Wireless communication device, wireless communication system, and method for selecting wireless communication route

1. A wireless communication device in a wireless communication system including a designated wireless relay device connected to an external network, and a plurality of wireless communication devices directly or indirectly connectable to the designated wireless relay device wirelessly, the plurality of the wireless communication devices including a wireless terminal and at least one other wireless relay device different from the designated wireless relay device, the wireless communication device comprising:

circuitry configured to

estimate effective velocities of communication on a plurality of wireless communication routes structurable between said wireless communication device and the designated wireless relay device; and

select as a connection destination one of the designated wireless relay device and the at least one other wireless relay device such that, among the plurality of wireless communication routes, a maximum-speed wireless communication route, being a wireless communication route having the maximum-speed effective velocity estimated by the estimating, is structured, wherein

the plurality of wireless communication routes include a first wireless communication route which directly connects said wireless communication device to the designated wireless relay device wirelessly, and a second wireless communication route which connects said wireless communication device to the designated wireless relay device through at least one of the at least one other wireless relay device wirelessly.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a communication interface configured to transmit indicator information relating to the effective velocity of the maximum-speed wireless communication route, being that which one of the designated wireless relay device and the at least one other wireless relay device, having been selected, structures, and to receive indicator information transmitted from one of the at least one other wireless relay device, wherein:

the circuitry is further configured to use the effective velocity included in the indicator information received by the communication interface to estimate the effective velocity of a wireless communication route the designated wireless relay device passing at least one of the at least one other wireless relay device having transmitted the indicator information.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to detect a radio-wave intensity of signals received from the designated wireless relay device or the at least one other wireless relay device, and based on the radio-wave intensity, estimate the effective velocities of the plurality of wireless communication routes.

4. A wireless communication device in a wireless communication system including a designated wireless device connected to an external network, and a plurality of wireless communication devices directly or indirectly connectable to the designated wireless device, the wireless communication device comprising:

circuitry configured to

estimate effective velocities of communication on a plurality of wireless communication routes structurable between said wireless communication device and the designated wireless device;

select as a connection destination one of the designated wireless device and the wireless communication device such that, among the plurality of wireless communication routes, a maximum-speed wireless communication route, being a wireless communication route having the maximum-speed effective velocity estimated by the estimating, is structured;

calculate a hop count indicating a number of other wireless communication devices intervening between said wireless communication device and the designated wireless device, on each of the plurality of wireless communication routes; and

select, when a plurality of maximum-speed wireless communication routes are present, as a connection destination one of the designated wireless device and the wireless communication devices other than said wireless communication device such that the maximum-speed wireless communication route having a smallest hop count is structured.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a communication interface configured to transmit indicator information relating to the effective velocity and the hop count of the selected maximum-speed wireless communication route, and to receive indicator information transmitted from another wireless communication device, wherein:

the circuitry is further configured to

use the effective velocity included in the indicator information received by the communication interface to estimate the effective velocity of a wireless communication route to the designated wireless device passing the other wireless communication device having transmitted the indicator information; and

select, when a plurality of maximum-speed wireless communication routes are present, based on the calculated hop count and the hop count included in the indicator information received by the communication interface, as a connection destination one of the designated wireless communication device and the wireless communication devices other than said wireless communication device such that a maximum-speed wireless communication route is structured.

6. A wireless communication device in a wireless communication system including a designated wireless device connected to an external network, and a plurality of wireless communication devices directly or indirectly connectable to the designated wireless device, the wireless communication device comprising:

circuitry configured to

estimate effective velocities of communication on a plurality of wireless communication routes structurable between said wireless communication device and the designated wireless device;

select as a connection destination one of the designated wireless device and the wireless communication device such that, among the plurality of wireless communication routes, a maximum-speed wireless communication route, being a wireless communication route having the maximum-speed effective velocity estimated by the estimating, is structured;

calculate an amount of temporal variation in the effective velocity of communication on each of the plurality of wireless communication routes; and

