Sharing access point, terminal device, and control device

Abstract

This sharing access point is a sharing access point in a communication system including the sharing access point, a plurality of shared access points, and a terminal device. The sharing access point includes a management unit. The management unit groups the plurality of shared access points on the basis of the positional relationship between the plurality of shared access points in a cell of the sharing access point.

Description

Sharing access point, terminal device and control device

[0001] The embodiments relate to a sharing access point, a terminal device, and a control device.

[0002] The IEEE 802.11be standard, currently under development, is expected to specify multi-link operation using a wireless local area network (LAN) as a communication system for wirelessly connecting an access point (AP) and a terminal. In multi-link operation, data exchange between a multi-link device (AP MLD) in an access point and a multi-link device (non-AP MLD) in a terminal is realized by wireless links between multiple affiliated APs in the access point and multiple affiliated STAs in the terminal. The next flagship standard for IEEE 802.11be is expected to specify multi-AP operation. It is expected that multi-AP operation will be realized by each of multiple affiliated STAs in a terminal establishing a wireless link with an affiliated AP of another access point.

[0003] IEEE802.11be D3.0, “35.3 Multi-link operation”, p479-p586, January 2023

[0004] In multi-AP operation, when a non-AP MLD selects a connection destination, it is assumed that a plurality of affiliated APs with significantly different received power or directions of arrival of wireless signals will be selected as connection destinations for each affiliated STA. Although multi-AP operation is originally expected to improve path diversity, if a plurality of affiliated APs with significantly different received power or directions of arrival of wireless signals are selected as connection destinations, improvement in path diversity cannot be expected.

[0005] The present invention has been made in light of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to improve the wireless communication environment through multi-AP operation.

[0006] A sharing access point according to one aspect is a sharing access point in a communication system including a sharing access point, a plurality of shared access points, and a terminal device. The sharing access point includes a management unit. The management unit groups the plurality of shared access points based on their positional relationships within a cell of the sharing access point.

[0007] According to the embodiment, it is possible to improve the wireless communication environment in multi-AP operation.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a sharing AP according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a shared AP according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a sharing AP according to an embodiment. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of AP management information stored in a sharing AP 10-1. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of AP management information stored in a sharing AP 10-2. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a shared AP according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of AP management information stored in a terminal. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a grouping operation of a shared AP in a communication system according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a multi-AP association operation as a wireless link connection operation according to an embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a wireless link switching operation as a wireless link connection operation according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to a modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a controller according to the modified example. Fig. 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a controller according to an embodiment, Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing a first example of a grouping operation by the controller, and Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing a second example of a grouping operation by the controller.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same functions and configurations will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0010] 1. Embodiment 1.1 Configuration 1.1.1 Communication System Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the communication system 1 includes a plurality of sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2, a plurality of shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6, and a plurality of terminals 30-1 and 30-2.

[0011] The sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2, the shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6, and the terminals 30-1 and 30-2 have wireless communication functions based on, for example, the OSI (open systems interconnection) reference model. In the OSI reference model, wireless communication functions are divided into seven layers (Layer 1: physical layer, Layer 2: data link layer, Layer 3: network layer, Layer 4: transport layer, Layer 5: session layer, Layer 6: presentation layer, and Layer 7: application layer). The data link layer includes a logical link control (LLC) sublayer and a media access control (MAC) sublayer.

[0012] The sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2 are, for example, access points of a wireless LAN. The sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2 are provided in locations physically separated from each other. Therefore, the sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2 have different communication areas (cells). The sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2 each include an AP MLD. The AP MLD is a multi-link device (MLD) in the sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2, and is an entity configured to logically connect wirelessly to the terminal 30. In other words, the AP MLD can be the end point on the sharing AP 10-1 or 10-2 side in data exchange with the terminal 30 via wireless communication. The AP MLD is configured to communicate with a server (not shown) on the network via wired or wireless communication. The AP MLD is configured to communicate with each of the shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6 via wired or wireless communication. Here, the sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2 may have affiliated APs. In this case, the sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2 may be physically and wirelessly connected to the terminal 30.

[0013] In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2, they may be referred to as the sharing AP 10.

[0014] Each of the shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6 is, for example, a wireless LAN access point. Each of the shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6 is a different access point. In FIG. 1 , the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 are provided in positions close to each other within the cell of the sharing AP 10-1. The shared AP 20-3 is provided in a position away from the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 within the cell of the sharing AP 10-1. The shared AP 20-4 is provided in a position within the cell of the sharing AP 10-2. The shared APs 20-5 and 20-6 are provided in positions close to each other within the cell of the sharing AP 10-2, but away from the shared AP 20-4. The communication areas of shared APs located close to each other may overlap. Each of the shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6 includes an affiliated AP. An affiliated AP is an entity configured to physically connect wirelessly to the terminal 30. That is, an affiliated AP has a physical configuration for exchanging data with the terminal 30 via a wireless link. An affiliated AP belongs to an AP MLD. Here, "an affiliated AP belongs to an AP MLD" means that the affiliated AP can be used for data exchange between the AP MLD and the terminal. Each of the shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6 may include an AP MLD. In this case, each of the shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6 can be wirelessly connected to the terminal 30 logically as well.

[0015] In the following description, when the shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6 are not particularly distinguished from one another, they may be referred to as the shared AP 20.

[0016] Terminals 30-1 and 30-2 are, for example, smartphones or personal computers (PCs), and are portable wireless terminal devices that comply with the IEEE 802.11 standard. Terminals 30-1 and 30-2 include a non-AP MLD and multiple affiliated STAs (aff-STAs). In FIG. 1, terminal 30-1 includes two affiliated STAs, 1 and 2. Terminal 30-2 includes three affiliated STAs, 3, 4, and 5.

[0017] The non-AP MLD is a multilink device in the terminals 30-1 and 30-2, and is an entity configured to logically connect the terminals 30-1 and 30-2 to the sharing AP 10-1 or the sharing AP 10-2 via wireless communication. In other words, the non-AP MLD can be the terminal side termination point for data exchange via wireless communication with the sharing AP 10-1 or 10-2. The non-AP MLD is connected to the affiliated STA via a wired connection.

