Wireless communication device, wireless communication terminal, and wireless communication method

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

controlling circuitry configured to set at least one of: a first transmission prohibition period for a first network to which the wireless communication device belongs; or a second transmission prohibition period for a second network, and

to determine, when a first frame addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device is received in a case that the first transmission prohibition period is not set and the second transmission prohibition period is set, a state of a wireless medium based on comparing a reception level of the first frame with a threshold defined corresponding to one of the first network and the second network, to which a sender of the first frame belongs;

a transmitter configured to transmit a second frame based on the state of the wireless medium; and

a receiver configured to receive a third frame addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device wherein:

the controlling circuitry is configured to set the second transmission prohibition period when a network to which a sender of the third frame belongs cannot be determined,

the receiver is configured to receive a fourth frame, a sender of which belongs to the second network and which is addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device, after the second transmission prohibition period is set on the basis of the third frame, and

the controlling circuitry is configured to determine that the wireless medium is busy when either a receiver address or a transmitter address of the third frame is not identical to a transmitter address or a receiver address of the fourth frame.

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

the transmitter is configured to transmit, when the sender of the first frame belongs to the second network and the state of the wireless medium is idle, the second frame even in the second transmission prohibition period.

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

the controlling circuitry is configured to set the first transmission prohibition period when a sender of the third frame belongs to the first network, and set the second transmission prohibition period when the sender of the third frame belongs to the second network.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 3 , wherein the controlling circuitry is configured to, when a fifth frame addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device is received after elapse of a fixed time since the third frame based on which the first transmission prohibition period is set is received, update the first transmission prohibition period or additionally set a first transmission prohibition on the basis of the fifth frame.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 3 , wherein

the controlling circuitry is configured to hold at least one receiver address of one or more frames which have been received so far from the first network but have been addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device, and

when a receiver address of the third frame is identical to any one of the at lease one receiver address, the controlling circuitry is configured to determine that a sender of the third frame belongs to the first network.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 3 , wherein

a header added to the third frame includes identification information of a network from within which the third frame is transmitted, and

the controlling circuitry is configured to determine the network to which the sender of the third frame belongs, on the basis of the identification information.

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

the controlling circuitry is configured to determine the state of the wireless medium by using, as the threshold, a first threshold when the sender of the first frame belongs to the first network, and using a second threshold greater than the first threshold when the sender of the first frame belongs to the second network.

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

the controlling circuitry is configured to hold at least one receiver address of one or more frames which have been received so far from the first network but have been addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device, and

when a receiver address of the first frame is identical to any one of the at least one receiver address, the controlling circuitry is configured to determine that the sender of the first frame belongs to the first network.

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

a header added to the first frame includes identification information of a network from within which the first frame is transmitted, and

the controlling circuitry is configured to determine the network to which the sender of the first frame belongs, on the basis of the identification information.

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

11. A wireless communication terminal comprising:

at least one antenna;

a receiver connected to the antenna and configured to receive a frame;

a transmitter connected to the antenna and configured to transmit a frame;

a communication processor connected to the receiver and the transmitter;

a network processor connected to the communication processor and configured to transmit data to the communication processor and receive data from any device other than the wireless communication terminal; and

a memory connected to the network processor and configured to cache first data, wherein

the communication processor is configured to set at least one of: a first transmission prohibition period for a first network to which the wireless communication terminal belongs; or a second transmission prohibition period for a second network, and

the communication processor is configured to determine, when a first frame addressed to any device other than the wireless communication terminal is received in a case that the first transmission prohibition period is not set and the second transmission prohibition period is set, a state of a wireless medium based on comparing a reception level of the first frame with a threshold defined corresponding to one of the first network and the second network, to which a sender of the first frame belongs,

the transmitter is configured to transmit a second frame when the state of the wireless medium is determined to be idle,

the second frame includes the first data cached in the memory or information based on the first data,

the receiver is configured to receive a third frame addressed to any device other than the wireless communication terminal,

the communication processor is configured to set the second transmission prohibition period when a network to which a sender of the third frame belongs cannot be determined,

the receiver is configured to receive a fourth frame, a sender of which belongs to the second network and which is addressed to any device other than the wireless communication terminal, after the second transmission prohibition period is set on the basis of the third frame, and

the communication processor is configured to determine that the wireless medium is busy when either a receiver address or a transmitter address of the third frame is not identical to a transmitter address or a receiver address of the fourth frame.

12. A wireless communication method performed in a wireless communication device comprising:

setting at least one of: a first transmission prohibition period for a first network to which the wireless communication device belongs; or a second transmission prohibition period for a second network,

determining, when a first frame addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device is received in a case that the first transmission prohibition period is not set and the second transmission prohibition period is set, a state of a wireless medium based on comparing a reception level of the first frame with a threshold defined corresponding to one of the first network and the second network, to which a sender of the first frame belongs,

transmitting a second frame based on the state of the wireless medium,

receiving a third frame addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device,

setting the second transmission prohibition period when a network to which a sender of the third frame cannot be determined,

receiving a fourth frame, a sender of which belongs to the second network and which is addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device, after the second transmission prohibition period is set on the basis of the third frame, and

determining that the wireless medium is busy when either a receiver address or a transmitter address of the third frame is not identical to a transmitter address or a receiver address of the fourth frame.

13. The wireless communication method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

transmitting, when the sender of the first frame belongs to the second network and the state of the wireless medium is idle, the second frame even in the second transmission prohibition period.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 12 , further comprising

setting the first transmission prohibition period when a sender of the third frame belongs to the first network, and setting the second transmission prohibition period when the sender of the third frame belongs to the second network.

15. The wireless communication method according to claim 14 , further comprising updating the first transmission prohibition period or additionally setting a first transmission prohibition, when a fifth frame addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device is received after elapse of a fixed time since the third frame based on which the first transmission prohibition period is set j received, the updating or the additionally setting being performed on the basis of the fifth frame.

16. The wireless communication method according to claim 14 , further comprising

holding at least one receiver address of one or more frames which have been received so far from the first network but have been addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device, and

determining that a sender of the third frame belongs to the first network when a receiver address of the third frame is identical to any one of the at least one receiver address.

17. The wireless communication method according to claim 12 , wherein

determining the state of the wireless medium by using, as the threshold, a first threshold when the sender of the first frame belongs to the first network, and using a second threshold greater than the first threshold when the sender of the first frame belongs to the second network.

18. The wireless communication method according to claim 12 , further comprising

holding at least one receiver address of one or more frames which have been received so far from the first network but have been addressed to any device other than the wireless communication device, and

determining that the sender of the first frame belongs to the first network when a receiver address of the first frame is identical to any one of the at least one receiver address.