Communication apparatus, control method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018084584-A1
Application number	US-201715690347-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2017
Priority date	Sep 20, 2016
Publication date	Mar 22, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a communication apparatus that selects whether to operate in a first mode in which one of a first period set for a first group to which the communication apparatus belongs and a second period set for a second group to which the communication apparatus does not belong is managed, or in a second mode in which both of the first period and the second period are managed, performs communication during a period while a managed period is the first period if the first mode is selected, and performs communication in a period that is during the first period and not in the second period if the second mode is selected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A communication apparatus comprising:
a selection unit configured to select whether the communication apparatus is to operate in a first mode in which one of a first period set for a first group to which the communication apparatus belongs and a second period set for a second group to which the communication apparatus does not belong is managed, or in a second mode in which both of the first period and the second period are managed; and a communication unit configured to perform communication during a period while a managed period is the first period in a case where the selection unit selects the first mode, and perform communication in a period that is during the first period and not in the second period in a case where the selection unit selects the second mode.

2 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a specification unit configured to, in the first mode, specify whether the managed period is the first period or the second period, on the basis of information for identifying an apparatus that is a transmission source of a signal indicating a trigger of start of the first period or the second period.

3 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication unit performs the communication by responding to reception of a predetermined signal from another apparatus belonging to the first group, during the period while the managed period is the first period in a case where the selection unit selects the first mode, or in the period that is during the first period and not in the second period in a case where the selection unit selects the second mode.

4 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the selection unit selects one of the first mode and the second mode, on the basis of whether or not there is data to be transmitted to another apparatus belonging to the first group.

5 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the selection unit selects one of the first mode and the second mode, on the basis of an amount of data that is held in a buffer for being transmitted to another apparatus belonging to the first group.

6 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the selection unit selects one of the first mode and the second mode, on the basis of a received signal strength of a signal from another apparatus belonging to the second group.

7 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the selection unit performs the selection such that the first mode and the second mode is switched in a time-division manner.

8 . The communication apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
a period ratio of the first mode and the second mode is determined on the basis of frequency utilization efficiency in the first group and frequency utilization efficiency in the second group.

9 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first period and the second period are each a network allocation vector (NAV) specified in the IEEE802.11 standards.

10 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication unit performs the communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11ax standard.

11 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication apparatus is a station configured to communicate with an access point belonging to the first group.

12 . The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first group and the second group are each a basic service set (BSS) in a wireless LAN.

13 . A method for controlling a communication, comprising:
selecting whether the communication apparatus is to operate in a first mode in which one of a first period set for a first group to which the communication apparatus belongs and a second period set for a second group to which the communication apparatus does not belong is managed, or in a second mode in which both of the first period and the second period are managed; and performing communication during a period while a managed period is the first period in a case where the first mode is selected in the selecting, and performing communication in a period that is during the first period and not in the second period in a case where the second mode is selected in the selecting.

14 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer included in a communication apparatus to execute:
selecting whether the communication apparatus is to operate in a first mode in which one of a first period set for a first group to which the communication apparatus belongs and a second period set for a second group to which the communication apparatus does not belong is managed, or in a second mode in which both of the first period and the second period are managed; and performing communication during a period while a managed period is the first period in a case where the first mode is selected in the selecting, and performing communication in a period that is during the first period and not in the second period in a case where the second mode is selected in the selecting.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Umehara Makoto

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W72/121

  for groups of terminals or users · CPC title

• H04W74/0816 Primary

  with collision avoidance · CPC title

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title