Radio apparatus and communication system using the same
View Patent ↗A control unit aggregates packets which are to be sent to one or more terminal apparatuses, and produces aggregated packets. The control unit divides a certain period into a plurality of partial periods, allots each of the plurality of partial periods to any of the plurality of terminal apparatuses and produces a control signal with which to convey an assignment condition to the terminal apparatus. In the case of an aggregated packet where the packets for the plurality of terminals are aggregated, a baseband processing unit and the like transmit the aggregated packet together with the control signal to the plurality of terminal apparatuses. In the case of an aggregated packet where the packets for a single terminal are aggregated, they transmit the aggregated packet to the plurality of terminal apparatuses, without sending the control signal.
1. A radio apparatus, comprising:
a determination unit adapted for a system in which, in the case that an aggregated packet in which packets destined to a plurality of terminal apparatuses are aggregated is transmitted, a control signal for communicating an assignment condition in the aggregated packet is transmitted to precede the aggregated packet by a predetermined time interval in the form of a packet different from the aggregated packet, the assignment condition being addresses of destination terminal apparatuses, and, in the case that an aggregated packet in which packets destined to a single terminal apparatus are aggregated is transmitted, a control signal is not transmitted so as to precede the aggregated packet, the determination unit determining, upon receipt of a control signal, whether a packet designated to the radio apparatus is included in a plurality of packets aggregated in the aggregated packet by referring to the addresses included in the control signal or the addresses included in the aggregated packet, and acquiring, upon failure to receive a control signal, information on a destination of a first packet among a plurality of packets aggregated to an aggregated packet and determining if the first packet is destined to the radio apparatus; and
a communication unit which (i) receives a packet destined to the radio apparatus and enters a power save mode at the timing not assigned to the radio apparatus if the packet is included in the aggregated packet, and which, (ii) if a control signal is not received and it is determined by said determination unit that the information on a destination of the first packet does not indicate the radio apparatus, terminates receiving the aggregated packet instantly without receiving the remaining packets in the aggregated packet if it is determined by said determination unit that the first packet is not destined to the radio apparatus.
2. A radio apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the control signal with which to convey the assignment condition in the aggregated packet has not been received and the aggregated packet to which packets destined to one or more terminal apparatuses are aggregated has been transmitted, said communication unit receives the remaining packets in the aggregated packet if it is determined by said determination unit that the first packet is destined to oneself.
3. A communication system, comprising:
a base station apparatus which generates an aggregated packet by aggregating packets destined to one or more terminal apparatuses and transmits the generated aggregated packet;
a plurality of terminal apparatuses which receive aggregated data transmitted from said base station apparatus,
wherein when packets destined to the plurality of terminal apparatuses are aggregated to the aggregated packet, said base station apparatus divides a certain period into a plurality of partial periods, assigns the plurality of partial periods respectively to any of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, generates a control signal with which to notify an assignment condition of the terminal apparatuses and which is formed as a packet different from the aggregated packet, the assignment condition being addresses of destination terminal apparatuses, and transmits, when a predetermined time period has elapsed after the control signal is received, the aggregated packet, including addresses of destination terminal apparatuses, to the plurality of terminal apparatuses, based on the control signal, and wherein when packets destined to a single terminal apparatus are aggregated, said base station apparatus transmits the aggregated packet, including addresses of destination terminal apparatus, to the plurality of terminal apparatuses without transmitting the control signal,
wherein the terminal apparatus (i) receives a packet destined to the terminal apparatus and enters a power save mode at the timing not assigned to the terminal apparatus if the control signal is received from the base station apparatus and if the packet is included in the aggregated packet, and (ii) if the control signal is not received from the base station apparatus and if it is determined that the information on a destination of the first packet among a plurality of packets aggregated to the aggregated packet does not indicate that the first packet is destined to the terminal apparatus, terminates receiving the aggregated packet instantly without receiving the remaining packets in the aggregated packet.
4. A communication system according to claim 3 , wherein when the terminal apparatus has not received the control signal from said base station apparatus and it is determined, by information on the destination of the first packet, that the first packet is destined to oneself, the terminal apparatus receives the remaining packets in the aggregated packet.