Wireless communication system, wireless communication method, wireless communication device, and computer program

Abstract

To provide a radio communication system, a radio communication method, a first radio communication device, a second radio communication device, and a computer program capable of smoothly performing radio communication without stopping the radio communication even in the radio communication for bridge-connecting standards different in throughput.SOLUTION: A first radio communication device and a second radio communication device for performing radio communication by using a second radio communication standard whose throughput is lower than that of a first radio communication standard used in the first radio communication device are connected so that radio communication can be performed. The second wireless communication device acquires, from the first wireless communication device, communication status information about a status of communication with the wireless communication terminal. On the basis of the acquired communication state information, transmittable rates of the first wireless communication device and the one or more wireless communication terminals are calculated. Based on the calculated transmittable ratio, the band limitation in the downlink direction is set, and the band limitation value in the uplink direction is notified to the first wireless communication device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless communication system that bridges communication standards with different throughputs, capable of smoothly communicating wirelessly without stopping wireless communication, a wireless communication method, a first wireless communication device, a second wireless communication device, and a computer program. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, wireless communication devices that can use IEEE802.11ah, a communication standard that enables long-distance communication up to 1 km away, have been developed in Japan. Using wireless communication devices that support IEEE802.11ah makes it possible to wirelessly communicate with various devices located in distant locations.

[0003] Recently, wireless communication devices have been developed that use IEEE802.11ax, a communication standard that enables stable communication even with multiple connections while increasing effective throughput even when using the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands.

[0004] Meanwhile, there is a growing demand to expand wireless LAN environments that establish high-speed wireless communication using the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band, such as IEEE802.11ax, to wide areas where communication was previously difficult. In response to this demand, development is underway of wireless communication devices that bridge-connect such wireless LANs using IEEE802.11ah, a communication standard that enables the above-mentioned long-distance communication.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a communication control method that enables a wireless base station device to allocate communication opportunities to multiple wireless communication terminals at a predetermined ratio. In Patent Document 1, the allocation of communication opportunities to each wireless communication terminal can be changed depending on the situation, so that communication interruptions can be avoided in advance even when there is a communication with a high priority. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-170594 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in Japan, IEEE802.11ah requires that the duty ratio be kept within 10% (hereinafter referred to as the "10% limit"), and there is a limit that wireless communication is not possible for a certain period of time if the duty ratio exceeds 10%. The communication control method disclosed in Patent Document 1 can eliminate communication blockages by changing the allocation of communication opportunities, but when a bridge connection is made between wireless communication based on IEEE802.11ah and wireless communication based on IEEE802.11ax, which are different standards, the low throughput of wireless communication based on the IEEE802.11ah standard puts pressure on the wireless communication based on the IEEE802.11ah standard, and the 10% limit may easily be reached, making communication impossible.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a wireless communication system, a wireless communication method, a first wireless communication device, a second wireless communication device, and a computer program that enable smooth wireless communication without stopping wireless communication, even in wireless communication that bridges standards with different throughputs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a wireless communication system according to the present invention is a wireless communication system comprising: one or more first wireless communication devices connected to one or more wireless communication terminals so that they can communicate wirelessly; and a second wireless communication device that wirelessly communicates with one or more of the first wireless communication devices using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than a first wireless communication standard used in communication between the first wireless communication device and the wireless communication terminals, wherein the second wireless communication device comprises a communication status information acquisition means that acquires communication status information regarding a communication status between the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals from each of the one or more first wireless communication devices, and a communication status information acquisition means that acquires communication status information regarding a communication status between the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals that wirelessly communicate with each of the one or more first wireless communication devices based on the acquired communication status information. The wireless communication system is characterized in that it comprises a transmittable ratio calculation means for calculating a transmittable ratio, a downlink bandwidth limit setting means for setting a bandwidth limit in the downlink direction for one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio, an uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means for calculating a bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction for one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio, and a bandwidth limit notification means for notifying each of the one or more first wireless communication devices of the calculated bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction, and the one or more first wireless communication devices are equipped with an uplink bandwidth limit execution means for executing a bandwidth limit in the uplink direction based on the notified bandwidth limit value.

[0010] Furthermore, in the wireless communication system of the present invention, it is preferable that the second wireless communication device comprises an attribute analysis means for analyzing attribute information attached to received data from one or more of the first wireless communication devices, and the uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means calculates an uplink bandwidth limit value for each of the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more wireless communication terminals that communicate wirelessly with each of the first wireless communication devices, when there is received data that is determined to occupy more than a certain amount of bandwidth based on the attribute information, so as to prioritize reserving the communication bandwidth for the received data.

[0011] Next, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the wireless communication system of the present invention is a wireless communication system comprising one or more first wireless communication devices to which one or more wireless communication terminals are connected so that they can communicate wirelessly, and a second wireless communication device that communicates wirelessly with one or more of the first wireless communication devices using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than the first wireless communication standard used in communication between the first wireless communication device and the wireless communication terminal, wherein the one or more first wireless communication devices are equipped with a communication status information acquisition means that acquires communication status information regarding the communication status from one or more of the wireless communication terminals, and a bridge target identification means that identifies communication to be bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device based on the acquired communication status information, and only the identified communication is bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device.

[0012] In the wireless communication system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

[0013] In the wireless communication system according to the present invention, the second wireless communication standard is preferably a communication standard that complies with the IEEE802.11ah communication standard.