select, when a plurality of maximum-speed wireless communication routes are present, as a connection destination one of the designated wireless device and the wireless communication devices other than said wireless communication device such that the maximum-speed wireless communication route in which the amount of temporal variation in effective velocity is smallest is structured.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a communication interface configured to transmit indicator information relating to the effective velocity, and to the amount of temporal variation in the effective velocity, of the selected maximum-speed wireless communication route, and to receive indicator information transmitted from another wireless communication device, wherein:

the circuitry is further configured to

use the effective velocity included in the indicator information received by the communication interface to estimate the effective velocity of a wireless communication route to the designated wireless device passing the other wireless communication device having transmitted the indicator information; and

select, when a plurality of maximum-speed wireless communication routes are present, based on the calculated amount of temporal variation in the effective velocity and the amount of temporal variation in the effective velocity included in the indicator information received by the communication interface, as a connection destination one of the designated wireless device and the wireless communication devices other than said wireless communication device such that a maximum-speed wireless communication route is structured.

8. A wireless communication system comprising:

a designated wireless relay device connected to an external network; and

a plurality of wireless communication devices directly or indirectly connectable to the designated wireless relay device wirelessly, wherein

the plurality of the wireless communication devices include a wireless terminal and at least one other wireless relay device different from the designated wireless relay device,

wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication devices includes circuitry configured to

estimate effective velocities of communication on a plurality of wireless communication routes structurable between said wireless communication device and the designated wireless relay device; and

select as a connection destination one of the designated wireless relay device and the at least one other wireless relay device such that, among the plurality of wireless communication routes, a maximum-speed wireless communication route, being a wireless communication route having the maximum-speed effective velocity estimated by the estimating, is structured, and

the plurality of wireless communication routes include a first wireless communication route which directly connects said wireless communication device to the designated wireless relay device wirelessly, and a second wireless communication route which connects said wireless communication device to the designated wireless relay device through at least one of the at least one other wireless relay device wirelessly.

9. The wireless communication system according to claim 8 , wherein

each of the plurality of wireless communication devices further includes a communication interface configured to transmit indicator information relating to the effective velocity of the maximum-speed wireless communication route, being that which one of the designated wireless relay device and the at least one other wireless relay device that has been selected, structures, and to receive indicator information transmitted from one of the at least one other wireless relay device; and

the circuitry is further configured to use the effective velocity included in the indicator information received by the communication interface to estimate the effective velocity of a wireless communication route, to the designated wireless relay device, passing at least one of the at least one other wireless relay device having transmitted the indicator information.

10. The wireless communication system according to claim 8 , wherein

the circuitry is further configured to detect a radio-wave intensity of signals received from the designated wireless relay device or the at least one other wireless relay device, and based on the radio-wave intensity, estimate the effective velocities of the plurality of wireless communication routes.

11. A wireless communication system comprising:

a designated wireless communication device connected to an external network; and

a plurality of wireless communication devices directly or indirectly connectable to the designated wireless communication device, wherein

each of the plurality of wireless communication devices includes circuitry configured to

estimate effective velocities of communication on a plurality of wireless communication routes structurable between said wireless communication device and the designated wireless communication device;

select as a connection destination one of the designated wireless communication device and the wireless communication devices other than said wireless communication device such that, among the plurality of wireless communication routes, a maximum-speed wireless communication route, being a wireless communication route having the maximum-speed effective velocity estimated by the estimating, is structured;

calculate a hop count indicating a number of other wireless communication devices intervening between the wireless communication device and the designated wireless communication device, on each of the plurality of wireless communication routes; and

select, when a plurality of maximum-speed wireless communication routes are present, as a connection destination one of the designated wireless communication device and the wireless communication devices other than said wireless communication device such that the maximum-speed wireless communication route having a smallest hop count is structured.

12. The wireless communication system according to claim 11 , wherein:

each of the plurality of wireless communication devices further includes a communication interface configured to transmit indicator information relating to the effective velocity and the hop count of the selected maximum-speed wireless communication route, and to receive indicator information transmitted from another wireless communication device; and

the circuitry is further configured to

use the effective velocity included in the indicator information received by the communication interface to estimate the effective velocity of a wireless communication route to the designated wireless communication device passing the other wireless communication device having transmitted the indicator information; and

select, when a plurality of maximum-speed wireless communication routes are present, based on the calculated hop count and the hop count included in the indicator information received by the communication interface, as a connection destination one of the designated wireless communication device and the wireless communication devices other than said wireless communication device such that a maximum-speed wireless communication route is structured.