[0018] Each of the affiliated STAs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 is an entity configured to have a physical wireless connection with the affiliated AP. That is, each of the affiliated STAs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 has a physical configuration for exchanging data with the affiliated AP via a wireless link. Each of the affiliated STAs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 belongs to a non-AP MLD. Here, "an affiliated STA belongs to a non-AP MLD" means that the affiliated STA can be used for data exchange between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD.

[0019] In the following, when there is no particular need to distinguish between the terminals 30-1 and 30-2, they may be referred to as terminal 30.

[0020] 1, terminals 30-1 and 30-2 may exchange data using multi-AP operation. That is, the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10 and the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30 are configured to exchange data via wireless links between multiple affiliated APs located in different shared APs and multiple affiliated STAs located within the same terminal 30.

[0021] In this embodiment, the received power and arrival direction of a wireless signal from each affiliated AP of multiple shared APs 20 located between the sharing AP 10 and the terminal 30 are within a predetermined range. To achieve this, the shared APs 20, including the affiliated APs, are pre-grouped so that the received power and arrival direction of the wireless signal are within a predetermined range. Specifically, based on the positional relationship of the multiple shared APs 20, shared APs 20 located at nearby coordinates are pre-grouped. When an affiliated AP of the shared AP is present in the wireless link between the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10 and the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30, the connection destination affiliated AP is selected so that an affiliated AP is not selected across different groups. In the example of FIG. 1 , shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 are grouped into group A1. Shared AP 20-3 is grouped into group A2. Furthermore, shared AP 20-4 is grouped into group B1. Furthermore, shared APs 20-5 and 20-6 are grouped into group B2. Groups A1 and A2 are groups within the cell of sharing AP 10-1. Groups B1 and B2 are groups within the cell of sharing AP 10-2. If there is an overlap between the cell of sharing AP 10-1 and the cell of sharing AP 10-2, the same shared AP 20 may be grouped into both the group within the cell of sharing AP 10-1 and the group within the cell of sharing AP 10-2.

[0022] 1 shows an example in which sharing AP 10-1 and terminal 30-1 exchange data using group A1, i.e., a wireless link between the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-1 and affiliated STA1 of terminal 30-1, and a wireless link between the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-2 and affiliated STA2 of terminal 30-1. Also shown is an example in which sharing AP 10-1 and terminal 30-2 exchange data using group A2, i.e., a wireless link between the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-3 and affiliated STA5 of terminal 30-2. Also shown is an example in which sharing AP 10-2 and terminal 30-2 exchange data using group B2, i.e., a wireless link between the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-5 and affiliated STA 3 of terminal 30-2, and a wireless link between the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-6 and affiliated STA 4 of terminal 30-2.

[0023] 1.1.2 Hardware Configuration Next, the hardware configuration of the sharing AP, the shared AP, and the terminal in the communication system according to the embodiment will be described.

[0024] 1.1.2.1 Hardware Configuration of Sharing AP Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a sharing AP according to an embodiment. In Figure 2, sharing AP 10-1 and sharing AP 10-2 are shown as having the same hardware configuration. As shown in Figure 2, the sharing AP 10 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) 11, a read only memory (ROM) 12, a random access memory (RAM) 13, a wireless communication module 14, and a wired communication module 16.

[0025] The CPU 11 is a processing circuit that controls the overall operation of the sharing AP 10. The ROM 12 is, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory. The ROM 12 stores programs and data for controlling the sharing AP 10. The RAM 13 is, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory. The RAM 13 is used as a work area for the CPU 11. The wireless communication module 14 is a circuit used to send and receive data via wireless signals. The wired communication module 16 is a circuit used to send and receive data via wired signals.

[0026] 1.1.2.2 Hardware Configuration of Shared AP Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a shared AP according to an embodiment. In Figure 3, shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6 are shown as having the same hardware configuration. As shown in Figure 3, the shared AP 20 includes, for example, a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, and a wireless communication module 24.

[0027] The CPU 21 is a processing circuit that controls the overall operation of the shared AP 20. The ROM 22 is, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory. The ROM 22 stores programs and data for controlling the shared AP 20. The RAM 23 is, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory. The RAM 23 is used as a work area for the CPU 21. The wireless communication module 24 is a circuit used to send and receive data via wireless signals. The wireless communication module 24 is connected to an antenna.

[0028] 1.1.2.3 Hardware Configuration of Terminal Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment. In Figure 4, terminal 30-1 and terminal 30-2 are shown as having the same hardware configuration. As shown in Figure 4, terminal 30 includes, for example, a CPU 31, a ROM 32, a RAM 33, a wireless communication module 34, a display 35, and storage 37.

[0029] The CPU 31 is a processing circuit that controls the overall operation of the terminal 30. The ROM 32 is, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory. The ROM 32 stores programs and data for controlling the terminal 30. The RAM 33 is, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory. The RAM 33 is used as a work area for the CPU 31. The wireless communication module 34 is a circuit used for sending and receiving data via wireless signals. The wireless communication module 34 is connected to an antenna. The display 35 is, for example, an LCD (liquid crystal display) or an EL (electro-luminescence) display. The display 35 displays a GUI (graphical user interface) corresponding to application software, etc. The storage 37 is a non-volatile storage device. The storage 37 stores system software, etc. of the terminal 30.

[0030] 1.1.3 Functional Configuration Next, the functional configuration of the sharing AP, the shared AP, and the terminal in the communication system according to the embodiment will be described.

[0031] 1.1.3.1 Functional Configuration of Sharing AP Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a sharing AP according to an embodiment. Here, Fig. 5 illustrates sharing AP 10-1 and sharing AP 10-2 as having the same functional configuration.

[0032] The sharing AP 10 functions as a computer including an LLC processing unit 110, an upper MAC processing unit 120, a management unit 130, lower MAC processing units 141, 142, 143, and 144, and radio signal processing units 151, 152, 153, and 154. The LLC processing unit 110 is a functional block that performs processing corresponding to the LLC sublayer of layer 2 and layers 3 to 7. The upper MAC processing unit 120, the management unit 130, and lower MAC processing units 141, 142, 143, and 144 are functional blocks that perform processing corresponding to the MAC sublayer of layer 2. The radio signal processing units 151, 152, 153, and 154 are functional blocks that perform processing corresponding to layer 1. For example, the LLC processing unit 110, the upper MAC processing unit 120, and the management unit 130 function as an AP MLD. For example, the lower MAC processing units 141, 142, 143, and 144 and the radio signal processing units 151, 152, 153, and 154 function as an affiliated AP.

