodiment of the present disclosure, channel 140 or 144 is set as the primary channel.

[0048] The communication system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above. The repeater 20 (an example of a repeater) of the communication system 1 is a repeater connected to terminals including an access point 10 (an example of an access point) and a terminal 30 (an example of a first terminal), and includes a CPU 205 (an example of a setting unit) that performs a first process of setting a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the access point 10 to a frequency at which the communication rate in wireless communication with the terminal 30 does not decrease from the current rate, among a plurality of frequencies identified for the communication rate in wireless communication with the access point 10, when the communication rate in wireless communication with the terminal 30 decreases due to a decrease in the communication rate in wireless communication with the access point 10.

[0049] This repeater 20 (an example of a repeater) can suppress a decrease in the wireless communication rate between terminal 30 (an example of a terminal) and access point 10 (an example of an access point) in wireless communication conducted via the repeater 20, even when there is no change in the wireless communication rate between the repeater 20 and terminal 30.

[0050] Second Embodiment (Communication System Configuration) Next, a communication system 1 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the communication system 1 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 10, the communication system 1 includes an access point 10, a repeater 20, and terminals 30a1 and 30a2. As shown in FIG. 10, the communication system 1 includes two terminals, 30a1 and 30a2, which communicate with the access point 10 via the repeater 20. In the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminals 30a1 and 30a2 may be collectively referred to as terminal 30a.

[0051] The access point 10 is a device that connects the terminals 30a to a wireless LAN. Each of the terminals 30a is similar to, for example, the terminal 30 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As will be described below, the first and second embodiments differ in the processing performed by the repeater 20 and in the fact that the wireless communication rate between the terminal 30a1 and the access point 10 decreases as the terminal 30a2 moves.

[0052] Next, a description will be given of processing performed by the communication system 1. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the communication system 1 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, a description will be given of processing performed by the communication system 1 shown in Fig. 10 to set the frequency band used for transmission and reception to an optimal frequency band.

[0053] It is assumed that the communication between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 and the communication between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30a (i.e., transmission and reception) uses the 5 GHz frequency band, and operates in quad channel mode with channel 100 selected by auto channel selection. The communication between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 and the communication between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30 (i.e., transmission and reception) are established at a 2stream HE80 MCS6 wireless communication rate, with an actual wireless communication rate of 518.8 Mbps. In addition, it is assumed that, in an initial state, the two terminals 30a have similar wireless communication rates and are grouped using the MU-MIMO (Multi-User-Multiple Input Multiple Output) function, and the communication between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30a operates using MU-MIMO. In this case, the MU-MIMO function enables simultaneous communication between each terminal 30a. Therefore, the wireless communication rate of each terminal 30a is 518.8 / 2 = 259.4 Mbps.

[0054] 12 is an image diagram of the communication system 1 when the terminal 30a2 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure has moved. Assume now that the terminal 30a2 has moved to a location farther away from the repeater 20 than in the initial state, as shown in FIG. 12. Furthermore, assume that as a result, the terminal 30a2 has been removed from the MU-MIMO grouping. Furthermore, assume that a large difference has occurred between the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30a1 and the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30a2. In this case, the MU-MIMO grouping function is disabled, and the wireless communication rates of both the terminal 30a1 and the terminal 30a2 decrease.

[0055] In this example, it is assumed that there is no change in the surrounding environment of the access point 10 and the repeater 20, and that the wireless communication rate between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 is constant. The wireless communication rate between the terminal 30a1 and the repeater 20 is 518.8 / 3 = 172.9 Mbps. Furthermore, it is assumed that, due to the effect of moving away from the repeater 20, the wireless communication rate between the terminal 30a2 and the repeater 20 is 173 Mbps (2stream HE80 MCS2 after channel load correction), and the wireless communication rate between the terminal 30a2 and the repeater 20 is 173 / 3 = 57.7 Mbps. The reason why the wireless communication rate is reduced to one-third here is that the communication between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30a no longer uses the MU-MIMO grouping function, and the communication between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30a1 and the communication between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30a2 is time-shared. In this case, even though there is no change in the communication between terminal 30a1 and repeater 20, the wireless communication rate drops due to the movement of terminal 30a2 (for example, the rate changes from 259.4 Mbps to 172.9 Mbps, a drop of 80 Mbps).