[0014] Next, in order to achieve the above object, a wireless communication method according to the present invention is a wireless communication method that can be executed in a wireless communication system including a first wireless communication device to which one or more wireless communication terminals are connected so as to be able to communicate wirelessly, and a second wireless communication device that wirelessly communicates with the one or more first wireless communication devices using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than a first wireless communication standard used in communication between the first wireless communication device and the wireless communication terminals, the method comprising: a first step by the second wireless communication device of acquiring, from each of the one or more first wireless communication devices, communication status information relating to communication status between the one or more first wireless communication devices and the one or more wireless communication terminals based on the acquired communication status information; a second step of calculating a transmittable ratio of one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals that communicate wirelessly with the first wireless communication device; a third step of setting a downlink bandwidth limit for each of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio; a fourth step of calculating an uplink bandwidth limit value for each of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio; and a fifth step of notifying each of the first wireless communication devices of the calculated uplink bandwidth limit value, and further comprising a sixth step of executing an uplink bandwidth limit by the one or more first wireless communication devices based on the notified bandwidth limit.

[0015] Furthermore, the wireless communication method of the present invention preferably includes a seventh step of analyzing attribute information attached to received data from one or more of the first wireless communication devices by the second wireless communication device, and in the fourth step, if there is received data by the second wireless communication device that is determined to occupy more than a certain amount of bandwidth based on the attribute information, it is preferable to calculate an uplink bandwidth limit value for each of the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more wireless communication terminals that communicate wirelessly with each of the first wireless communication devices so as to prioritize reserving communication bandwidth for the received data.

[0016] Next, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the wireless communication method of the present invention is a wireless communication method that can be executed in a wireless communication system that includes a first wireless communication device to which one or more wireless communication terminals are connected so that they can communicate wirelessly, and a second wireless communication device that communicates wirelessly with one or more of the first wireless communication devices using a second wireless communication standard that has a lower throughput than the first wireless communication standard used in communication between the first wireless communication device and the wireless communication terminals, and is characterized in that it includes an eighth step of acquiring communication status information regarding the communication status from one or more of the wireless communication terminals by one or more of the first wireless communication devices, and a ninth step of identifying communications to be bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device based on the acquired communication status information, and only the identified communications are bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device.

[0017] In the wireless communication method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

[0018] In the wireless communication method according to the present invention, it is preferable that the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard that complies with the IEEE802.11ah communication standard.

[0019] Next, in order to achieve the above object, a second wireless communication device according to the present invention is a second wireless communication device that is connected to one or more first wireless communication devices so as to be able to wirelessly communicate with one or more wireless communication terminals, and that communicates with the first wireless communication devices using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than a first wireless communication standard used between the first wireless communication device and the wireless communication terminals, the second wireless communication device comprising: a communication status information acquisition means that acquires communication status information relating to a communication status between the one or more wireless communication terminals and the first wireless communication device from each of the one or more first wireless communication devices; and a communication status information acquisition means that acquires communication status information relating to a communication status between the one or more first wireless communication devices and the first wireless communication terminals based on the acquired communication status information. a downlink bandwidth limit setting means for setting a bandwidth limit in the downlink direction for each of the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals, based on the calculated transmittable ratios; an uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means for calculating a bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction for each of the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals, based on the calculated transmittable ratios; and a bandwidth limit notification means for notifying each of the one or more first wireless communication devices of the calculated bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction.

[0020] In the second wireless communication device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

[0021] Furthermore, the second wireless communication device of the present invention preferably comprises an attribute analysis means for analyzing attribute information attached to received data from one or more of the first wireless communication devices, and the uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means preferably calculates an uplink bandwidth limit value for each of the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more wireless communication terminals that communicate wirelessly with each of the first wireless communication devices, when there is received data that is determined to occupy more than a certain amount of bandwidth based on the attribute information, so as to prioritize reserving the communication bandwidth for the received data.

[0022] In the second wireless communication device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard conforming to the IEEE802.11ah communication standard.

[0023] Next, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the first wireless communication device of the present invention is a first wireless communication device that is connected to be able to wirelessly communicate with a second wireless communication device using a second wireless communication standard that has a lower throughput than the first wireless communication standard used by the first wireless communication device in communication with one or more wireless communication terminals, and is characterized in that it is equipped with a communication status information acquisition means that acquires communication status information regarding the communication status from one or more of the wireless communication terminals, and a bridge target identification means that identifies communication to be bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device based on the acquired communication status information, and bridge-connects only the identified communication to the second wireless communication device.

[0024] In the first wireless communication device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

[0025] In the first wireless communication device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard conforming to the IEEE802.11ah communication standard.

[0026] Next, in order to achieve the above object, a computer program according to the present invention is a computer program that can be executed on a second wireless communication device that is wirelessly connected to one or more first wireless communication devices that are wirelessly connected to one or more wireless communication terminals, and that communicates with the first wireless communication devices using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than a first wireless communication standard used between the first wireless communication devices and the wireless communication terminals, the computer program comprising: communication status information acquisition means that acquires communication status information regarding a communication status between the second wireless communication device and the one or more wireless communication terminals from each of the one or more first wireless communication devices; transmittable ratio calculation means that calculates transmittable ratios of the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more wireless communication terminals that wirelessly communicate with each of the first wireless communication devices based on the acquired communication status information; downlink bandwidth limit setting means that sets a bandwidth limit in the downlink direction for each of the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratios; uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means that calculates a bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction for each of the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratios; The present invention is characterized in that it functions as a bandwidth limit notification means that notifies each of one or more of the first wireless communication devices of the calculated bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction.