[0033] The LLC processing unit 110 adds, for example, a destination service access point (DSAP) header or a source service access point (SSAP) header to data received from the network and inputs the data to the upper MAC processing unit 120. The LLC processing unit 110 also transmits the data input from the upper MAC processing unit 120 to the network.

[0034] When data is input from the LLC processing unit 110, the upper MAC processing unit 120 performs processing such as aggregation on the data, and then distributes the processed data to one of the lower MAC processing units 141, 142, 143, and 144. The upper MAC processing unit 120 may determine the distribution destination of the data by referring to connection management information 132 managed by the management unit 130. The upper MAC processing unit 120 may also determine the distribution destination of the data based on a traffic identifier (TID) associated with an access category. When a MAC frame is input from one of the lower MAC processing units 141, 142, 143, and 144, the upper MAC processing unit 120 extracts data from the MAC frame and inputs the extracted data to the LLC processing unit 110.

[0035] The management unit 130 controls the logical wireless connection between the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10 and the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30 in multi-AP operation. For example, the management unit 130 executes multi-AP connection processing in response to an association request from the terminal 30. The management unit 130 also manages AP management information 131 and connection management information 132. Although not shown, the management unit 130 also manages information such as the AP MLD identifier of the corresponding sharing AP 10, the identifier of the affiliated AP, and the communication area (cell) of the affiliated AP.

[0036] The AP management information 131 is information on the shared APs under the control of each of the sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2, i.e., in each cell. Fig. 6A is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the AP management information stored in the sharing AP 10-1. Fig. 6B is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the AP management information stored in the sharing AP 10-2.

[0037] 6A and 6B , the AP management information 131 includes information about the affiliated APs of each shared AP 20 and information about the grouping of each shared AP 20. The information about the affiliated APs of each shared AP 20 includes, for example, an identifier, a frequency band, capability information, and operation parameters. The information about the grouping of each shared AP includes, for example, a group identifier and area information. The AP management information 131 may also include information about the affiliated APs of the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20 used to transmit beacon frames. The information about the affiliated APs of the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20 used to transmit beacon frames includes, for example, an identifier, a frequency band, capability information, and operation parameters.

[0038] The identifier is the identifier of an affiliated AP under the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10. For example, a MAC address can be used as the identifier. In Figures 6A and 6B, each of the shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6 includes one affiliated AP.

[0039] 1, the affiliated APs under the AP MLD of sharing AP 10-1 are the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-1, the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-2, and the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-3. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, the AP management information 131 of sharing AP 10-1 records the identifier affiliated AP #1 corresponding to the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-1, the identifier affiliated AP #2 corresponding to the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-2, and the identifier affiliated AP #3 corresponding to the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-3. 1, the affiliated APs under the AP MLD of sharing AP 10-2 are the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-4, the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-5, and the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-6. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, the AP management information 131 of sharing AP 10-2 records the identifier affiliated AP #4 corresponding to the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-4, the identifier affiliated AP #5 corresponding to the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-5, and the identifier affiliated AP #6 corresponding to the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-6. If one shared AP includes multiple affiliated APs, identifiers for each of the affiliated APs are recorded.

[0040] The frequency band includes information indicating the frequency band used by the corresponding affiliated AP. The applicable frequency bands include, for example, the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, the 6 GHz band, the 45 GHz band, and the 60 GHz band. Each frequency band includes multiple channels. FIG. 6A illustrates an example in which the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-1 uses the frequency band of channel CH1, the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-2 uses the frequency band of channel CH2, and the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-3 uses the frequency band of channel CH3. Similarly, FIG. 6B illustrates an example in which the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-4 uses the frequency band of channel CH4, the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-5 uses the frequency band of channel CH5, and the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-6 uses the frequency band of channel CH6.

[0041] The capability information includes, for example, information indicating whether the corresponding affiliated AP supports multi-AP operation. In Figures 6A and 6B, information indicating OK, which means that all affiliated APs support multi-AP operation, is recorded.

[0042] The operational parameters include, for example, CWmin, CWmax, arbitration interframe space (AIFS), and transmission opportunity (TXOP) limit. CWmin and CWmax respectively indicate the minimum and maximum values ​​of the contention window. The contention window is a parameter used to calculate backoff, which is a transmission waiting time for collision avoidance. AIFS is a fixed transmission waiting time set for each access category of traffic. Traffic access categories include, for example, "VO (voice)", "VI (video)", "BE (best effort)", "BK (background)", and "LL (low latency)". TXOP limit indicates the upper limit of the channel occupation period TXOP. 6A shows an example in which the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-1 uses operational parameters P1, the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-2 uses operational parameters P2, and the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-3 uses operational parameters P3. Similarly, FIG. 6B shows an example in which the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-4 uses operational parameters P4, the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-5 uses operational parameters P5, and the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-6 uses operational parameters P6. Here, the operational parameters may be the same or different. For example, the operational parameters may be determined according to the TID, etc.

[0043] The group identifier is the identifier of the group to which the affiliated AP of the corresponding shared AP 20 belongs. In the example of FIG. 1, the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-1 and the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-2 are assigned a group identifier indicating that they belong to group A1. Similarly, the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-3 is assigned a group identifier indicating that they belong to group A2. The affiliated AP of shared AP 20-4 is assigned a group identifier indicating that they belong to group B1. The affiliated AP of shared AP 20-5 and the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-6 are assigned a group identifier indicating that they belong to group B2.

[0044] The area information is information about the communication area of ​​each group. The area information may be recorded, for example, as information about the coordinate ranges within which the shared APs 20 belonging to each group can communicate. When a group includes multiple affiliated APs, such as when a group includes multiple shared APs, the area information may be, for example, the combined communication areas of the affiliated APs. FIG. 6A shows an example in which the area information for group A1 is area A1 and the area information for group A2 is area A2. Similarly, FIG. 6B shows an example in which the area information for group B1 is area B1 and the area information for group B2 is area B2.