[0056] The same frequency band (5 GHz band in this example) is used for communication between access point 10 and repeater 20, and for communication between repeater 20 and terminal 30a. If terminal 30a2 moves away from repeater 20 and falls out of the MU-MIMO grouping, the degree of reduction in the wireless communication rate of terminal 30a1 can be mitigated if the frequency band used for communication by terminal 30a2 can be set to a frequency band that does not reduce the current wireless communication rate.

[0057] Therefore, when communication between the access point 10 and the terminal 30a is established, the repeater 20 monitors the surrounding environment (step S31). Based on the results of the monitoring of the surrounding environment, the repeater 20 generates a list of surrounding environments (step S32). Then, the repeater 20 determines whether there is a frequency that exceeds the current wireless communication rate (step S33).

[0058] If the repeater 20 determines that there is no frequency that exceeds the current wireless communication rate (NO in step S33), it continues communication using the current frequency (step S34). The process of step S34 is based on the idea that if there is no frequency that exceeds the current wireless communication rate, there is no benefit for each terminal 30a even if the current frequency is changed. Then, the repeater 20 returns to the process of step S32 to generate the surrounding environment list again.

[0059] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a surrounding environment list generated by the repeater 20 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, in the surrounding environment list illustrated in FIG. 13, the wireless communication rate in the 2.4 GHz band is 41.3 Mbps regardless of the frequency. Furthermore, the repeater 20 can improve the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30a1 from 172.9 Mbps to 259.4 Mbps by changing the frequency band for communication with the terminal 30a2 from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz. However, when the repeater 20 changes the frequency band for communication with the terminal 30a2 from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz, the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30a2 becomes 41.3 Mbps. In other words, when the frequency band for communication between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30a2 is changed from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz, the wireless communication rate of the terminal 30a2 does not improve from the wireless communication rate of 57.7 Mbps before changing to 2.4 GHz.

[0060] Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating a second example of a surrounding environment list generated by the repeater 20 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that the surrounding environment list illustrated in Fig. 14 is an example of a surrounding environment list generated by the repeater 20 after generating the surrounding environment list illustrated in Fig. 13.

[0061] As time passes, the process of step S33 is determined to be NO, and the processes of steps S34 and S32 are performed, whereby the surrounding environment of the repeater 20 changes as shown in the list of surrounding environments in FIG. 14. In this case, a frequency that exceeds the current wireless communication rate exists. Therefore, the repeater 20 determines in the process of step S33 that a frequency that exceeds the current wireless communication rate exists (YES in step S33). The repeater 20 then reconsiders the frequency band for communication with the terminal 30a2 (i.e., from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz) (step S35), and selects the frequency with the highest wireless communication rate (i.e., 6ch, which provides 82.6 Mbps) (step S36).

[0062] Fig. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of changes in wireless communication rates in the communication system 1 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 15 shows the wireless communication rates between the access point 10 and the relay 20, between the relay 20 and each of the terminals 30a, and between each of the terminals 30a and 30a in an initial state, after the wireless communication rates between the relay 20 and each of the terminals 30a and 30a have decreased due to the terminal 30a2 moving from the initial state, and after the frequency used in communication between the relay 20 and each of the terminals 30a2 has been revised.

[0063] In the initial state shown in FIG. 15, the wireless communication rate between the access point 10 and the repeater 20 and between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30 is 518.8 Mbps. In this case, the wireless communication rate for each of the terminals 30a is 259.4 Mbps. If the terminal 30a2 shown in FIG. 15 moves from the initial state and the wireless communication rate between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30a decreases, the wireless communication rate for the terminal 30a1 decreases to 172.9 Mbps. If the terminal 30a2 shown in FIG. 15 moves from the initial state and the wireless communication rate between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30a decreases, the wireless communication rate for the terminal 30a2 decreases to 57.7 Mbps. If the frequency used in communication between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30a2 shown in FIG. 15 is revised and the wireless communication rate for the terminal 30a2 is set to 82.6 Mbps, the wireless communication rate for the terminal 30a1 becomes 259.4 Mbps. In other words, in the example shown in FIG. 15, by improving the wireless communication rate between the repeater 20 and the terminal 30a2, which has decreased, from 57.7 Mbps to 82.6 Mbps, the communication rate of the terminal 30a1 can be improved from 172.9 Mbps to 259.4 Mbps.