[0027] Furthermore, it is preferable that the computer program of the present invention causes the second wireless communication device to function as an attribute analysis means that analyzes attribute information attached to received data from one or more of the first wireless communication devices, and causes the uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means to function as a means for calculating an uplink bandwidth limit value for one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals that communicate wirelessly with each of the first wireless communication devices, when there is received data that is determined to occupy more than a certain amount of bandwidth based on the attribute information, so as to prioritize reserving communication bandwidth for the received data.

[0028] Next, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the computer program of the present invention is a computer program that can be executed on a first wireless communication device that is connected to be able to communicate wirelessly with a second wireless communication device using a second wireless communication standard that has a lower throughput than the first wireless communication standard used by the first wireless communication device in communication with one or more wireless communication terminals, and is characterized in that it causes the first wireless communication device to function as a communication status information acquisition means that acquires communication status information regarding the communication status from one or more of the wireless communication terminals, and a bridge target identification means that identifies communication to be bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device based on the acquired communication status information, and causes the first wireless communication device to function as a means for bridge-connecting only the identified communication to the second wireless communication device.

[0029] In the computer program according to the present invention, it is preferable that the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

[0030] In addition, in the computer program according to the present invention, it is preferable that the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard that complies with the IEEE802.11ah communication standard. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to the present invention, even when wireless communication is performed by bridging standards with different throughputs, it is possible to limit the transmittable bandwidth for each communication, so that wireless communication can be continued without stopping communication for highly necessary communications, and it is also possible to reliably continue communication for other communications even when large-capacity communication packets are present. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing another configuration of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration in which a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like of a first wireless communication device (second wireless communication device) according to an embodiment of the present invention is used as a control unit. [Figure 4] 1 is a functional block diagram of a wireless communication system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a communication state in a conventional wireless communication system. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of communication in a wireless communication system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit of the second wireless communication device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of a first wireless communication device in a wireless communication system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a communication state in a wireless communication system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit of a first wireless communication device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The following describes in detail a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments do not limit the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that not all of the combinations of the features described in the embodiments are essential features of the solution.

[0034] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the description of the embodiments. The same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the embodiments.

[0035] In the following embodiments, a device in which a computer program is installed in a computer system will be described. However, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the present invention can also be embodied as a computer program executable by a computer. Therefore, the present invention can be embodied as a hardware wireless communication system capable of smoothly communicating wirelessly without interrupting wireless communication, even when bridging standards with different throughputs, or as a software or combination of software and hardware. The computer program can be recorded on any computer-readable recording medium, such as a hard disk, DVD, CD, optical storage device, or magnetic storage medium such as an SD card.

[0036] According to this embodiment, even when wireless communication is performed by bridging standards with different throughputs, it is possible to limit the transmittable bandwidth for each communication, so that wireless communication can be continued without stopping communication for highly necessary communications, and it is also possible to reliably continue communication for other communications even when large-capacity communication packets are present.

[0037] Hereinafter, a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Throughout the drawings, elements having the same or similar configurations or functions are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0038] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the wireless communication system 10 according to this embodiment includes a first wireless communication device 2 connected to a wireless communication terminal 1 (e.g., a smartphone, a PC, etc.) so as to be able to wirelessly communicate with the first wireless communication device 2, and a second wireless communication device 3 connected to the first wireless communication device 2 so as to be able to wirelessly communicate with the first wireless communication device 2 over a communication network conforming to the IEEE 802.11ah standard (a second wireless communication standard) which has a lower throughput than the communication network conforming to the IEEE 802.11ax standard (a first wireless communication standard) used for communication between the wireless communication terminal 1 and the first wireless communication device 2. The second wireless communication device 3 is connected to an external computer so as to be able to perform data communication with the external computer via a network 4 such as the Internet or a LAN.

[0039] In this embodiment, the IEEE 802.11ax standard (first wireless communication standard) and the IEEE 802.11ah standard (second wireless communication standard) will be described as examples of standards with different throughputs. The IEEE 802.11ah standard has a 10% limit in Japan. Specifically, the IEEE 802.11ah standard allows radio waves to be transmitted for only 360 seconds per hour, and exceeding this limit disables wireless communication for a certain period of time. Note that in this specification, "throughput" refers not only to the true communication speed, which depends on the bandwidth during continuous communication, and the actual communication speed that takes into account communication downtime due to carrier sensing, but also to a broader communication speed that takes into account situations where communication stops when the transmission time reaches the 10% limit.

[0040] Therefore, in the present invention, by limiting the bandwidth for each communication so that it does not exceed the 10% limit, we are able to avoid any time when communication is not possible, thereby achieving smooth wireless communication.

[0041] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of another wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Unlike Fig. 1, Fig. 2 shows a plurality of first wireless communication devices 2, each of which is connected to a second wireless communication device 3 so as to be able to wirelessly communicate with the second wireless communication device 3 via a communication network conforming to the IEEE802.11ah standard (second wireless communication standard). Furthermore, each of the first wireless communication devices 2 is connected to one or more wireless communication terminals 1 so as to be able to wirelessly communicate with the second wireless communication device 3 via a communication network conforming to the IEEE802.11ax standard (first wireless communication standard).