[0045] The connection management information 132 includes information on the connection status of the terminal 30 connected to the sharing AP 10 in multi-AP operation. For example, the connection management information 132 includes information on the identifier of the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30 connected to the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10, the identifier of the affiliated STA of the terminal 30 used to connect to the sharing AP 10, and the identifier of the affiliated AP of the shared AP 20 wirelessly connected to the affiliated STA of the terminal 30. For example, a MAC address can be used as the identifier. For example, in FIG. 1, the connection management information 132 of sharing AP 10-1 includes the identifier of the non-AP MLD of terminal 30-1 connected to the AP MLD of sharing AP 10-1, the identifiers of affiliated STAs 1 and 2 of terminal 30-1 used to connect to sharing AP 10-1, the identifier of the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-1 wirelessly connected to affiliated STA 1 and the identifier of the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-2 wirelessly connected to affiliated STA 2, as well as the identifier of the non-AP MLD of terminal 30-2 connected to the AP MLD of sharing AP 10-1, the identifier of affiliated STA 5 of terminal 30-2 used to connect to sharing AP 10-1, and the identifier of the affiliated AP of shared AP 20-3 wirelessly connected to affiliated STA 5. In addition, the connection management information 132 of the sharing AP 10-2 includes the identifier of the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30-2 connected to the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10-2, the identifiers of the affiliated STAs 3 and 4 of the terminal 30-2 used to connect to the sharing AP 10-2, the identifier of the affiliated AP of the shared AP 20-5 wirelessly connected to the affiliated STA 3, and the identifier of the affiliated AP of the shared AP 20-6 wirelessly connected to the affiliated STA 4.

[0046] 5 , the functional configuration of the sharing AP 10 will be described. The lower MAC processing units 141, 142, 143, and 144 each add a MAC header to the data input from the upper MAC processing unit 120 to generate a MAC frame, and input the generated MAC frames to the wireless signal processing units 151, 152, 153, and 154. The lower MAC processing units 141, 142, 143, and 144 also perform deaggregation or the like on the MAC frames input from the wireless signal processing units 151, 152, 153, and 154 to extract data, and input the extracted data to the upper MAC processing unit 120.

[0047] The radio signal processing units 151, 152, 153, and 154 generate radio frames by adding preambles and the like to the MAC frames input from the lower MAC processing units 141, 142, 143, and 144. The radio signal processing units 151, 152, 153, and 154 convert the generated radio frames into radio signals. The radio signal processing units 151, 152, 153, and 154 then radiate (transmit) the converted radio signals via antennas. The conversion process from radio frames to radio signals includes, for example, convolutional coding, interleaving, subcarrier modulation, inverse fast Fourier transform, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation, and frequency conversion. The radio signal processing units 151, 152, 153, and 154 also convert radio signals received via antennas into radio frames. The conversion process from a radio signal to a radio frame includes, for example, frequency conversion, OFDM demodulation, fast Fourier transform, subcarrier demodulation, deinterleaving, and Viterbi decoding. The radio signal processing units 151, 152, 153, and 154 extract MAC frames from the converted radio frames. The radio signal processing units 151, 152, 153, and 154 then input the extracted MAC frames to the lower MAC processing units 141, 142, 143, and 144. Here, the radio signal processing unit 151 is used to transmit and receive individual radio signals to and from any of the shared APs 20, for example, the shared AP 20-1 in the case of the sharing AP 10-1. The radio signal processing unit 152 is used to transmit and receive individual radio signals to and from any of the shared APs 20, for example, the shared AP 20-2 in the case of the sharing AP 10-1. For example, in the case of the sharing AP 10-1, the wireless signal processing unit 153 is used to transmit and receive individual wireless signals to and from the shared AP 20-3. The wireless signal processing unit 154 is used to transmit common wireless signals, such as beacon frames, to multiple shared APs. Transmission of beacon frames and the like may be performed using any of the wireless signal processing units 151, 152, and 153 instead of the wireless signal processing unit 154. In this case, the lower MAC processing unit 144 and the wireless signal processing unit 154 may be omitted.

[0048] 1.1.3.2 Functional Configuration of Shared AP Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a shared AP according to the embodiment. In Fig. 7, shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6 are shown as having the same configuration.

[0049] The shared AP 20 functions as a computer including an upper MAC processing unit 210, a management unit 220, lower MAC processing units 231 and 232, and radio signal processing units 241 and 242. The upper MAC processing unit 210, the management unit 220, and lower MAC processing units 231 and 232 are functional blocks that perform processing corresponding to the MAC sublayer of the second layer. The radio signal processing units 241 and 242 are functional blocks that perform processing corresponding to the first layer. For example, the lower MAC processing units 231 and 232 and the radio signal processing units 241 and 242 function as an affiliated AP.

[0050] The upper MAC processing unit 210 sorts the data input from the lower MAC processing units 231 and 232 according to the identifier. For example, if the data is extracted from a beacon frame from the sharing AP 10, the upper MAC processing unit 210 inputs the data to the management unit 220. If the data is extracted from the sharing AP 10, the upper MAC processing unit 210 inputs the data to the affiliated AP (lower MAC processing unit) used for connection with the affiliated STA of the corresponding terminal 30. Furthermore, if the data is extracted from a wireless signal from the terminal 30, the upper MAC processing unit 210 inputs the data to the affiliated AP (lower MAC processing unit) used for connection with the affiliated AP of the corresponding sharing AP 10.

[0051] The management unit 220 controls the physical wireless connection between the affiliated APs of the shared AP 20 and the affiliated STAs of the terminal 30 during the multi-AP operation. For example, the management unit 220 generates a beacon frame including information related to the multi-AP operation prior to the start of the multi-AP transmission operation. The beacon frame includes the AP management information 131 received from the sharing AP 10 and the identifier of the sharing AP 10.

[0052] The management unit 220 also manages the state of the physical wireless connection between the affiliated AP and the affiliated STA in multi-AP transmission operation. Specifically, for example, the management unit 220 manages connection management information 221. The connection management information 221 includes information on the identifier of the affiliated AP of the connected sharing AP 10 and the identifier of the affiliated STA of the terminal 30 to which the affiliated AP of the shared AP 20 is connected. For example, a MAC address may be used as the identifier. The management unit 220 may also store AP management information 131. Although not shown, the management unit 220 also manages information such as the AP MLD identifier of the corresponding shared AP 20 and the identifier of the affiliated AP.

[0053] The lower MAC processing units 231 and 232 each add a MAC header to the data input from the upper MAC processing unit 210 to generate a MAC frame, and input the generated MAC frames to the radio signal processing units 241 and 242. The lower MAC processing units 231 and 232 also extract data from the MAC frames input from the radio signal processing units 241 and 242, and input the extracted data to the upper MAC processing unit 210.

