Network construction method and communication system for communicating between different groups via representative device of each group

Abstract

A communication network construction method comprises the steps of grouping the communication devices belonging to a communication network into one or a plurality of communication groups. In a selection step, one or a plurality of representative devices are selected in each communication group formed in the grouping step. In a communication step, each communication device communicates directly with the communication devices belonging to the same group, and communicates with the communication devices belonging to a different group by first transmitting data to the representative device of the same communication group and then causing the representative device to transfer a part or the whole of the data to the representative device of the different communication group.

1 . A method of constructing a communication network, comprising the steps of: 
 grouping communication devices belonging to a communication network into one or a plurality of communication groups;    selecting at least one representative device in each communication group formed in said grouping step; and    after said selecting step is effected, causing each communication device to communicate directly with each communication device belonging to a same communication group and to communicate with each communication device belonging to a different group by first transmitting data to said at least one representative device of the same communication group and then causing said at least one representative device of said same communication group to transfer part or a whole of the data to the at least one representative device of said different group.    
     
     
         2 . A method of constructing a communication network according to  claim 1 , wherein a communication channel through which the devices constituting each communication group communicate with each other is different for each communication group.  
     
     
         3 . A method of constructing a communication network according to  claim 1 , wherein in a case where a request message is transmitted to a communication device belonging to said different group and a response message is received from said communication device belonging to said different group, said at least one representative device of the same communication group transmits a single response message to a present communication device that has transmitted a request message based on the response message transmitted by said communication device belonging to said different communication group.  
     
     
         4 . A method of constructing a communication network according to  claim 1 , wherein each said communication device transmits a device message containing information on the transmitting communication device and a communicable communication device identified by the transmitting communication device, each said communication device identifies a communicable communication device from a received device message, and each said communication device performs said grouping step and said selecting step using information on the received device message.  
     
     
         5 . A method of constructing a communication network according to  claim 4 , wherein said grouping step is performed so that the number of devices belonging to each communication group is as near to a predetermined value as possible.  
     
     
         6 . A communication system comprising: 
 a grouping processing section for grouping communication devices belonging to a communication network into at least one communication group; and    a selection processing section for selecting at least one representative device from each communication group grouped by said grouping processing section;    wherein said communication system executes the steps of: 
 after selecting said at least one representative device in said selection processing section, causing each communication device to communicate directly with the communication devices belonging to the same communication group and to communicate with a communication device belonging to a different communication group by first transmitting data to the at least one representative device of said same communication group and causing said at least one representative device of said same group to transfer part or a whole of said data to the at least one representative device of said different communication group.  
   
     
     
         7 . A computer-readable recording medium for storing a program executed for constructing a communication network, said program being used for executing the steps of: 
 grouping communication devices belonging to a communication network into at least one communication group;    selecting at least one representative device in each communication group thus grouped; and    after said selection step, causing each of the communication devices to communicate directly with the communication devices belonging to a same group and to communicate with communication devices belonging to a different group by first transmitting data to the at least one representative device of said same group and then causing said at least one representative device of said same group to transfer a part or a whole of the data to the at least one representative device of the different group.