[0042] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration in which a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like of a first wireless communication device 2 (second wireless communication device 3) according to an embodiment of the present invention is used as a control unit. In Fig. 3, the first wireless communication device 2 (second wireless communication device 3) according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured with at least a control unit 21 (31) such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory 22 (32), a storage device 23 (33), a portable disk drive 26 (36), a communication interface 27 (37), and an internal bus 28 (38) that connects the above-mentioned hardware.

[0043] The control unit 21 (31) is connected to the above-mentioned hardware components of the first wireless communication device 2 (second wireless communication device 3) via the internal bus 28 (38), and controls the operation of the above-mentioned hardware components, and executes various functions (details of which will be explained in FIG. 4) in accordance with the computer program 5 stored in the storage device 23 (33). The memory 22 (32) is composed of a volatile memory such as SRAM or SDRAM, into which a load module is expanded when the computer program 5 is executed, and which stores temporary data and the like generated when the computer program 5 is executed.

[0044] The storage device 23 (33) is composed of an internal fixed storage device (hard disk, flash memory), ROM, etc. The computer program 5 may be pre-stored in the storage device 23 (33) of the first embodiment of the present invention, or may be stored in the storage device 23 (33) via a portable disk drive 26 (36) from a portable recording medium 6, such as a DVD, CD-ROM, flash memory, or SD card, on which information such as programs and data is recorded. When executed, the computer program 5 is deployed from the storage device 23 (33) to the memory 22 (32) and executed. Of course, the computer program 5 may also be a computer program downloaded from an external computer via the communication interface 27 (37).

[0045] The storage device 23 (33) also includes a communication status information storage unit 231 (331) that stores communication status information of each wireless communication device. The communication status information preferably includes at least the number of wireless communication terminals 1 connected to the first wireless communication device 2, or communication status history information that acquires a history of communication status within a certain period of time. Based on this information, the second wireless communication device 3 can appropriately allocate the transmission rate for each communication from each of the multiple first wireless communication devices 2 so as not to exceed the 10% limit. Furthermore, the first wireless communication device 2 can select which received data from each wireless communication terminal 1 should be bridged to the second wireless communication device 3.

[0046] The communication interface 27 (37) is connected to the internal bus 28 (38), and by connecting to an external network such as the Internet, a wired LAN, a wireless LAN, or a WAN, it is possible to transmit and receive data to and from one or more wireless communication terminals 1 and a second (first) wireless communication device 3 (2). Of course, it is also possible to transmit and receive data to and from an external computer (not shown). Parameter settings for the first wireless communication device 2 and the second wireless communication device 3 and data stored in the storage device 23 (33) are mainly acquired from an external computer (e.g., a communication terminal used by a system administrator) that is connected and capable of communicating via the communication interface 27 (37).

[0047] As described above, there is no fundamental difference in hardware configuration between the first wireless communication device 2 and the second wireless communication device 3. With regard to the communication interface 27 and the communication interface 37, the first wireless communication device 2 has an interface for wireless communication with the wireless communication terminal 1 using a first wireless communication standard and an interface for wireless communication with the second wireless communication device 3 using a second wireless communication standard, while the second wireless communication device 3 has an interface for wireless communication with the first wireless communication device 2 using the second wireless communication standard and a communication interface with a network 4 such as the Internet or a LAN. As shown in FIG. 3 , the first wireless communication device 2 (second wireless communication device 3) includes an input / output interface 24 (34) and a video interface 25 (35), and parameter setting and data storage may be performed by operating touch displays 7 having liquid crystal panels or the like connected to the first and second wireless communication devices 2 (34) and 35.

[0048] (Embodiment 1) The wireless communication system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the second wireless communication device 3 takes the initiative in limiting the bandwidth of the first wireless communication device 2 and the connected wireless communication terminal 1. Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram of the wireless communication system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] 4, in the first embodiment, the control unit 31 of the second wireless communication device 3 includes a communication status information acquisition unit 301, a transmittable ratio calculation unit 302, a downlink bandwidth limit setting unit 303, an uplink bandwidth limit value calculation unit 304, a bandwidth limit notification unit 305, and an attribute analysis unit 306. Similarly, the control unit 21 of the first wireless communication device 2 includes a bandwidth limit reception unit 201 and an uplink bandwidth enforcement unit 202.

[0050] 4, the communication status information acquisition unit 301 of the second wireless communication device 3 acquires communication status information regarding the communication status between the first wireless communication device 2 and one or more wireless communication terminals 1 connected thereto. The acquired communication status information preferably includes at least the number of connected wireless communication terminals 1 or communication status history information within a certain period of time. This allows the second wireless communication device 3 to grasp the communication load occurring between the first wireless communication device 2 functioning as a bridge and each connected wireless communication terminal 1.

[0051] Based on the acquired communication status information, the transmittable ratio calculation unit 302 calculates the transmittable ratio of the first wireless communication device 2 and one or more wireless communication terminals 1. Here, the "transmittable ratio" means the ratio allocated to each communication of the communication volume bridge-connected from the first wireless communication device 2 and one or more wireless communication terminals 1 (the communication volume via the first wireless communication device 2, not directly for one or more wireless communication terminals 1).