[0054] The radio signal processing units 241 and 242 generate radio frames by adding preambles and the like to the MAC frames input from the lower MAC processing units 231 and 232. The radio signal processing units 241 and 242 convert the generated radio frames into radio signals. The radio signal processing units 241 and 242 then radiate (transmit) the converted radio signals via antennas. The conversion process from radio frames to radio signals includes, for example, convolutional coding, interleaving, subcarrier modulation, inverse fast Fourier transform, OFDM modulation, and frequency conversion. The radio signal processing units 241 and 242 also convert radio signals received via antennas into radio frames. The conversion process from radio signals to radio frames includes, for example, frequency conversion, OFDM demodulation, fast Fourier transform, subcarrier demodulation, deinterleaving, and Viterbi decoding. The radio signal processing units 241 and 242 extract MAC frames from the converted radio frames. The wireless signal processing units 241 and 242 then input the extracted MAC frames to the lower MAC processing units 231 and 232. The wireless signal processing unit 241 is used, for example, to transmit and receive wireless signals to and from the terminal 30. The wireless signal processing unit 242 is used, for example, to transmit and receive wireless signals to and from the sharing AP 10.

[0055] 1.1.3.3 Functional Configuration of Terminals Figure 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment. Here, Figure 8 is illustrated assuming mainly terminal 30-1. Terminal 30-2 further comprises one lower MAC processing unit and one radio signal processing unit compared to terminal 30-1. There are no other differences in the configuration between terminal 30-1 and terminal 30-2, so the following description will continue assuming that terminal 30-1 and terminal 30-2 have the same configuration.

[0056] The terminal 30 functions as a computer including an application execution unit 300, an LLC processing unit 310, an upper MAC processing unit 320, a management unit 330, lower MAC processing units 341 and 342, and radio signal processing units 351 and 352. The application execution unit 300 is a functional block that executes processing corresponding to layer 7. The LLC processing unit 310 is a functional block that executes processing corresponding to the LLC sublayer of layer 2 and layers 3 to 6. The upper MAC processing unit 320, the management unit 330, and the lower MAC processing units 341 and 342 are functional blocks that execute processing corresponding to the MAC sublayer of layer 2. The radio signal processing units 351 and 352 are functional blocks that execute processing corresponding to layer 1. The application execution unit 300, the LLC processing unit 310, the upper MAC processing unit 320, and the management unit 330 function as a non-AP MLD. The lower MAC processing unit and radio signal processing unit function as an affiliated STA. For example, in the terminal 30-1, the lower MAC processing unit 341 and the radio signal processing unit 351 function as affiliated STA1, and the lower MAC processing unit 342 and the radio signal processing unit 352 function as affiliated STA2.

[0057] The application execution unit 300 executes an application based on data input from the LLC processing unit 310. The application execution unit 300 also inputs data to the LLC processing unit 310. For example, the application execution unit 300 can display application information on the display 35. The application execution unit 300 can also operate based on operations on an input interface.

[0058] The LLC processing unit 310 adds a DSAP header, an SSAP header, etc. to the data input from the application execution unit 300 and inputs the data to the upper MAC processing unit 320. The LLC processing unit 310 also inputs the data input from the upper MAC processing unit 320 to the application execution unit 300.

[0059] When data is input from the LLC processing unit 310, the upper MAC processing unit 320 performs processing such as aggregation on the data, and then distributes the processed data to one of the lower MAC processing units 341 and 342. The upper MAC processing unit 320 may determine the distribution destination of the data by referring to connection management information 332 managed by the management unit 330. The upper MAC processing unit 320 may also determine the distribution destination of the data according to the TID associated with the access category. When a MAC frame is input from one of the lower MAC processing units 341 and 342, the upper MAC processing unit 320 extracts data from the MAC frame and inputs the extracted data to the LLC processing unit 310.

[0060] The management unit 330 controls the logical wireless connection between the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10 and the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30 in multi-AP operation. For example, the management unit 330 generates an association request based on a beacon frame from the shared AP 20. The management unit 330 also manages AP management information 331 and connection management information 332. Although not shown, the management unit 330 also manages information such as the identifier of the non-AP MLD of the corresponding terminal 30 and the identifier of the affiliated STA.

[0061] The AP management information 331 is information on the sharing AP 10 that is performing the multi-AP operation and the subordinate shared APs 20. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the AP management information stored in the terminal 30.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 9 , the AP management information 331 includes the identifier of the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10 connected to the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30, information about the affiliated APs of the shared APs 20 under each sharing AP 10, and information about the grouping of each shared AP 20. The information about the affiliated APs of each shared AP 20 includes, for example, an identifier, a frequency band, capability information, and operational parameters. Furthermore, the information about the grouping of each shared AP 20 includes group identifiers and area information. The non-AP MLD of the terminal 30 can be logically wirelessly connected to both the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10-1 and the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10-2. Therefore, the AP management information 331 can also include information corresponding to both the sharing AP 10-1 and the sharing AP 10-2.

[0063] The connection management information 332 stores information about the connection status of the sharing AP 10 connected to the terminal 30 in multi-AP operation. For example, the connection management information 332 includes information about the AP MLD identifier of the sharing AP 10 connected to the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30, the identifier of the affiliated STA of the terminal 30 used to connect to the sharing AP 10, and the identifier of the affiliated AP of the shared AP 20 wirelessly connected to the affiliated STA of the terminal 30.

[0064] 8 , the functional configuration of the terminal 30 will be described. The lower MAC processing units 341 and 342 each add a MAC header to the data input from the upper MAC processing unit 320 to generate a MAC frame, and input the generated MAC frames to the radio signal processing units 351 and 352. The lower MAC processing units 341 and 342 also perform deaggregation or the like on the MAC frames input from the radio signal processing units 351 and 352 to extract data, and input the extracted data to the upper MAC processing unit 320.

