Communication apparatus enabling temporal coexistence of systems
View Patent ↗A coexistence controller which performs management and control of time division for coexistence, is provided in a power line communication modem which has a function as a QoS controller for a QoS type communication system and a power line communication modem for a best-effort type communication system. In the QoS type communication system, by controlling allocation of a communication band in accordance with priorities given to the communication systems by cooperation of the coexistence controller and the QoS controller, the power line communication systems having different schemes can coexist.
1. A communication apparatus belonging to a first communication system, among a plurality of communication systems which coexist on a same communication medium by time division communication using communication slots, the communications apparatus comprising:
a controller for managing the communication slots necessary for the first communication system;
a communication manager for managing transmission times of data communication performed by all communication modems in the plurality of communication systems in cooperation with the controller, and the communication slots used for data communication;
a command generator for generating a request command which requests use of a communication slot necessary for the first communication system, in accordance with an instruction of the communication manager;
a transmitter for transmitting the request command generated by the command generator, to a second communication system among the plurality of communication systems;
a receiver for receiving the request command representing a request for use of the communication slot, from a second communication apparatus belonging to the second communication system among the plurality of communication systems; and
a communication manager for freeing at least half of the communication slots, when the request command is received from the second communication apparatus in a state where an entirety of the communication slots which can be used are used.
2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a state information generator for generating information about usage state of the communication slot to be used for data communication with the second communication apparatus, wherein
the transmitter transmits, to the second communication apparatus, the information about the usage state of the communication slot, which has been generated by the state information generator.
3. A communication apparatus belonging to a first communication system, among a plurality of communication systems which coexist on a same communication medium by time division communication using communication slots, the communication apparatus comprising:
a receiver for receiving, from a second communication apparatus belonging to a second communication system among the plurality of communication systems, a request command which represents a request for use of a communication slot and which includes information about a priority of the second communication system; and
a communication manager for comparing a priority of the communication apparatus including the communication manager, with a priority, of the second communication system, included in the request command which has been received by the receiver from the second communication apparatus, and determining a number of the communication slots to be freed among the communication slots being used, to free the communication slots in accordance with the determined number of the communication slots,
wherein the communication manager frees half of the communication slots among the communication slots being used, when the priority, of the second communication system, included in the request command having been received from the second communication apparatus is higher than the priority of the communication apparatus including the communication manager.
4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the receiver receives, from the second communication apparatus, information about a usage state of the communication slot used for data communication by the second communication apparatus, and
the communication manager confirms the usage state of the communication slot based on the information about the usage state received by the receiver after a predetermined constant time has elapsed since the determined number of the communication slots are freed, and uses a free communication slot.
5. A communication apparatus belonging to a first communication system, among a plurality of communication systems which coexist on a same communication medium by time division communication using communication slots, the communication apparatus comprising:
a receiver for receiving, from a second communication apparatus belonging to a second communication system among the plurality of communication systems, a request command which represents a request for use of a communication slot and which includes information about a priority of the second communication system; and
a communication manager for comparing a priority of the communication apparatus including the communication manager, with a priority, of the second communication system, included in the request command which has been received by the receiver from the second communication apparatus, and determining a number of the communication slots to be freed among the communication slots being used, to free the communication slots in accordance with the determined number of the communication slots,
wherein the communication manager frees a quarter of the communication slots among the communication slots being used, when the priority, of the second communication system, included in the request command having been received from the second communication apparatus is lower than the priority of the communication apparatus including the communication manager.
6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein:
the receiver receives, from the second communication apparatus, information about a usage state of the communication slot used for data communication by the second communication apparatus, and
the communication manager confirms the usage state of the communication slot based on the information about the usage state received by the receiver after a predetermined constant time has elapsed since the determined number of the communication slots are freed, and uses a free communication slot.