[0052] Based on the calculated transmittable ratio, the downlink bandwidth limit setting unit 303 sets a bandwidth limit in the downlink direction for each of the first wireless communication device 2 and one or more wireless communication terminals 1. This prevents the 10% limit from being exceeded in the downlink direction, i.e., wireless communication from the second wireless communication device 3 to the first wireless communication device 2.

[0053] For example, when the number of wireless communication terminals 1 connected to each first wireless communication device 2 is acquired as communication status information, the bandwidth may be allocated proportionally according to the number of wireless communication terminals 1 connected, or, particularly in the downlink direction, the bandwidth occupancy rate of the first wireless communication device 2 that is the destination of a specific high-priority communication packet may be set to 80%, and the remaining 20% ​​may be allocated to the other first wireless communication devices 2 in proportion to the number of wireless communication terminals 1 connected.

[0054] Furthermore, when communication status history information in the downlink direction within a certain period of time is obtained as communication status information, it is possible to easily predict which first wireless communication device 2 communication is likely to exceed the 10% transmission limit of the second wireless communication device 3 (own device), and therefore it is sufficient to impose a bandwidth limit on the first wireless communication device 2 that performs wireless communication in that communication so that the 10% limit is not exceeded.

[0055] Based on the transmittable ratio calculated by the above-described method, the uplink bandwidth limit value calculation unit 304 calculates the bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction of the first wireless communication device 2 and one or more wireless communication terminals 1. For example, when the bandwidth usage rate exceeds 20%, carrier senses occur frequently and communication becomes unstable, and the bandwidth limit value is calculated using the following procedure.

[0056] For example, if the communication of one first wireless communication device 2 is a high-priority communication, 10% is allocated to the communication of the one wireless communication device 2, and the remaining bandwidth of 90% is divided and the bandwidth limit value is calculated as a value for the communication of the other first wireless communication device 2. By doing this, it is possible to prevent carrier sense from occurring and to perform stable communication.

[0057] The bandwidth limit notification unit 305 notifies each first wireless communication device 2 of the calculated bandwidth limit value by including it in a command related to the bandwidth limit, for example.

[0058] The control unit 31 of the second wireless communication device 3 may also include an attribute analysis unit 306 that analyzes attribute information attached to data received from the first wireless communication device 2. In this case, the bandwidth limit notification unit 305 determines, based on the analyzed attribute information, whether the communication packet to be analyzed occupies a certain amount of bandwidth or more. If a communication packet (received data) from one first wireless communication device 2 is determined to occupy a certain amount or more of bandwidth, the bandwidth limit notification unit 305 prioritizes reserving a communication bandwidth for the received data and calculates a bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction. The calculated bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction is notified to each of the other first wireless communication devices 2. This makes it possible to prevent the 10% limit from being exceeded.

[0059] The attribute information is set, for example, in a private area of ​​the header information of the received data. Specifically, it includes the type of the received data (for example, communication protocol, data compression format, etc.) and the data volume. By comprehensively examining this together with the communication environment, it is possible to determine whether the received data will occupy more than a certain volume of communication.

[0060] The bandwidth limitation receiver 201 of the first wireless communication device 2 receives the bandwidth limitation notified from the bandwidth limitation notifier 305 of the second wireless communication device 3, and based on the received bandwidth limitation value, the uplink bandwidth limitation enforcer 202 enforces bandwidth limitation in the uplink direction, i.e., for wireless communication from the first wireless communication device 2 to the second wireless communication device 3. Specifically, the bandwidth limitation receiver 201 of the first wireless communication device 2 receives a command related to bandwidth limitation, such as a tc (traffic control) command, as a notification from the second wireless communication device 3 (bandwidth limitation notifier 305), and the uplink bandwidth limitation enforcer 202 enforces bandwidth limitation for wireless communication based on the notification. This allows wireless communication to be performed without reliably exceeding the 10% limit of the second wireless communication device 3.

[0061] For example, when the number of wireless communication terminals 1 connected to each first wireless communication device 2 is acquired as communication status information, the bandwidth may be proportionally allocated according to the number of connected wireless communication terminals 1. However, it becomes necessary to limit the bandwidth so that the communication between each first wireless communication device 2 and the second wireless communication device 3 does not exceed the 10% limit. This is because if the bandwidth is simply proportionally allocated based on the number of connected wireless communication terminals 1, the 10% limit may be exceeded.

[0062] Therefore, it is desirable to adopt a method in which the bandwidth utilization rate of a first wireless communication device 2 that transmits a specific communication packet with a high priority is set to a high value in advance, and the bandwidth utilization rates of other first wireless communication devices 2 are allocated in proportion to the number of wireless communication terminals 1 connected to them.

[0063] 5 and 6 show an image of the band limitation in the wireless communication system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of communication in the conventional wireless communication system 10.

[0064] 5, each wireless communication terminal 1 is connected to a first wireless communication device 1. For first wireless communication devices 2a and 2c connected to only one wireless communication device 1, the amount of data in communications 401 and 403 with a second wireless communication device 3 is small, but for first wireless communication device 2b connected to multiple wireless communication devices 1, for example, 10 or more, the amount of data in communication 402 with the second wireless communication device 3 is large. Therefore, if no bandwidth restriction is imposed, the amount of communication 402 will constrict the bandwidth of other communications 401 and 403, which may impede the communication speed, etc.