[0065] The radio signal processing units 351 and 352 generate radio frames by adding preambles and the like to the MAC frames input from the lower MAC processing units 341 and 342. The radio signal processing units 351 and 352 convert the generated radio frames into radio signals. The radio signal processing units 351 and 352 then radiate (transmit) the converted radio signals via antennas. The conversion process from radio frames to radio signals includes, for example, convolutional coding, interleaving, subcarrier modulation, inverse fast Fourier transform, OFDM modulation, and frequency conversion. The radio signal processing units 351 and 352 also convert radio signals received via antennas into radio frames. The conversion process from radio signals to radio frames includes, for example, frequency conversion, OFDM demodulation, fast Fourier transform, subcarrier demodulation, deinterleaving, and Viterbi decoding. The radio signal processing units 351 and 352 extract MAC frames from the converted radio frames. Then, the radio signal processing units 351 and 352 input the extracted MAC frames to the lower MAC processing units 341 and 342 .

[0066] 1.2 Operation Next, the operation of the communication system according to the embodiment will be described.

[0067] 1.2.1 Grouping Operation Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a grouping operation of shared APs in a communication system according to an embodiment. The grouping operation in Fig. 10 is performed individually in each sharing AP 10. If both the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20 are fixed access points, the grouping operation in Fig. 10 is performed when the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20 are installed. If at least one of the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20 is a mobile access point, the grouping operation in Fig. 10 is performed periodically.

[0068] In step S1, the management unit 130 of the sharing AP 10 divides the cell of each affiliated AP of the sharing AP 10 into multiple areas. The division may be performed using any method. For example, the cell may be divided into multiple grids, i.e., rectangular areas, or into areas of other shapes such as circles and hexagons.

[0069] In step S2, the management unit 130 groups the shared APs 20 for each divided area. The process in FIG. 10 then ends. For example, the management unit 130 collects information on the current coordinates of each shared AP 20 from each shared AP 20 and groups the shared APs 20 that exist in an area within a predetermined range into the same group. The management unit 130 then assigns a group identifier to each group and registers the group identifier and area information for that group, along with information on the affiliated APs that belong to that group, as AP management information 131.

[0070] Here, the grouping does not necessarily have to be performed by dividing the cell of the affiliated AP into multiple areas. For example, the grouping may be performed by grouping the shared APs 20 that are within a certain distance and a certain angular range from the center of the cell of the affiliated AP of each sharing AP 10 into the same group. In other words, any method may be used for grouping the shared APs so that the received power and arrival direction of wireless signals from the affiliated APs of the shared APs 20 belonging to the same group are considered to be similar.

[0071] 1.2.2 Wireless Link Connection Operation FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a multi-AP association operation as a wireless link connection operation in an embodiment. FIG. 11 illustrates an example in which the sharing AP 10 determines a shared AP to which the terminal 30 will connect during multi-AP operation. The operation illustrated in FIG. 11 is initiated when a multi-AP association request is transmitted from the terminal 30 to the sharing AP 10. The multi-AP association request is a request for wireless connection between the terminal 30 and the sharing AP 10 via the shared AP 20, and includes the identifier of the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10 to which the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30 wishes to connect, and information about the current location of the terminal 30. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the non-AP MLD of one terminal 30 can establish wireless links with the AP MLDs of multiple sharing APs 10. Therefore, the terminal 30 transmits a multi-AP association request to each of the multiple sharing APs 10.

[0072] In step S11, the management unit 130 receives the multi-AP association request and searches for the terminal 30 within the cell based on the information on the current location of the terminal 30 included in the multi-AP association request.

[0073] In step S12, the management unit 130 refers to the area information in the AP management information 131 and identifies in which of the communication areas of each group the terminal 30 is located.

[0074] In step S13, the management unit 130 performs association processing to connect the affiliated AP of the shared AP 20 in the group having the identified communication coverage area with the affiliated STA of the terminal 30. The processing of FIG. 11 then ends. For example, the management unit 130 generates an association notification. This association notification includes, for example, the AP MLD identifier of the sharing AP 10, the non-AP MLD identifier of the terminal 30, information on each affiliated STA of the terminal 30, and the identifier of the affiliated AP of the shared AP to which each affiliated STA is to be connected. The information on the affiliated STA includes the identifier of the affiliated STA, frequency band, capability information, and operation parameters. The management unit 130 then transmits the generated association notification to each shared AP 20 by broadcast or multicast. Furthermore, the management unit 130 generates an association response in response to the association request from the terminal 30. The management unit 130 transmits the generated association response to the terminal 30. The association response includes, for example, the AP MLD identifier of the sharing AP 10, the non-AP MLD identifier of the terminal 30, the affiliated AP identifiers of the shared AP to which each affiliated STA of the terminal 30 is to be connected, the frequency band, capability information, operation parameters, the identifiers of the groups to which each affiliated AP belongs, and the area information of each group. Based on the association notification, the management unit 220 of the shared AP 20 updates the connection management information 221. Based on the association response, the management unit 330 of the terminal 30 updates the AP management information 331 and the connection management information 332. As a result, a multi-AP link set is established between the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10 and the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30 .

[0075] Here, in step S11, the management unit 130 searches for the terminal 30 based on information about the current location of the terminal 30 included in the multi-AP association request. However, the search method for the terminal 30 is not limited to this. For example, the management unit 130 may periodically transmit a probe request, and when a response to the probe request is received, search for the terminal 30 based on the arrival direction and received power of the wireless signal of the response. Also, in FIG. 11 , the sharing AP 10 searches for the terminal 30 and transmits an association notification and a multi-AP association request for wireless connection, but this is not limited to this. For example, the management unit 220 of each shared AP 20 may search for the terminal 30. In this case, a wireless connection procedure may be performed between the AP MLD of the shared AP 20 that discovered the terminal 30 and the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30, and the result may be notified to the sharing AP 10 from the shared AP 20 or the terminal 30.

[0076] Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a wireless link switching operation as a wireless link connection operation in an embodiment. Fig. 12 shows an example in which a terminal 30 requests a shared AP as a connection destination in multi-AP operation. The operation of Fig. 12 is initiated before the terminal 30 transmits a multi-AP association request to the sharing AP 10. For example, when a deterioration in the communication quality of the wireless link, such as received power, is detected as the terminal 30 moves within the communication area (cell) of the sharing AP 10, the terminal 30 executes the operation of Fig. 12. Here, it is assumed that the management unit 130 stores the AP management information 331 shown in Fig. 9 prior to the operation of Fig. 12.

[0077] In step S21, the management unit 330 refers to the AP management information 331 and searches for a group of shared APs 20 that have the area in which the terminal 30 is currently located as their communication coverage area.

