Wireless communication device and wireless communication method

1. A wireless communication device which communicates with first terminals compliant with a first standard, second terminals compliant with a second standard and third terminals compliant with a third standard within a communication group formed by the wireless communication device, comprising:

transmitting circuitry configured to transmit a first frame that is a MAC (Medium Access Control) frame to the first terminals, the second terminals, and the third terminals, the first frame is a frame for notification of operation information of the communication group and the first frame includes a first field, and at least one of a second field and a third field,

the first field is configured to include a first identifier of the first field and a first information, the first information designating a first bandwidth equal to or narrower than a maximum available bandwidth of the first terminal to the first terminal in the communication group,

the second field is configured to include a second identifier of the second field and a second information used in combination with the first information, the combination of the first information and the second information designating a second bandwidth equal to or narrower than a maximum available bandwidth of the second terminal to the second terminal in the communication group, and

the third field is configured to include a third identifier of the third field and a third information used in combination with the first information, the combination of the first information and the third information designating: a third bandwidth to the third terminal for use in the communication group if the third field exists in the first frame and designating the second bandwidth to the third terminal for use in the communication group if the third information does not exist in the first frame, the second bandwidth encompasses the first bandwidth, and the third bandwidth is broader than each of the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth and encompasses each of the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth; and

controlling circuitry configured to control the transmitting circuitry,

wherein

the first identifier can be interpreted by the first terminals, and the second terminals and the third terminals,

the second identifier can be interpreted by the second terminals and the third terminals and cannot be interpreted by the first terminals, and

the third identifier can be interpreted by the third terminals and cannot be interpreted by the first terminals and the second terminals,

further wherein

the first information causes the first terminal having received the first frame to detect that a bandwidth available for the first terminal in the communication group is restricted to the first bandwidth,

the combination of the first information and the second information causes the second terminal having received the first frame to detect that a bandwidth available for the second terminal in the communication group is restricted to the second bandwidth, and

the combination of the first information and the third information causes: the third terminal having received the first frame to detect that a bandwidth available for the third terminal in the communication group is the third bandwidth if the third field exists in the first frame, and causes the third terminal having received the first frame to detect that a bandwidth available for the third terminal in the communication group is the second bandwidth if the third field does not exist in the first frame.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the transmitting circuitry is configured to

transmit a second frame to at least one of the first terminals and the second terminals, via at least one first channel which is included in the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth after the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth is designated to the one of the first terminals and the second terminals and

transmit a third frame to at least one of the third terminals via at least one second channel which is included in the third bandwidth after the third bandwidth is designated to the at least one of the third terminals,

wherein the second frame and the third frame are transmitted in a frequency multiplexing

wherein the at least one second channel is different from the at least one first channel.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the third information has a value identical to a value taken by the second information in a case where the third bandwidth is the same as the second bandwidth.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein

the controlling circuitry is configured to determine whether to restrict a bandwidth of the first terminals or the second terminals to the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth narrower than the first maximum available bandwidth or the second maximum available bandwidth,

wherein, the transmitting circuitry is configured to transmit the first frame if the controlling circuitry determines to restrict to the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the controlling circuitry is configured to determine whether to restrict to the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth based on a relationship between:

the first maximum available bandwidth or the second maximum available bandwidth; and

any one of a bandwidth for OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) communication and a bandwidth for a wireless communication system including the first terminals, the second terminals and the third terminals.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the controlling circuitry is configured to determine whether to restrict to the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth based on information set by a user.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the controlling circuitry is configured to determine whether to restrict to the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth, based on whether a function of OFDMA communication is enabled or not in the wireless communication device.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the controlling circuitry is configured to determine whether to restrict to the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth, based on measurement of signal interference via at least one of channels included in a frequency band used by the first terminals or the second terminals.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the controlling circuitry determines whether to restrict to the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth, based on a usage frequency of at least one of channels included in a frequency band used by the first terminals or the second terminals.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the controlling circuitry determines whether to restrict to the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth, according to a frequency of acquisition of transmission rights for transmission of an RTS (Request to Send) frame for performing OFDMA in at least one of channels included in a frequency band used by the first terminals or the second terminals.

