Wireless communication system, communication apparatus and communication method

Abstract

A communication apparatus holds information concerning a second network reported from a specific wireless terminal that has left a first network. In accordance with predetermined criteria, the communication apparatus decides a wireless terminal that is to be allowed to join the second network and notifies this wireless terminal so as to cause the specific wireless terminal to return to the first network. This wireless terminal uses the held information concerning the second network to discriminate the communication status of the second network and requests the specific wireless terminal to return in accordance with the communication status discriminated.

1 . A wireless communication system constituted by a communication apparatus having a management function for managing a first network and a plurality of wireless terminals for performing wireless communication via the first network,
 wherein the communication apparatus comprises:   a decision unit that decides a wireless terminal to be allowed to join a second network according to predetermined criteria; and   a notification unit that notifies the decided wireless terminal so as to cause a specific wireless terminal to join the first network, and   wherein the decided wireless terminal comprises:   a determination unit that determines communication status of the second network by joining the second network; and   a request unit that requests the specific wireless terminal to join the first network in accordance with a result of the determination.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication apparatus receives a result of the request from the decided wireless terminal to confirm that the specific wireless terminal has joined to the first network by the result of the request. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication apparatus decides a wireless terminal to be joined to the second network by determining the terminal capabilities of the plurality of wireless terminals and the present communication status based on terminal information of the first network and terminal information of the second network after the second network is constructed and a fixed period of time is elapsed. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication apparatus causes the decided wireless terminal to actuate a timer for the purpose of causing the specific wireless terminal to join and, in a case where the timer times out, notifies the decided wireless terminal so as to cause the specific wireless terminal to join the first network. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication apparatus decides either a wireless terminal in which traffic is small in the first network and a communication-scheduling timer is not running or a wireless terminal having a function similar to that of the specific wireless terminal to be joined to the first network. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication apparatus notifies the decided wireless terminal of information concerning the second network and information for joining to the first network. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein if the result of the request from the decided wireless terminal indicates failure of the request, the communication apparatus again decides another wireless terminal to be allowed to join the second network and allows said another wireless terminal to join the second network. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication status of the second network is traffic of the second network. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the specific wireless terminal is a wireless terminal that has left the first network, and
 the communication apparatus further comprises a holding unit that holds information of the second network notified from the specific wireless terminal.   
     
     
         10 . A communication apparatus in a wireless communication system constituted by the communication apparatus having a management function for managing a first network and a plurality of wireless terminals for performing wireless communication via the first network, the apparatus comprising:
 a decision unit that decides a wireless terminal to be allowed to join a second network according to predetermined criteria; and   a notification unit that notifies the decided wireless terminal so as to cause a specific wireless terminal to join the first network.   
     
     
         11 . A method of a communication apparatus in a wireless communication system constituted by the communication apparatus having a management function for managing a first network and a plurality of wireless terminals for performing wireless communication via the first network, the method comprising:
 deciding a wireless terminal to be allowed to join a second network according to predetermined criteria; and   notifying the decided wireless terminal so as to cause a specific wireless terminal to join the first network.   
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which has been recorded a program for causing a computer to execute a method of a communication apparatus in a wireless communication system constituted by the communication apparatus having a management function for managing a first network and a plurality of wireless terminals for performing wireless communication via the first network, the method comprising:
 deciding a wireless terminal to be allowed to join a second network according to predetermined criteria; and   notifying the decided wireless terminal so as to cause a specific wireless terminal to join the first network.