Radio communication method and radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus

Abstract

A technique capable of improving the communication throughput while maintaining the interchangeability with a radio communication system or radio communication method employing carrier sense in a conventional multiple access system is disclosed and, on the basis of this technique, a radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus determines the allocation order of communication right permitting the occupation of a radio transmission medium with respect to each of a plurality of radio transmission terminals and transmits a multiple-polling signal 311 including information on this order to the plurality of radio communication terminals at an arbitrary transmission timing acquired through the carrier sense. Thus, each of communication right time periods (communication right time periods 312 to 314 ) for which the occupation of the radio transmission medium is permissible is allocated to each of the plurality of radio communication terminals. In addition, a time sufficiently shorter than a guard time (carrier sense time) in a conventional system is employed as a time interval between communication right time periods adjacent to each other.

1 - 15 . (canceled)  
     
     
         16 . A radio communication method for use in a radio communication system, designed to make communications between one radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus and a plurality of radio communication terminals, communication-controlled by said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus, through a radio transmission medium, comprising: 
 a step in which said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus determines allocation order of communication right permitting occupation of said radio transmission medium with respect to each of said plurality of radio communication terminals;    a step in which said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus monitors a communication on said radio transmission medium and transmits information on the determined allocation order of the communication right collectively to said plurality of radio communication terminals at an arbitrary timing of a detection of a non-signal time longer than a predetermined length in communication on said radio transmission medium; and    a step in which, on the basis of said information on the order, each of said plurality of radio communication terminals acquires the communication right to use said radio transmission medium and makes communication.    
     
     
         17 . A radio communication method, designed to make communications between one radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus and a plurality of radio communication terminals, communication-controlled by said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus, through a radio transmission medium, comprising: 
 a step in which said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus determines a time zone to be allocated as communication right permitting occupation of said radio transmission medium with respect to each of said plurality of radio communication terminals;    a step in which said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus determines allocation order of communication right permitting occupation of said radio transmission medium with respect to each of said plurality of radio communication terminals;    a step in which said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus monitors a communication on said radio transmission medium and transmits information on the time zone and the order collectively to said plurality of radio communication terminals at an arbitrary timing of a detection of a non-signal time longer than a predetermined length in communication on said radio transmission medium; and    a step in which, on the basis of said information on the time zone, each of said plurality of radio communication terminals acquires the communication right to use said radio transmission medium and makes communication and subsequently, on the basis of said information on the order, acquires the communication right to use said radio transmission medium and makes communication.    
     
     
         18 . The radio communication method according to  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 a step in which said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus determines a direction of communication between said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus and said radio communication terminals with respect to the communication rights allocated as the time zones;    a step in which said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus transmits, in addition to the information on the time zones and the order, information on the communication direction collectively to said plurality of radio communication terminals; and    a step in which each of said plurality of radio communication terminals makes communication according to the communication direction when making communication according to the communication right allocated as the time zone.    
     
     
         19 . The radio communication method according to  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 a step in which, when starting the communication by the communication right allocated as the order, said radio communication terminal monitors the communication by the radio communication terminal having an allocated turn immediately preceding the turn of said radio communication terminal; and    a step in which, when a non-signal time longer than a predetermined length is detected in the communication by the radio communication terminal having the immediately-preceding allocated turn, said radio communication terminal decides the incoming of its own communication right time period and starts the communication by the communication right.    
     
     
         20 . The radio communication method according to  claim 16 , further comprising a step in which, when terminating the communication by the communication right allocated as the order, said radio communication terminal transmits information indicative of the completion of the communication by the communication right.  
     
     
         21 . The radio communication method according to  claim 20 , further comprising a step in which said radio communication terminal monitors the communication by the radio communication terminal having the allocated turn immediately preceding the turn of said radio communication terminal and, when detecting that the information indicative of the completion of the communication is transmitted from the radio communication terminal having the immediately-preceding allocated turn, decides the incoming of its own communication right time period and starts the communication by the communication right.  
     
     
         22 . The radio communication method according to  claim 19 , wherein said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus is made to carry out the order allocation such that, of the communication rights allocated as the order, with respect to said communication rights having the turns adjacent to each other, said radio communication terminal having the succeeding allocated turn monitors the communication by said radio communication terminal having the preceding allocated turn.  
     
     
         23 . The radio communication method according to claim  5 , wherein said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus is made to carry out the order allocation such that, of the communication rights allocated as the order, with respect to said communication rights having the turns adjacent to each other, said radio communication terminal having the succeeding allocated turn monitors the communication by said radio communication terminal having the preceding allocated turn.  
     
     
         24 . The radio communication method according to  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 a step in which each of said plurality of radio communication terminals acquires identification information on the communication-monitorable other radio communication terminal; and    a step in which each of said plurality of radio communication terminals transmits said identification information on the other radio communication terminal, acquired through the monitoring, to said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus,    said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus carries out the order allocation on the basis of said identification information on the other radio communication terminal received from each of said plurality of radio communication terminals.    
     
     
         25 . A radio communication method for use in a radio communication system, designed to make communications between one radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus and a plurality of radio communication terminals, communication-controlled by said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus, through a radio transmission medium, comprising: 
 a step in which said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus determines a time zone to be allocated as communication right permitting occupation of said radio transmission medium with respect to each of said plurality of radio communication terminals;    a step in which said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus monitors a communication on said radio transmission medium and transmits information on the time zone collectively to said plurality of radio communication terminals at an arbitrary timing of a detection of a non-signal time longer than a predetermined length in communication on said radio transmission medium; and    a step in which, on the basis of the information on the time zone, each of said plurality of radio communication terminals acquires the communication right to use said radio transmission medium.    
     
