Communication system, communication device, and communication control method

1. A communication system for performing multi-hop data communication using a plurality of communication devices, the communication system comprising:

a plurality of first communication devices, each of which includes first circuitry configured to:

perform first wireless communication using a directive radio wave, using a first function module and a second function module;

perform second wireless communication, wider in communication range than the first wireless communication, using a third function module; and

form network cells different from each other, using the first function module of each of the plurality of first communication devices;

a second communication device including second circuitry configured to:

perform the first wireless communication with the first function module; and

connect to one of the network cells; and

a third communication device including third circuitry configured to:

perform the second wireless communication; and

manage a multi-hop communication path using the second wireless communication, wherein

the first circuitry of each first communication device of the plurality of first communication devices is further configured to:

collect information of peripheral communication devices in the first wireless communication;

transmit the information of the peripheral communication devices to the third communication device in the second wireless communication; and

transfer, in the first wireless communication, data received in the first wireless communication to a first communication device or to the second communication device, according to an instruction on the multi-hop communication path transmitted in the second wireless communication from the third communication device.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the first circuitry of each of the plurality of first communication devices is configured to transfer the data, received by one of the first function module and the second function module, to the first communication device or the second communication device, using the other of the first function module and the second function module.

3. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the third circuitry of the third communication device is configured to:

acquire the information of the peripheral communication devices from the plurality of first communication devices in the second wireless communication;

determine the multi-hop communication path based on the information of the peripheral communication devices; and

transmit the instruction on the multi-hop communication path to the plurality of first communication devices located on the multi-hop communication path in the second wireless communication, the instruction including information of a data recipient.

4. The communication system according to claim 3 , wherein the third circuitry of the third communication device is configured to:

determine connection relations among the plurality of first communication devices and the second communication device in the first wireless communication, using the information of peripheral communication devices; and

determine the multi-hop communication path based on the determined connection relations.

5. The communication system according to claim 3 , wherein

the second circuitry of the second communication device is configured to transmit, in either the second wireless communication or the first wireless communication via at least one of the plurality of first communication devices, request information for transmission of the data, to the third communication device, and

the third circuitry of the third communication device is configured to:

determine the multi-hop communication path through which the data is transmitted, according to request information; and

transmit the instruction on the multi-hop communication path, in the second wireless communication, to the first communication device located on the multi-hop communication path.

6. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first function module functions as an access point to generate the network cell in the first wireless communication, and

the second function module functions as a station to connect, in the first wireless communication, to the network cell generated by another one of the plurality of first communication devices.

7. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first circuitry of each of the plurality of first communication devices is configured to transmit a registration request in the communication system upon activation, to the third communication device in the second wireless communication, the registration request including the information of peripheral communication devices, and

the third circuitry of the third communication device is configured, in response to acceptance of the registration request transmitted in the second wireless communication from the first communication device, to:

register the first communication device in the communication system; and

transmit a notification of registration completion including identification information for identifying the network cell, in the second wireless communication, to the first communication device.

8. The communication system according to claim 7 , wherein the third circuitry of the third communication device is configured to nullify registration of the first communication device in the communication system in response to a determination that a period of reception of the information of peripheral communication devices from the first communication device registered in the communication system has exceeded a threshold.

9. The communication system according to claim 7 , wherein the first circuitry of each of the plurality of first communication devices is configured to use the identification information of the network cell, included in the notification of registration completion from the third communication device, to generate the network cell.

10. A communication device used in a communication system to perform multi-hop data communication using a plurality of communication devices, the communication device comprising:

circuitry configured to:

perform first wireless communication using a directive radio wave, using a first function module and a second function module;

perform second wireless communication, wider in communication range than the first wireless communication, using a third function module;

form a network cell using the first function module;

collect, in the first wireless communication, information of peripheral communication devices;

transmit the information of the peripheral communication devices to a communication management apparatus in the second wireless communication, the communication management apparatus configured to manage a multi-hop communication path using the second wireless communication; and

transfer, in the first wireless communication, data received in the first wireless communication to a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices, according to an instruction on a multi-hop communication path transmitted in the second wireless communication from the communication management apparatus.

11. A communication management method performed by a communication system for performing multi-hop data communication using a plurality of communication devices, the communication management method comprising:

performing, by each one of a plurality of first communication devices, first wireless communication using a directive radio wave;

performing second wireless communication that is wider in communication range than the first wireless communication;

generating a network cell;

collecting, in the first wireless communication, information of peripheral communication devices;

transmitting the information of the peripheral communication devices to a communication management apparatus in the second wireless communication, the communication management apparatus configured to manage a multi-hop communication path using the second wireless communication; and

transferring, in the first wireless communication, data received in the first wireless communication to a first communication device or to a second communication device, according to an instruction on a multi-hop communication path transmitted in the second wireless communication from the communication management apparatus.