[0065] 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of communication in the wireless communication system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, for a first wireless communication device 2b to which a plurality of wireless communication devices 1, for example, ten or more, are connected, the bandwidth occupancy rate of communication 402 with the second wireless communication device 3 is limited based on the result of calculation of the bandwidth limit value by the uplink bandwidth limit calculation unit 304 of the second wireless communication device 3. Therefore, for first wireless communication devices 2a and 2c to which only one wireless communication terminal 1 is connected, communications 401 and 403 with the second wireless communication device 3 are not impeded, and wireless communication can be performed smoothly in all communications.

[0066] 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the control unit 31 of the second wireless communication device 3 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 31 of the second wireless communication device 3 acquires communication status information regarding the communication status between the first wireless communication device 2 and one or more wireless communication terminals 1 connected thereto (step S701). The communication status information includes communication status information regarding the communication status between the first wireless communication device 2 and one or more wireless communication terminals 1 connected thereto, and received data from one or more first wireless communication devices 2.

[0067] Based on the acquired communication status information, the control unit 31 calculates the transmittable ratios of the first wireless communication device 2 and one or more wireless communication terminals 1 (step S702). Based on the calculated transmittable ratios, the control unit 31 sets a bandwidth limit in the downlink direction for each of the first wireless communication device 2 and one or more wireless communication terminals 1 (step S703).

[0068] Based on the calculated transmittable ratio, the control unit 31 calculates a bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction of the first wireless communication device 2 and one or more wireless communication terminals 1 (step S704). For example, if the bandwidth usage rate exceeds 20%, carrier senses occur frequently and communication becomes unstable, and the control unit 31 calculates a bandwidth limit value to avoid this.

[0069] The control unit 31 notifies the calculated bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction to each first wireless communication device 2 (step S705). Since the first wireless communication device 2 functions as a bridge, it is sufficient to notify the first wireless communication device 2 as to which communication packets to apply the bandwidth limit to, and there is no need to notify the wireless communication terminal 1.

[0070] Furthermore, if attribute information is attached to the received data acquired in step S701, the control unit 31 analyzes the attribute information (step S706). Based on the analyzed attribute information, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the communication packet to be analyzed occupies a certain amount of bandwidth or more (step S707). If the control unit 31 determines that there is no communication packet (received data) occupying a certain amount of bandwidth or more (step S707: NO), the control unit 31 returns the process to step S701 and repeats the above-mentioned process.

[0071] If the control unit 31 determines that there is a communication packet (received data) that occupies more than a certain amount of space (step S707: YES), the control unit 31 calculates bandwidth limit values ​​in the uplink direction of the first wireless communication device 2 and one or more wireless communication terminals 1 so as to prioritize the securing of communication bandwidth for the received data (step S708), and notifies the first wireless communication device 2 of the calculated bandwidth limit values ​​(step S709).

[0072] As described above, in this embodiment 1, even when wireless communication is performed through the first wireless communication device 2 to bridge communication standards with different throughputs, the transmittable bandwidth limit for each communication can be set on the second wireless communication device 3 side, which uses a communication standard with a lower throughput. Therefore, for highly necessary communications, wireless communication can be continued without stopping the communication, and even when a large volume of communication packets is present, it is possible to reliably continue communication for other communications as well.

[0073] (Embodiment 2) A wireless communication system 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention has the configuration shown in Fig. 1, and the configuration itself is the same as that of the wireless communication system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. However, it differs from the first embodiment in that the first wireless communication device 2 takes the initiative in limiting the bandwidth of the first wireless communication device 2 and the wireless communication terminal 1 connected thereto. This will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, a case will be described in which data conforming to a plurality of types of protocols is transmitted over communication.

[0074] 8 is a functional block diagram of the first wireless communication device 2 of the wireless communication system 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, in the second embodiment, the control unit 21 of the first wireless communication device 2 includes a communication status information acquisition unit 203, a bridge target identification unit 204, and a bridge connection execution unit 205.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 8, the communication status information acquisition unit 203 of the first wireless communication device 2 acquires communication status information relating to the communication status from one or more of the wireless communication terminals 1. The acquired communication status information preferably includes at least the number of connected wireless communication terminals 1 or communication status history information within a certain period of time. Also, attribute information (for example, a communication protocol indicating the type of received data) may be acquired as in the first embodiment. This makes it possible to collect information relating to the communication status of the communication protocol for which a bridge connection to the second wireless communication device 3 should be established.

[0076] The bridge target identification unit 204 identifies a communication protocol to be bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device 3 based on the acquired communication status information. By bridging only communications using the identified communication protocol to the second wireless communication device 3, it is possible to prevent the 10% limit from being exceeded. The bridge connection execution unit 205 bridges the identified communications to the second wireless communication device 3.

[0077] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a communication state in a wireless communication system 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 9, for a first wireless communication device 2 to which a wireless communication terminal 1 (only one wireless communication terminal 1 is shown in Fig. 9, but it goes without saying that there may be multiple wireless communication terminals) is connected, communication that is bridge-connected to a second wireless communication device 3 is limited. The example in Fig. 9 shows that wireless communication is performed from the wireless communication device 1 to the first wireless communication device 2 using four communication protocols, while communication to the second wireless communication device 3 is specified and bridge-connected using only two communication protocols. Therefore, wireless communication can be performed without exceeding the 10% limit.

[0078] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the control unit 21 of the first wireless communication device 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The control unit 21 of the first wireless communication device 2 acquires communication status information relating to communication status from one or more wireless communication terminals 1 (step S1001).