13. A wireless communication system comprising:

a designated wireless communication device connected to an external network; and

a plurality of wireless communication devices directly or indirectly connectable to the designated wireless communication device, wherein

each of the plurality of wireless communication devices includes circuitry configured to

estimate effective velocities of communication on a plurality of wireless communication routes structurable between said wireless communication device and the designated wireless communication device;

select as a connection destination one of the designated wireless communication device and the wireless communication devices other than said wireless communication device such that, among the plurality of wireless communication routes, a maximum-speed wireless communication route, being a wireless communication route having the maximum-speed effective velocity estimated by the estimating, is structured;

calculate an amount of temporal variation in the effective velocity of communication on each of the plurality of wireless communication routes; and

select, when a plurality of maximum-speed wireless communication routes are present, as a connection destination one of the designated wireless communication device and the wireless communication devices other than said wireless communication device such that the maximum-speed wireless communication route in which the amount of temporal variation in effective velocity is smallest is structured.

14. The wireless communication system according to claim 13 , wherein:

each of the plurality of wireless communication devices further includes a communication interface configured to transmit indicator information relating to the effective velocity, and to the amount of temporal variation in the effective velocity, of the selected maximum-speed wireless communication route, and to receive indicator information transmitted from another wireless communication device; and

the circuitry is further configured to

use the effective velocity included in the indicator information received by the communication interface to estimate the effective velocity of a wireless communication route to the designated wireless communication device passing the other wireless communication device having transmitted the indicator information; and

select, when a plurality of maximum-speed wireless communication routes are present, based on the calculated amount of temporal variation and the amount of temporal variation in the effective velocity included in the indicator information received by the communication interface, as a connection destination one of the designated wireless communication device and the wireless communication devices other than said wireless communication device such that a maximum-speed wireless communication route is structured.

15. A method for, in a wireless communication system including: a designated wireless relay device connected to an external network; and a plurality of wireless communication devices directly or indirectly connectable to the designated wireless relay device wirelessly, selecting a wireless communication route to be structured between the designated wireless relay device and one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the plurality of wireless communication devices including a wireless terminal and at least one other wireless relay device different from the designated wireless relay device, the method comprising:

a step of estimating effective velocities of communication on a plurality of wireless communication routes structurable between the designated wireless relay device and the one of the plurality of wireless communication devices; and

a step of selecting as a connection destination one of the designated wireless relay device and the at least one other wireless relay device such that, among the plurality of wireless communication routes, a maximum-speed wireless communication route, being a wireless communication route having the maximum-speed effective velocity estimated by the step of estimating, is structured, wherein

the plurality of wireless communication routes includes a first wireless communication route which directly connects the one of the plurality of wireless communication devices to the designated wireless relay device wirelessly, and a second wireless communication route which connects the one of the plurality of wireless communication devices to the designated wireless relay device through at least one of the at least one other wireless relay device wirelessly.

16. A system of wireless relay devices at least one of which is connected via a router to an external network and each of which is wirelessly communicable with a wireless terminal either directly or via at least one other wireless relay device, each wireless relay device comprising:

circuitry configured to

detect an intensity of beacon transmissions containing transmission-rate indicating information received from any other wireless relay device of the system;

first determine, based on the received transmission-rate indicating information, a maximum rate of transmission in communications with any other wireless relay device from which a beacon transmission is received;

estimate an effective velocity, as a proportion of that maximum rate, of communications with the other wireless relay device;

second determine whether the received beacon transmission indicates that the other wireless relay device is connected to the external network;

structure communication routes from the wireless terminal to the external network via the router, based on the second determining;

compare the estimated effective velocities with each other; and

select one of the wireless relay devices realizing the maximum effective velocity of communications with the one of the wireless relay devices being connected to the external network.