     
         26 . The radio communication method according to  claim 25 , further comprising: 
 a step in which said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus determines a communication direction between said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus and said radio communication terminals with respect to the communication rights allocated as the time zones;    a step in which said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus transmits, in addition to said information on the time zone, information on said communication direction collectively to said plurality of radio communication terminals; and    a step in which each of said plurality of radio communication terminals makes the communication according to said communication direction when making the communication by the communication right allocated as the time zone.    
     
     
         27 . The radio communication method according to  claim 16 , wherein, when the communications by all the communication rights allocated to said plurality of radio communication terminals by said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus reach completion, a communication mode in said radio transmission medium is returned to a communication mode before the allocation of the communication rights by said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus.  
     
     
         28 . A radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus, designed to make communications with respect to each of a plurality of radio communication terminals through a radio transmission medium and to carry out communication control in each of said plurality of radio communication terminals, comprising: 
 means for determining allocation order of communication right permitting the occupation of said radio transmission medium with respect to each of said plurality of radio transmission terminals; and    means for monitoring a communication in said radio transmission medium to transmit information on the order collectively to said plurality of radio communication terminals at an arbitrary timing of a detection of a non-signal time longer than a predetermined length on communication in said radio transmission medium,    each of said plurality of radio communication terminals being made to acquire communication right to use said radio transmission medium on the basis of said information on the order for carrying out communication.    
     
     
         29 . A radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus, designed to make communications with respect to each of a plurality of radio communication terminals through a radio transmission medium and to carry out communication control in each of said plurality of radio communication terminals, comprising: 
 means for determining a time zone to be allocated as a communication right permitting the occupation of said radio transmission medium with respect to each of said plurality of radio transmission terminals;    means for determining allocation order of communication right permitting the occupation of said radio transmission medium with respect to each of said plurality of radio transmission terminals; and    means for monitoring a communication in said radio transmission medium to transmit information on the time zone and the order collectively to said plurality of radio communication terminals at an arbitrary timing of a detection of a non-signal time longer than a predetermined length on the communication in said radio transmission medium,    each of said plurality of radio communication terminals being made to acquire the communication right to use said radio transmission medium on the basis of said information on the time zone for carrying out communication and subsequently to acquire the communication right to use said radio transmission medium on the basis of said information on the order for carrying out communication.    
     
     
         30 . A radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus, designed to make communications with respect to each of a plurality of radio communication terminals through a radio transmission medium and to carry out communication control in each of said plurality of radio communication terminals, comprising: 
 means for determining a time zone to be allocated as a communication right permitting the occupation of said radio transmission medium with respect to each of said plurality of radio transmission terminals; and    means for monitoring a communication in said radio transmission medium to transmit information on the time zone collectively to said plurality of radio communication terminals at an arbitrary timing of a detection of a non-signal time longer than a predetermined length on the communication in said radio transmission medium,    each of said plurality of radio communication terminals being made to acquire the communication right to use said radio transmission medium on the basis of said information on the time zone for carrying out communication.    
     
     
         31 . The radio communication method according to  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 a step in which, when starting the communication by the communication right allocated as the order, said radio communication terminal monitors the communication by the radio communication terminal having an allocated turn immediately preceding the turn of said radio communication terminal; and    a step in which, when a non-signal time longer than a predetermined length is detected in the communication by the radio communication terminal having the immediately-preceding allocated turn, said radio communication terminal decides the incoming of its own communication right time period and starts the communication by the communication right.    
     
     
         32 . The radio communication method according to  claim 17 , further comprising a step in which, when terminating the communication by the communication right allocated as the order, said radio communication terminal transmits information indicative of the completion of the communication by the communication right.  
     
     
         33 . The radio communication method according to  claim 32 , further comprising a step in which said radio communication terminal monitors the communication by the radio communication terminal having the allocated turn immediately preceding the turn of said radio communication terminal and, when detecting that the information indicative of the completion of the communication is transmitted from the radio communication terminal having the immediately-preceding allocated turn, decides the incoming of its own communication right time period and starts the communication by the communication right.  
     
     
         34 . The radio communication method according to  claim 31 , wherein said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus is made to carry out the order allocation such that, of the communication rights allocated as the order, with respect to said communication rights having the turns adjacent to each other, said radio communication terminal having the succeeding allocated turn monitors the communication by said radio communication terminal having the preceding allocated turn.  
     
     
         35 . The radio communication method according to  claim 32 , wherein said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus is made to carry out the order allocation such that, of the communication rights allocated as the order, with respect to said communication rights having the turns adjacent to each other, said radio communication terminal having the succeeding allocated turn monitors the communication by said radio communication terminal having the preceding allocated turn.  
     
     
         36 . The radio communication method according to  claim 32 , further comprising: 
 a step in which each of said plurality of radio communication terminals acquires identification information on the communication-monitorable other radio communication terminal; and    a step in which each of said plurality of radio communication terminals transmits said identification information on the other radio communication terminal, acquired through the monitoring, to said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus,    said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus carries out the order allocation on the basis of said identification information on the other radio communication terminal received from each of said plurality of radio communication terminals.    
     
     
         37 . The radio communication method according to  claim 17 , wherein, when the communications by all the communication rights allocated to said plurality of radio communication terminals by said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus reach completion, a communication mode in said radio transmission medium is returned to a communication mode before the allocation of the communication rights by said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus.  
     
     
         38 . The radio communication method according to  claim 25 , wherein, when the communications by all the communication rights allocated to said plurality of radio communication terminals by said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus reach completion, a communication mode in said radio transmission medium is returned to a communication mode before the allocation of the communication rights by said radio communication terminal accommodating apparatus.