[0078] In step S22, the management unit 330 performs processing to connect to the group of the found shared AP 20. The processing of FIG. 12 then ends. For example, the management unit 330 transmits a connection switching request addressed to the sharing AP 10 with which the current wireless link is established. The connection switching request includes, for example, the identifier of the affiliated AP of the shared AP 20 included in the currently connected group, the identifier of the affiliated AP of the shared AP 20 included in the group to which switching is desired, and information about the current location of the terminal 30. As shown in FIG. 1 , the non-AP MLD of one terminal 30 can establish wireless links with the AP MLDs of multiple sharing APs 10. Therefore, the terminal 30 can transmit a connection switching request to each of the multiple sharing APs 10.

[0079] After the sharing AP 10 receives the connection switching request, the management unit 130 of the sharing AP 10 transmits a connection switching notification to each of the shared AP 20 that is the connection source of the terminal 30 and the shared AP 20 that is the connection destination. The connection switching notification includes, for example, the AP MLD identifier of the sharing AP 10, the non-AP MLD identifier of the terminal 30, information on each affiliated STA of the terminal 30, the affiliated AP identifier of the shared AP that is the connection source of each affiliated STA, and the affiliated AP identifier of the shared AP that is the connection destination of each affiliated STA. The affiliated STA information includes the affiliated STA identifier, frequency band, capability information, and operation parameters. The management unit 130 then transmits the generated connection switching notification to each shared AP 20 by broadcast or multicast. Furthermore, the management unit 130 generates a connection switching response to the connection switching request from the terminal 30. The connection switching response includes, for example, the AP MLD identifier of the sharing AP 10, the non-AP MLD identifier of the terminal 30, the affiliated AP identifiers of the shared AP to be connected to each affiliated STA of the terminal 30, the frequency band, capability information, operation parameters, the identifiers of the groups to which each affiliated AP belongs, and the area information of each group. Based on the connection switching notification, the management unit 220 of the shared AP 20 updates the connection management information 221. Furthermore, based on the connection switching response, the management unit 330 of the terminal 30 updates the AP management information 331 and the connection management information 332. This completes the switching of the wireless link between the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10 and the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30.

[0080] Here, the operation shown in FIG. 12 is a wireless link switching operation performed by the terminal 30. On the other hand, if the management unit 310 of the terminal 30 has previously stored the AP management information 331 shown in FIG. 9 through, for example, transmission of a beacon from the shared AP 20, the operation shown in FIG. 12 can also be applied to the multi-AP association operation shown in FIG. 11. In this case, the management unit 310 of the terminal 30 identifies the affiliated AP of the shared AP 20 to which connection is desired according to the operation of step S21 of FIG. 12, and transmits the identified affiliated identifier as the identifier of the affiliated AP to which connection is desired, by including it in the multi-AP association request. In this case, although the association request is transmitted to the sharing AP 10 in FIG. 11, it may also be transmitted to the shared AP 20 that includes the affiliated AP to which connection is desired, for example. In such a configuration, processing for connection is performed between the shared AP 20 and the terminal 30, and the connection management information 221 of the shared AP 20 and the AP management information 311 and connection management information 332 of the terminal 30 are updated. Then, the shared AP 20 notifies the sharing AP 10 that such connection has been established. Then, the AP management information 131 and connection management information 132 of the sharing AP 10 are updated.

[0081] 1.3 Effects of the Embodiment In the embodiment, shared APs 20 located at nearby coordinates within the communication area (cell) of the sharing AP 10 are grouped. Then, during multi-AP operation in which the affiliated AP of the shared AP 20 is present in the wireless link between the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10 and the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30, affiliated AP selection is performed so that the affiliated AP of the shared AP 20 is not selected across different groups. Shared APs 20 located at nearby coordinates within the communication area (cell) have similar received power and arrival direction of wireless signals at the terminal 30. Therefore, improved path diversity is expected through multi-AP operation. As a result, the wireless communication environment is improved through multi-AP operation.

[0082] Furthermore, the shared APs 20 are grouped in advance before the terminal 30 transmits a multi-AP association request, so the terminal 30 does not need to select an affiliated AP of the shared AP 20 to which it is connected when transmitting a multi-AP association request.

[0083] 2. Modifications, etc. Modifications of the embodiment will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the grouping of the shared APs 20 is performed individually by each sharing AP 10. However, the grouping of multiple sharing APs 10 may be managed by a controller that oversees them.

[0084] 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to a modified example of an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the communication system 1 includes a plurality of sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2, a plurality of shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6, and a plurality of terminals 30-1 and 30-2, as well as a controller 40. The configurations of the plurality of sharing APs 10-1 and 10-2, the plurality of shared APs 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, and 20-6, and the plurality of terminals 30-1 and 30-2 are the same as those described in the above-described embodiment.

[0085] The controller 40 is connected to the sharing AP 10-1 and the sharing AP 10-2 by wire, for example, via a network (not shown). Of course, the controller 40 may also be connected to the sharing AP 10-1 and the sharing AP 10-2 wirelessly. Furthermore, the controller 40 may be configured to communicate with a server (not shown) on the network.

[0086] 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a controller according to a modified example. As shown in FIG. 14, the controller 40 includes a CPU 41, a ROM 42, a RAM 43, and a wired communication module 44, for example.

[0087] The CPU 41 is a processing circuit that controls the overall operation of the controller 40. The ROM 42 is, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory. The ROM 42 stores programs and data for controlling the controller 40. The RAM 43 is, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory. The RAM 43 is used as a work area for the CPU 41. The wired communication module 44 is a circuit used to send and receive data via wired signals.

[0088] 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the controller according to the embodiment. The controller 40 functions as a computer including a management unit 410.

[0089] The management unit 410 manages the grouping of shared APs 20 by each sharing AP 10. To this end, the management unit 410 manages AP management information 411 and connection management information 412. The AP management information 411 and connection management information 412 are the same as the AP management information 131 and connection management information 132 managed by the management unit 130 in the above-described embodiment. However, the AP management information 411 and connection management information 412 include the AP management information 131 and connection management information 132 managed by the multiple sharing APs, respectively.

[0090] The management unit 410 may also allocate data received from a server (not shown) on the network to either the sharing AP 10-1 or the sharing AP 10-2 according to the TID associated with the data. For example, data may be allocated in proportion to the number of wireless links between the AP MLD of the sharing AP 10 and the non-AP MLD of the terminal 30, i.e., the number of affiliated APs of the shared AP 20.

