Interference suppression method and interference suppression device

Abstract

A reception station 1 b compares its BSSID with BSSID included in a signal that has arrived thereat. As BSSIDs included in signals transmitted by interfering stations 1 c and 1 d both match BSSID of the reception station 1 b , the reception station 1 b identifies each of the interfering stations 1 c and 1 d as a non-suppression target transmission source. As neither of BSSIDs included in signals transmitted by interfering stations 2 a and 2 b matches BSSID of the reception station 1 b , the reception station 1 b identifies each of the interfering stations 2 a and 2 b as a suppression target transmission source. The reception station 1 b uses characteristic amounts of signals that are associated with the interfering stations (i.e., suppression target transmission sources) 2 a and 2 b and that have been measured in the past as characteristic amounts of interfering signals that are used to suppress the interfering signals from a received signal.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . An interference suppression method used in a reception station to suppress an interfering signal that has been superimposed on a desired signal, the desired signal being transmitted by a transmission station serving as a partner station with which the reception station is performing communication, the interference suppression method comprising the steps of:
 identifying a transmission source, from which the reception station received a signal, as either (i) a suppression target transmission source that has a possibility of transmitting an interfering signal superimposed on the desired signal, or (ii) a non-suppression target transmission source that does not have the possibility of transmitting the interfering signal;   acquiring, from the received signal, a characteristic amount thereof;   storing a plurality of pairs each including the suppression target transmission source identified in the identification step and the characteristic amount of the received signal that was transmitted by the suppression target transmission source and acquired in the acquiring step, in one-to-one correspondence; and   when the reception station receives the desired signal, suppressing the interfering signal superimposed on the desired signal with use of a selected characteristic amount stored in one-to-one correspondence with the received signal that was transmitted by the suppression target transmission source.   
     
     
         16 . The interference suppression method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of comparing (i) a first network identifier indicating a first network to which the transmission source belongs, the first network identifier being included in the received signal, with (ii) a second network identifier indicating a second network to which the reception station belongs, wherein
 the identifying step identifies the transmission source as (i) the non-suppression target transmission source when a result of the comparing step shows that the first network identifier matches the second network identifier, and (ii) the suppression target transmission source when the result of the comparing step shows that the first network identifier is different from the second network identifier.   
     
     
         17 . The interference suppression method of  claim 16 , wherein
 each of the first network identifier and the second network identifier is a basic service set identifier (BSSID).   
     
     
         18 . The interference suppression method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of
 judging whether or not a time when the reception station received the signal is within a transmission prohibition period that has been set in a network to which the reception station belongs, wherein   when the judging step judges that the time is within the transmission prohibition period, the identifying step identifies the transmission source as the suppression target transmission source.   
     
     
         19 . The interference suppression method of  claim 18 , wherein
 the transmission prohibition period has been set in accordance with an inter-frame space (IFS).   
     
     
         20 . The interference suppression method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of
 judging whether or not a time when the reception station received the signal is within an interference measurement prohibition period throughout which there is a possibility that the reception station receives the desired signal, wherein   when the judging step judges that the time is within the interference measurement prohibition period, the identifying step identifies the transmission source as the non-suppression target transmission source.   
     
     
         21 . The interference suppression method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of
 detecting, from the received signal, a preamble signal that includes a plurality of symbols having signal waveforms of a predetermined pattern, wherein   when the detecting step cannot detect the preamble signal, the identifying step identifies the transmission source as the suppression target transmission source.   
     
     
         22 . An interference suppression device provided in a reception station to suppress an interfering signal that has been superimposed on a desired signal, the desired signal being transmitted by a transmission station serving as a partner station with which the reception station is performing communication, the interference suppression device comprising:
 an identifying unit operable to identify a transmission source, from which the reception station received a signal, as either (i) a suppression target transmission source that has a possibility of transmitting an interfering signal superimposed on the desired signal, or (ii) a non-suppression target transmission source that does not have the possibility of transmitting the interfering signal;   an acquiring unit operable to acquire, from the received signal, a characteristic amount thereof;   a memory unit storing therein a plurality of pairs each including the suppression target transmission source identified by the identifying unit and the characteristic amount of the received signal that was transmitted by the suppression target transmission source and acquired by the acquiring unit, in one-to-one correspondence; and   a suppressing unit operable to, when the reception station receives the desired signal, suppress the interfering signal superimposed on the desired signal with use of a selected characteristic amount stored in one-to-one correspondence with the received signal that was transmitted by the suppression target transmission source.