[0064] The communication system 1 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above. The repeater 20 (an example of a repeater) of the communication system 1 is a repeater connected to an access point 10 (an example of an access point) and terminals including a terminal 30a1 (an example of a first terminal) and a terminal 30a2 (an example of a second terminal), and includes a CPU 205 (an example of a setting unit) that performs second processing to set, when the communication rate of the wireless communication with the terminal 30a1 decreases due to a decrease in the communication rate of the wireless communication with the terminal 30a2, a frequency to be used in the wireless communication with the terminal 30a2 to a frequency at which the communication rate of the wireless communication with the terminal 30a1 does not decrease from the current rate, among a plurality of frequencies identified for the communication rate of the wireless communication with the terminal 30a2.

[0065] This repeater 20 (an example of a repeater) can suppress a decrease in the wireless communication rate between terminal 30a1 (an example of a terminal) and access point 10 (an example of an access point) in wireless communication conducted via the repeater 20, even if there is no change in the wireless communication rate between the repeater 20 and terminal 30a1.

[0066] In the second embodiment of the present disclosure, it has been described that the terminal 30a2 moves farther from the relay 20 than in the initial state, causing it to fall out of the MU-MIMO grouping and the communication rate of the relay 20 to change. Furthermore, in the second embodiment of the present disclosure, it has been described that this change causes the wireless communication rate between the terminal 30a1 and the access point 10 to decrease. However, another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a case in which the terminal 30a2 moves closer to the relay 20 than in the initial state, causing it to fall out of the MU-MIMO grouping and the communication rate of the relay 20 to change. Furthermore, another embodiment of the present disclosure also includes a case in which this change causes the wireless communication rate between the terminal 30a1 and the access point 10 to decrease.

[0067] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a minimum configuration of a repeater 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The repeater 20 is a repeater connected to an access point and a first terminal or a terminal including the first terminal and a second terminal. As illustrated in FIG. 16 , the repeater 20 includes a setting unit 300. When the terminal does not include the second terminal and the communication rate of the first terminal decreases due to a decrease in the communication rate of the wireless communication with the access point, the setting unit 300 performs a first process of setting a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the access point to a frequency, among multiple frequencies specified for the communication rate of the wireless communication with the access point, at which the communication rate of the wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from a current rate; or when the terminal includes the second terminal and the communication rate of the first terminal decreases due to a change in the communication rate of the wireless communication with the second terminal, the setting unit 300 performs a second process of setting a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the second terminal to a frequency, among multiple frequencies specified for the communication rate of the wireless communication with the second terminal, at which the communication rate of the wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from a current rate. The setting unit 300 can be realized, for example, by using the functions of the CPU 205 illustrated in FIG.

[0068] 17 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the relay device 20 with the minimum configuration according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Next, the processing of the relay device 20 with the minimum configuration according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.

[0069] The setting unit 300 performs a first process in a repeater connected to an access point and a first terminal or a terminal including the first terminal and a second terminal, in which, when the terminal does not include the second terminal and the communication rate of the first terminal in the wireless communication with the access point decreases due to a decrease in the communication rate of the wireless communication with the access point, the setting unit 300 sets the frequency to be used in the wireless communication with the access point to a frequency, among a plurality of frequencies specified for the communication rate of the wireless communication with the access point, at which the communication rate of the wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from a current rate; or, when the terminal includes the second terminal and the communication rate of the first terminal in the wireless communication with the second terminal decreases due to a change in the communication rate of the wireless communication with the second terminal, the setting unit 300 sets the frequency to be used in the wireless communication with the second terminal to a frequency, among a plurality of frequencies specified for the communication rate of the wireless communication with the second terminal, at which the communication rate of the wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from a current rate (step S101).

[0070] The above describes a minimum configuration of the repeater 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. This repeater 20 can suppress a decrease in the wireless communication rate between a terminal and an access point in wireless communication between the terminal and the access point via the repeater, even when there is no change in the wireless communication rate between the repeater and the terminal.

[0071] The order of the processes in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be changed as long as the processes are performed appropriately.

[0072] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, the communication system 1, access point 10, repeater 20, terminals 30, 30a1, 30a2, and other control devices may have a computer system built therein. The above-described processing steps are stored in the form of a program on a computer-readable recording medium, and the computer reads and executes this program to perform the above processing. Specific examples of computers are shown below.

[0073] 18 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 18, the computer 5 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 6, a main memory 7, a storage 8, and an interface 9.

[0074] For example, the above-described communication system 1, access point 10, repeater 20, terminals 30, 30a1, 30a2, and other control devices are each implemented in computer 5. The operations of each of the above-described processing units are stored in storage 8 in the form of a program. CPU 6 reads the program from storage 8, loads it into main memory 7, and executes the above-described processing in accordance with the program. CPU 6 also allocates storage areas in main memory 7 corresponding to each of the above-described storage units in accordance with the program.