[0091] Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing a first example of a grouping operation by a controller. The grouping operation in Fig. 16 is performed when the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20 are installed if both the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20 are fixed access points. The grouping operation in Fig. 16 is also performed periodically if at least one of the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20 is a mobile access point.

[0092] In step S31, the management unit 410 causes each sharing AP 10 to perform grouping. For example, the management unit 410 transmits a request to each sharing AP 10 via a wired connection to perform grouping. In response, the management unit 130 of each sharing AP 10 performs grouping. The grouping may be performed using the method described with reference to FIG. 10. After grouping, the management unit 130 of each sharing AP 10 transmits the grouping results to the controller 40 as AP management information 131 of each sharing AP. The management unit 410 updates the AP management information 411 using the AP management information 131 of each sharing AP. At this time, the management unit 410 may update the AP management information 411 so as to assign the same group identifier to groups that have common area information among groups grouped by different sharing APs. For example, as shown in Fig. 13, the management unit 410 may assign the same group identifier, group A, to the shared APs 20-1 and 20-2 grouped into group A1 by the sharing AP 10-1 and the shared AP 20-4 grouped into group B1 by the sharing AP 10-2 in Fig. 1. Similarly, the management unit 410 may assign the same group identifier, group B, to the shared AP 20-3 grouped into group A2 by the sharing AP 10-1 and the shared APs 20-5 and 20-6 grouped into group B2 by the sharing AP 10-2 in Fig. 1.

[0093] In step S32, the management unit 410 updates the AP management information 411 by assigning group identifiers to ungrouped shared APs 20 that are near the group of each sharing AP 10, for example, within a threshold distance, so that the ungrouped shared APs 20 are grouped together. The management unit 410 then transmits the AP management information 411 to each sharing AP 10 via a wired connection. The processing in FIG. 16 then ends. Here, the search for ungrouped shared APs 20 may be performed by grouped shared APs.

[0094] Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing a second example of a grouping operation by the controller. If both the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20 are fixed access points, the grouping operation in Fig. 17 is performed when the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20 are installed. Furthermore, if at least one of the sharing AP 10 and the shared AP 20 is a mobile access point, the grouping operation in Fig. 17 is performed periodically.

[0095] In step S41, the management unit 410 performs grouping for each sharing AP 10. The process of step S41 is the same as the process of step S31.

[0096] In step S42, the management unit 410 updates the AP management information 411 by assigning group identifiers to groups within a distance threshold so as to group the groups together. The management unit 410 then transmits the AP management information 411 via a wired connection to each sharing AP 10. The process in FIG. 17 then ends.

[0097] In a modified example, the controller manages the grouping of shared APs by multiple sharing APs. This allows for grouping that cannot be achieved by grouping only by each shared AP, such as combining multiple groups grouped by different sharing APs that have the same communication coverage area into one group, or combining multiple groups grouped by different sharing APs that are located at close coordinates into one group. This type of grouping also enables communication through cooperation between multiple sharing APs. For example, cooperation can be achieved in which the controller distributes data received from a server on the network based on the TID associated with the data and the number of wireless links between the AP MLD of the sharing AP and the non-AP MLD of the terminal.

[0098] In the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the functions of the sharing AP and the shared AP are completely separated. In practice, the sharing AP may have the functions of a shared AP, and the shared AP may have the functions of a sharing AP. In this case, if the above-described conditions for being included in the same group are met, other sharing APs may be included in a group formed by one sharing AP.

[0099] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the disclosed elements. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

[0100] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Communication system 10, 10-1, 10-2...Sharing AP 11...CPU 12...ROM 13...RAM 14...Wireless communication module 16...Wired communication module 20, 20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4, 20-5, 20-6...Shared AP 21...CPU 22...ROM 23...RAM 24...Wireless communication module 30, 30-1, 30-2...Terminal 31...CPU 32...ROM 33...RAM 34...Wireless communication module 35...Display 37...Storage 40...Controller 41...CPU 42...ROM 43...RAM 44...Wired communication module 110...LLC processing unit 120...Higher MAC processing unit 130...Management unit 132...Connection management information 141, 142, 143, 144...Lower MAC processing unit DESCRIPTION OF THE SYMBOLS 151, 152, 153, 154...radio signal processing units 210...upper MAC processing unit 220...management unit 221...connection management information 231, 232...lower MAC processing units 241, 242...radio signal processing units 300...application execution unit 310...LLC processing unit 320...upper MAC processing unit 330...management unit 331...AP management information 332...connection management information 341, 342...lower MAC processing units 351, 352...radio signal processing units 410...management unit 411...AP management information 412...connection management information

Claims

1. A sharing access point in a communication system including a sharing access point, a plurality of shared access points, and a terminal device, the sharing access point having a management unit that groups the plurality of shared access points based on the positional relationship of the plurality of shared access points within the cell of the sharing access point.

2. The sharing access point described in claim 1, wherein the management unit refers to the communication area of ​​each group to identify a group of the shared access points to be interposed in wireless communication between the shared access point and the terminal device, and wirelessly connects the shared access point of the identified group to the terminal device.

3. The shared access point according to claim 1, wherein the management unit divides a cell of the shared access point into a plurality of areas, and groups the plurality of shared access points located in areas close to each other among the divided areas.

4. The sharing access point according to claim 1, wherein the management unit groups the multiple shared access points that are within a specified distance and a specified angle range from the center of the cell of the sharing access point into the same group.

5. The sharing access point according to claim 1, wherein the management unit transmits information about the group of the plurality of shared access points to the terminal device.

6. A terminal device in a communication system including a shared access point, a plurality of shared access points, and a terminal device, the terminal device comprising a management unit that searches for a group of the shared access points to be interposed in wireless communication between the shared access point and the terminal device based on information of the plurality of shared access points grouped based on the positional relationships of the plurality of shared access points within the cell of the shared access point, and wirelessly connects the shared access point of the searched group to the terminal device.

7. A control device that manages a communication system including a plurality of shared access points, a plurality of shared access points, and a terminal device, the control device having a management unit that groups each of the plurality of shared access points based on the positional relationship of the plurality of shared access points within the cell of each of the shared access points, updates the grouping of the plurality of shared access points based on the result of grouping the plurality of shared access points, and transmits information on the updated group of the plurality of shared access points to each of the shared access points.

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