Wireless communications system and wireless communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9924425-B2
Application number	US-201514956345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2014
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A first wireless communication device includes first wireless communication circuitry that selectively operates in one of a plurality of bands and first control circuitry that sets a band in which the first wireless communication circuitry operates. The first control circuitry switches bands such that the first wireless communication circuitry operates in all of the plurality of bands within a certain cycle time. A second wireless communication device includes second wireless communication circuitry that selectively operates in one of the plurality of bands and second control circuitry that sets a band in which the second wireless communication circuitry operates. The second control circuitry switches to a different band when the second wireless communication device has been unable to communicate with the first wireless communication device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless communications system comprising:
a first wireless communication device; and
at least one second wireless communication device, wherein
the first wireless communication device includes
first wireless communication circuitry that selectively operates in one of a plurality of bands, and
first control circuitry that sets a band in which the first wireless communication circuitry operates,

the first control circuitry switches the band in which the first wireless communication circuitry operates such that the first wireless communication circuitry operates in all of the plurality of bands within a predetermined cycle time,
the at least one second wireless communication device each includes
second wireless communication circuitry that selectively operates in one of the plurality of bands, and
second control circuitry that sets a band in which the second wireless communication circuitry operates, and

in each of the at least one second wireless communication device, the second control circuitry switches the band in which the second wireless communication circuitry operates to a different band when the second wireless communication device has been unable to communicate with the first wireless communication device for a time equal to or longer than the cycle time.

2. The wireless communications system according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of bands has a predetermined operable distance,
each of the at least one second wireless communication device further includes signal level detection circuitry that detects a signal level of a signal received by the second wireless communication circuitry, and
in each of the at least one second wireless communication device, the second control circuitry switches the band in which the second wireless communication circuitry operates to a band having a longer operable distance than the operable distance of a current band when the second wireless communication device has been unable to communicate with the first wireless communication device for a time equal to or longer than the cycle time and if the signal level is below a predetermined first threshold.

3. The wireless communications system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first control circuitry
searches for available channels in each of the plurality of bands using the first wireless communication circuitry and determines one of available channels found in the band as a communication channel for that band,
sets the band and communication channel in which the first wireless communication circuitry operates, and
when the first wireless communication device has established a communication with the at least one second wireless communication device, uses the first wireless communication circuitry to notify the at least one second wireless communication device of the communication channel for each of the plurality of bands, and

in each of the at least one second wireless communication device, the second control circuitry,
when a band has been set in the second wireless communication circuitry, uses the second wireless communication circuitry to search for a communication channel for that band,
acquires information on the communication channel for each of the bands from the first wireless communication device using the second wireless communication circuitry when the second wireless communication device has established a communication with the first wireless communication device, and
when switching the band in which the second wireless communication circuitry operates, sets the communication channel on which the second wireless communication circuitry operates on a basis of the information on the communication channel for each of the bands that has been acquired.

4. The wireless communications system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first control circuitry switches the band in which the first wireless communication circuitry operates in a predetermined first order,
the at least one second wireless communication device each further includes a random number generator that generates random numbers or pseudo-random numbers, and
in each of the at least one second wireless communication device, the second control circuitry determines a second order of switching the plurality of bands based on the random numbers or pseudo-random numbers, and the second control circuitry switches the band in which the second wireless communication circuitry operates in accordance with the second order.

5. The wireless communications system according to claim 4 , wherein:
the at least one second wireless communication device each includes a wireless reception circuitry that includes a plurality of circuit components for processing a received signal in the second wireless communication circuitry, and
the random number generator includes
a noise generator that generates a noise signal,
a first switch that has one of the received signal and the noise signal be selectively input to at least one first circuit component among the plurality of circuit components, and
a comparator that generates a random number by comparing an amplitude of an output signal of the first circuit component with a second threshold while the noise signal is input to the first circuit component by the first switch.

6. The wireless communications system according to claim 5 , wherein the first circuit component includes
an amplifier that amplifies the received signal or the noise signal, and
an A/D converter that performs A/D conversion of the output signal of the amplifier.

7. The wireless communications system according to claim 5 , wherein the random number generator further includes at least one second switch that bypasses at least one second circuit component included in the first circuit component while the noise signal is input to the first circuit component by the first switch.

8. The wireless communications system according to claim 7 , wherein the second circuit component includes a band-pass filter.

9. The wireless communications system according to claim 5 , wherein the random number generator generates the second threshold by averaging output signals from the wireless reception circuitry over a predetermined time.

10. The wireless communications system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one second wireless communication device each further includes a storage which stores an order of switching the plurality of bands, and
in each of the at least one second wireless communication device, the second control circuitry switches the band in which the second wireless communication circuitry operates in accordance with the order stored in the storage.

11. The wireless communications system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the at least one second wireless communication device includes a plurality of second wireless communication devices, and
the orders stored in the storages of the plurality of second wireless communication devices are different from each other.

12. The wireless communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the second control circuitry switches the band in which the second wireless communication circuitry operates in accordance with random numbers or pseudo-random numbers.

13. A wireless communication device that performs wireless communication with at least one remote unit, comprising:
first wireless communication circuitry that selectively operates in one of a plurality of bands; and
first control circuitry that sets a band in which the first wireless communication circuitry operates, wherein
the first control circuitry switches the band in which the first wireless communication circuitry operates

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp

Inventors

• Okada Eiji

Classifications

• H04W72/02

  Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal · CPC title

• H04W36/22

  for handling the traffic · CPC title

• H04W36/06 Primary

  Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point · CPC title