[0079] Based on the acquired communication status information, the control unit 21 identifies communications using a communication protocol for bridge connection to the second wireless communication device 3 (step S1002). The control unit 21 bridge connects only the identified communications to the second wireless communication device 3 (step S1003). This makes it possible to prevent the 10% limit from being exceeded.

[0080] As described above, in the second embodiment, even when wireless communication is performed to bridge standards with different throughputs, restrictions on communication such as the 10% limit can be avoided by specifying the communication to be bridged to the second wireless communication device 3 that uses a communication standard with a lower throughput, so that high-priority communication can be reliably continued without interruption. Note that communication may be performed using one protocol for each communication.

[0081] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the present embodiments, the IEEE802.11ax standard (first wireless communication standard) and the IEEE802.11ah standard (second wireless communication standard) are used as examples of standards with different throughputs, but similar effects can be expected even if a new communication standard with lower throughput is developed in the future.

[0082] Furthermore, the method of calculating the transmittable ratio is not particularly limited to the above embodiment, and any method that can identify the transmittable ratio can be used, such as a method of generating a learned engine that learns communication status history information and communication traffic at the second wireless communication device 3 and then inferring the transmittable ratio. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1. Wireless communication terminal 2. First wireless communication device 3. Second wireless communication device 4 Network 21, 31 Control unit 22, 32 memory 23, 33 Storage device 24, 34 I / O interface 25, 35 video interface 26, 36 Portable disk drive 27, 37 Communication Interface 28, 38 Internal Bus

Claims

1. one or more first wireless communication devices to which one or more wireless communication terminals are connected so as to be able to communicate wirelessly; a second wireless communication device that wirelessly communicates with one or more of the first wireless communication devices using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than the first wireless communication standard used in communication between the first wireless communication device and the wireless communication terminal; A wireless communication system comprising: the second wireless communication device, a communication status information acquiring means for acquiring communication status information relating to communication status between each of the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals; a transmission availability ratio calculation means for calculating a transmission availability ratio of one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals that wirelessly communicate with each of the first wireless communication devices based on the acquired communication status information; a downlink bandwidth limit setting means for setting a bandwidth limit in a downlink direction for each of one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio; an uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means for calculating a bandwidth limit value in an uplink direction for each of one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio; a bandwidth limit notification means for notifying each of the one or more first wireless communication devices of the calculated bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction; Equipped with one or more of the first wireless communication devices, A wireless communication system comprising: uplink bandwidth limitation execution means for executing bandwidth limitation in the uplink direction based on the notified bandwidth limitation value.

2. 2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

3. the second wireless communication device, an attribute analysis means for analyzing attribute information attached to received data from one or more of the first wireless communication devices; The wireless communication system described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when there is received data that is determined to occupy more than a certain amount of bandwidth based on the attribute information, the uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means calculates a bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction for one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals that communicate wirelessly with each of the first wireless communication devices so as to prioritize reserving communication bandwidth for the received data.

4. 2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard conforming to the IEEE 802.11ah communication standard.

5. one or more first wireless communication devices to which one or more wireless communication terminals are connected so as to be able to communicate wirelessly; a second wireless communication device that wirelessly communicates with one or more of the first wireless communication devices using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than the first wireless communication standard used in communication between the first wireless communication device and the wireless communication terminal; A wireless communication system comprising: one or more of the first wireless communication devices, a communication status information acquiring means for acquiring communication status information relating to communication status from one or more of the wireless communication terminals; a bridge target specifying means for specifying a communication to be bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device based on the acquired communication status information; Equipped with A wireless communication system characterized in that only specified communications are bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device.

6. 6. The wireless communication system according to claim 5, wherein the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

7. 6. The wireless communication system according to claim 5, wherein the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard conforming to the IEEE 802.11ah communication standard.

8. a first wireless communication device to which one or more wireless communication terminals are connected so as to be able to communicate wirelessly; a second wireless communication device that wirelessly communicates with one or more of the first wireless communication devices using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than the first wireless communication standard used in communication between the first wireless communication device and the wireless communication terminal; A wireless communication method that can be performed in a wireless communication system comprising: by the second wireless communication device, a first step of acquiring communication status information relating to communication status between one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals from each of the one or more first wireless communication devices; a second step of calculating a transmittable ratio of one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals that wirelessly communicate with each of the first wireless communication devices based on the acquired communication status information; a third step of setting a bandwidth limit in a downlink direction for each of one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio; a fourth step of calculating a bandwidth limit value in an uplink direction for each of the one or more first wireless communication devices and the one or more wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio; a fifth step of notifying each of the one or more first wireless communication devices of the calculated bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction; Including, by one or more of the first wireless communication devices; a sixth step of limiting the bandwidth in the uplink direction based on the notified bandwidth limit.

9. 9. The wireless communication method according to claim 8, wherein the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

10. by the second wireless communication device, a seventh step of analyzing attribute information attached to the received data from one or more of the first wireless communication devices; The wireless communication method described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that in the fourth step, if there is received data by the second wireless communication device that is determined to occupy more than a certain amount of bandwidth based on the attribute information, a bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction is calculated for one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals that communicate wirelessly with each of the first wireless communication devices so as to prioritize reserving communication bandwidth for the received data.

11. 9. The wireless communication method according to claim 8, wherein the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard conforming to the IEEE 802.11ah communication standard.