11. The wireless communication device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the controlling circuitry is configured to determine whether to restrict to the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth according to a frequency of a CTS (Clear to Send) frame responded to an RTS frame transmitted for performing OFDMA or a frequency of success of frame transmission in the OFDMA performed, with respect to at least one of channels included in a frequency band used by the first terminals or the second terminals.

12. The wireless communication device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the controlling circuitry is configured to determine whether to restrict to the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth, based on a relationship between a number of the first terminals and a number of the second terminals, or a relationship between a number of the second terminals and a number of the third terminals.

13. The wireless communication device according to claim 4 ,

wherein when the controlling circuitry is configured to determine not to restrict to the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth, the transmitting circuitry is configured to transmit fourth information to designate a bandwidth wider than the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth and narrower than or equal to the first maximum available bandwidth or the second maximum available bandwidth.

14. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one antenna.

15. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the first terminal is IEEE 802.11n terminal, the second terminal is IEEE 802.11ac terminal, and the third terminal is IEE802.11ax terminal.

16. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the first field, the second field and the third field are collectively included in a frame body field of the MAC frame.

17. The wireless communication device according to claim 2 , wherein

at least one of the first terminals or the second terminals is a terminal performing a static response of CTS (Clear to Send) frame(s) to received RTS (Request to Send) frames,

the third terminals each is a terminal performing a dynamic response of CTS frame(s) to received RTS frames,

the first bandwidth is narrower than the maximum available bandwidth of the first terminal, and

the second bandwidth is narrower than the maximum available bandwidth of the second terminal.

18. A wireless communication method performed in a wireless communication device which communicates with first terminals compliant with a first standard, second terminals compliant with a second standard and third terminals compliant with a third standard within a communication group formed by the wireless communication device, the method comprising:

transmitting a first frame that is a MAC (Medium Access Control) frame to the first terminals, the second terminals and the third terminals, the first frame is a frame for notification of operation information of the communication group and the first frame includes a first field, a second field and a third field,

wherein the first field is configured to include a first identifier of the first field and a first information, the first information designating a first bandwidth equal to or narrower than a maximum available bandwidth of the first terminal to the first terminal as a bandwidth available in the communication group,

wherein the second field is configured to include a second identifier of the second field and a second information used in combination with the first information, the combination of the first information and the second information designating a second bandwidth equal to or narrower than a maximum available bandwidth of the second terminal to the second terminal as a bandwidth available in the communication group, and

wherein the third field is configured to include a third identifier of the third field and a third information used in combination with the first information, the combination of the first information and the third information designating a third bandwidth to the third terminal as a bandwidth available in the communication group if the third field exists in the first frame and, designating the second bandwidth to the third terminal for use in the communication group if the third information does not exist in the first frame, the second bandwidth encompasses the first bandwidth, and, the third bandwidth is broader than each of the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth and encompasses each of the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth; and

controlling transmission of the first frame,

wherein

the first identifier can be interpreted by the first terminals, and the second terminals and the third terminals,

the second identifier can be interpreted by the second terminals and the third terminals, and cannot be interpreted by the first terminals,

the third identifier can be interpreted by the third terminals and cannot be interpreted by the first terminals and the second terminals,

further wherein

the first information causes the first terminal having received the first frame to detect that a bandwidth available in the communication group is restricted to the first bandwidth,

the combination of the first information and the second information causes the second terminal having received the first frame to detect that a bandwidth available in the communication group is restricted to the second bandwidth, and

the combination of the first information and the third information causes the third terminal having received the first frame to detect that a bandwidth available for the third terminal in the communication group is the third bandwidth if the third field exists in the first frame, and causes the third terminal having received the first frame to detect that a bandwidth available for the third terminal in the communication group is the second bandwidth if the third field does not exist in the first frame.