[0075] Examples of storage 8 include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM), and a semiconductor memory. Storage 8 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of computer 5, or an external medium connected to computer 5 via interface 9 or a communication line. In addition, when this program is distributed to computer 5 via a communication line, computer 5 that receives the program may load the program into main memory 7 and execute the above-mentioned processing. In at least one embodiment, storage 8 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium.

[0076] The program may also implement some of the functions described above. Furthermore, the program may be a file that can implement the functions described above in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, a so-called differential file (differential program).

[0077] Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, these embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. Various additions, omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

[0078] Note that part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0079] (Appendix 1) A repeater connected to an access point and a first terminal or a terminal including the first terminal and a second terminal, a setting unit that performs a first process of setting a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the access point to a frequency, among a plurality of frequencies specified for the communication rate in wireless communication with the access point, at which the communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from a current rate, when the terminal does not include the second terminal and a communication rate in wireless communication with the access point has decreased due to a decrease in the communication rate in wireless communication with the access point; or a second process of setting a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the second terminal to a frequency, among a plurality of frequencies specified for the communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal, at which the communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from a current rate, when the terminal includes the second terminal and a communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal has decreased due to a change in the communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal; A repeater equipped with:

[0080] (Appendix 2) an identification unit that identifies a communication rate in wireless communication with the access point when the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the first processing, and that identifies a communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal when the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the second processing; Equipped with When the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the first processing, the setting unit sets a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the access point, among the plurality of frequencies identified by the identification unit, at which a communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal will not decrease from a current rate; and when the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the second processing, the setting unit sets a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the second terminal, among the plurality of frequencies identified by the identification unit, at which a communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal will not decrease from a current rate. A repeater as described in Appendix 1.

[0081] (Appendix 3) a confirmation unit that confirms the surrounding environment of the repeater itself, which is the first surrounding environment; a determination unit that, when the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the first processing, determines whether or not a decrease in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal is caused by a decrease in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the access point, based on the first surrounding environment; and, when the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the second processing, determines whether or not a decrease in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal is caused by a change in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the second terminal, based on the first surrounding environment. Equipped with When the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the first processing, and the determination unit determines based on the first surrounding environment that the cause of the decrease in communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal is a decrease in communication rate in wireless communication with the access point, the identification unit identifies the communication rates in wireless communication with the access point at the multiple frequencies; when the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the second processing, and the determination unit determines based on the first surrounding environment that the cause of the decrease in communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal is a change in communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal, the identification unit identifies the communication rates in wireless communication with the second terminal at the multiple frequencies. A repeater as described in Appendix 2.

[0082] (Appendix 4) a confirmation unit that confirms the surrounding environment of the repeater itself, which is the first surrounding environment; a determination unit that, when the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the first processing, determines whether or not a decrease in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal is caused by a decrease in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the access point, based on the first surrounding environment; and, when the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the second processing, determines whether or not a decrease in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal is caused by a decrease in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the second terminal, based on the first surrounding environment. Equipped with When the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the first processing, and when the determination unit determines, based on the first surrounding environment, that the cause of the decrease in communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal is a decrease in communication rate in the wireless communication with the access point, the setting unit sets the frequency to be used in the wireless communication with the access point to a frequency among the plurality of frequencies at which the communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal will not decrease from a current rate; when the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the second processing, and when the determination unit determines, based on the first surrounding environment, that the cause of the decrease in communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal is a change in communication rate in the wireless communication with the second terminal, the setting unit sets the frequency to be used in the wireless communication with the second terminal to a frequency among the plurality of frequencies at which the communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal will not decrease from a current rate. 10. The repeater according to claim 1, wherein the repeater is a

[0083] (Appendix 5) When the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the first processing, the setting unit sets, based on the surrounding environment of the access point, a frequency among the frequencies to be used in wireless communication with the access point at which a communication rate in wireless communication with the terminal will not decrease from a current rate; and when the setting unit is a setting unit that performs the second processing, the setting unit sets, based on the surrounding environment of the access point, a frequency among the frequencies to be used in wireless communication with the access point at which a communication rate in wireless communication with the terminal will not decrease from a current rate. 10. The repeater according to claim 1, wherein the repeater is a

[0084] (Appendix 6) A repeater as described in Appendix 1; the access point, the first terminal, and the second terminal connected to the repeater; A communication system comprising:

[0085] (Appendix 7) A processing method executed by a repeater connected to an access point and a first terminal or a terminal including the first terminal and a second terminal, comprising: When the terminal does not include the second terminal and the communication rate of the first terminal in wireless communication decreases due to a decrease in the communication rate of the wireless communication with the access point, a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the access point is set to a frequency, among a plurality of frequencies specified for the communication rate of wireless communication with the access point, at which the communication rate of wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from the current rate; or the terminal includes the second terminal, and when a communication rate in the wireless communication of the first terminal decreases due to a change in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the second terminal, a frequency to be used in the wireless communication with the second terminal is set to a frequency, among a plurality of frequencies specified for the communication rate in the wireless communication with the second terminal, at which the communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from the current rate; A processing method comprising:

[0086] (Appendix 8) A repeater computer connected to the access point and the first terminal or the terminal including the first terminal and the second terminal, When the terminal does not include the second terminal and the communication rate of the first terminal in wireless communication decreases due to a decrease in the communication rate of the wireless communication with the access point, a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the access point is set to a frequency, among a plurality of frequencies specified for the communication rate of wireless communication with the access point, at which the communication rate of wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from the current rate; or the terminal includes the second terminal, and when a communication rate in the wireless communication of the first terminal decreases due to a change in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the second terminal, a frequency to be used in the wireless communication with the second terminal is set to a frequency, among a plurality of frequencies specified for the communication rate in the wireless communication with the second terminal, at which the communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from the current rate; A program that executes the following. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1. Communication Systems 5. Computer 6, 205···CPU 7. Main memory 8. Storage 9. Interface 10. Wireless LAN access point 20. Wireless LAN repeater 30, 30a1, 30a2...Wireless LAN terminal 201a1, 201a2, 201a3, 201a4, 201b1, 201b2, 201b3, 201b4... Antennas 202a1, 202a2, 202a3, 202a4, 202b1, 202b2, 202b3, 202b4... Transmit / receive circuits 203 Baseband section 204 Memory section

Claims

1. A repeater connected to an access point and terminals including a first terminal and a second terminal, a CPU that performs processing to set, when a communication rate in wireless communication of the first terminal is reduced due to a change in the communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal, a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the second terminal, from among a plurality of frequencies specified for the communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal, at which the communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal is not reduced from the current rate; A repeater equipped with:

2. The CPU Identifying a communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal, and setting a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the second terminal, among the plurality of identified frequencies, at which the communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from the current rate. The repeater according to claim 1 .

3. The CPU Check the surrounding environment of the repeater itself, which is the first surrounding environment, determining whether a decrease in a communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal is caused by a change in a communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal, based on the first surrounding environment; specifying communication rates in the wireless communication with the second terminal at the plurality of frequencies when it is determined based on the first surrounding environment that the decrease in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal is caused by a change in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the second terminal; The repeater according to claim 2 .

4. The CPU Check the surrounding environment of the repeater itself, which is the first surrounding environment, determining whether a decrease in a communication rate in wireless communication with the first terminal is caused by a change in a communication rate in wireless communication with the second terminal, based on the first surrounding environment; when it is determined based on the first surrounding environment that the cause of the decrease in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal is a change in the communication rate in the wireless communication with the second terminal, a frequency to be used in the wireless communication with the second terminal is set to a frequency among the plurality of frequencies at which the communication rate in the wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from a current rate; The repeater according to claim 1 .

5. The CPU determining, based on the surrounding environment of the access point, a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the access point, among the frequencies, at which a communication rate in wireless communication with the terminal does not decrease from a current rate; The repeater according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The repeater according to claim 1; the access point, the first terminal, and the second terminal connected to the repeater; A communication system comprising:

7. A processing method executed by a relay connected to an access point and terminals including a first terminal and a second terminal, comprising: When the communication rate of the first terminal in wireless communication decreases due to a change in the communication rate of the wireless communication with the second terminal, a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the second terminal is set to a frequency, among a plurality of frequencies specified for the communication rate of the wireless communication with the second terminal, at which the communication rate of the wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from the current rate; A processing method comprising:

8. A repeater computer connected to the access point and the terminals including the first terminal and the second terminal, When the communication rate of the first terminal in wireless communication decreases due to a change in the communication rate of the wireless communication with the second terminal, a frequency to be used in wireless communication with the second terminal is set to a frequency, among a plurality of frequencies specified for the communication rate of the wireless communication with the second terminal, at which the communication rate of the wireless communication with the first terminal does not decrease from the current rate; A program that executes the following.

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