12. a first wireless communication device to which one or more wireless communication terminals are connected so as to be able to communicate wirelessly; a second wireless communication device that wirelessly communicates with one or more of the first wireless communication devices using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than the first wireless communication standard used in communication between the first wireless communication device and the wireless communication terminal; A wireless communication method that can be performed in a wireless communication system comprising: by one or more of the first wireless communication devices; an eighth step of acquiring communication status information relating to communication status from one or more of the wireless communication terminals; a ninth step of identifying a communication to be bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device based on the acquired communication status information; Including, A wireless communication method comprising: connecting only the specified communication to the second wireless communication device by bridge connection.

13. 13. The wireless communication method according to claim 12, wherein the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

14. 13. The wireless communication method according to claim 12, wherein the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard conforming to the IEEE 802.11ah communication standard.

15. A second wireless communication device is connected to one or more first wireless communication devices to be able to wirelessly communicate with one or more wireless communication terminals, and communication with the first wireless communication devices is performed using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than a first wireless communication standard used between the first wireless communication device and the wireless communication terminals, a communication status information acquiring means for acquiring communication status information relating to communication status between each of the one or more first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals; a transmission availability ratio calculation means for calculating a transmission availability ratio of one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals that wirelessly communicate with each of the first wireless communication devices based on the acquired communication status information; a downlink bandwidth limit setting means for setting a bandwidth limit in a downlink direction for each of one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio; an uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means for calculating a bandwidth limit value in an uplink direction for each of one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio; a bandwidth limit notification means for notifying each of the one or more first wireless communication devices of the calculated bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction; A second wireless communication device comprising:

16. 16. The second wireless communication device according to claim 15, wherein the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

17. an attribute analysis means for analyzing attribute information attached to received data from one or more of the first wireless communication devices; The second wireless communication device described in claim 15 or 16, characterized in that when there is received data that is determined to occupy more than a certain amount of bandwidth based on the attribute information, the uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means calculates a bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction for one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals that communicate wirelessly with each of the first wireless communication devices so as to prioritize reserving communication bandwidth for the received data.

18. 16. The second wireless communication device according to claim 15, wherein the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard conforming to the IEEE 802.11ah communication standard.

19. A first wireless communication device is connected to a second wireless communication device so as to be able to wirelessly communicate with the second wireless communication device using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than a first wireless communication standard used by the first wireless communication device in communication with one or more wireless communication terminals, a communication status information acquiring means for acquiring communication status information relating to communication status from one or more of the wireless communication terminals; a bridge target specifying means for specifying a communication to be bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device based on the acquired communication status information; Equipped with A first wireless communication device that bridges only the specified communication to the second wireless communication device.

20. 20. The first wireless communication device according to claim 19, wherein the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

21. 20. The first wireless communication device according to claim 19, wherein the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard conforming to the IEEE 802.11ah communication standard.

22. A computer program executable on a second wireless communication device that is wirelessly connected to one or more first wireless communication devices to which one or more wireless communication terminals are wirelessly connected, and that communicates with the first wireless communication devices using a second wireless communication standard having a lower throughput than a first wireless communication standard used between the first wireless communication devices and the wireless communication terminals, the second wireless communication device, a communication status information acquiring means for acquiring communication status information relating to communication status between one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals, respectively; a transmission availability ratio calculation means for calculating a transmission availability ratio of one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals wirelessly communicating with each of the first wireless communication devices based on the acquired communication status information; a downlink bandwidth limit setting means for setting a bandwidth limit in a downlink direction for each of one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio; an uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means for calculating a bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction for each of the one or more first wireless communication devices and the one or more wireless communication terminals based on the calculated transmittable ratio; and a bandwidth limit notification means for notifying each of the one or more first wireless communication devices of the calculated bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction; A computer program characterized by causing the computer to function as follows.

23. 23. The computer program according to claim 22, wherein the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

24. causing the second wireless communication device to function as attribute analysis means for analyzing attribute information attached to received data from one or more of the first wireless communication devices; The computer program of claim 22 or 23, characterized in that the uplink bandwidth limit value calculation means is configured to function as a means for calculating a bandwidth limit value in the uplink direction for one or more of the first wireless communication devices and one or more of the wireless communication terminals that communicate wirelessly with each of the first wireless communication devices, so as to prioritize securing communication bandwidth for the received data when there is received data that is determined to occupy more than a certain amount of bandwidth based on the attribute information.

25. 23. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard conforming to the IEEE 802.11ah communication standard.

26. A computer program that can be executed by a first wireless communication device that is connected to be able to wirelessly communicate with a second wireless communication device using a second wireless communication standard that has a lower throughput than a first wireless communication standard used by the first wireless communication device in communication with one or more wireless communication terminals, the first wireless communication device, a communication status information acquisition means for acquiring communication status information relating to communication status from one or more of the wireless communication terminals; and a bridge target specifying means for specifying a communication to be bridge-connected to the second wireless communication device based on the acquired communication status information; It functions as A computer program that causes the first wireless communication device to function as a means for bridge-connecting only specified communications to the second wireless communication device.

27. 27. The computer program according to claim 26, wherein the communication status information includes at least the number of the wireless communication terminals connected or communication status history information within a certain period of time.

28. 27. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the second wireless communication standard is a communication standard conforming to the IEEE 802.11ah communication standard.

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