Wireless communication system, communication terminal, management terminal, communication method, and integrated circuit

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals; and

a management terminal which manages the plurality of communication terminals,

wherein at least one communication terminal of the plurality of communication terminals includes:

a first transmission section for transmitting a first beacon;

a first reception section for receiving a response which is transmitted from another communication terminal having received the first beacon, the response including identification information;

a storage section, in which the other communication terminal is registered as a terminal which belongs to a group where the at least one communication terminal serves as a representative, for storing the identification information of the other communication terminal;

a second reception section for receiving a second beacon from the management terminal; and

a second transmission section for collectively transmitting together with a group authentication request which requests authentication of all of the communication terminals which belong to the group, to the management terminal in response to reception of the second beacon, identification information of the at least one communication terminal and the identification information of the other communication terminal, which is stored in the storage section, and wherein the management terminal includes:

a transmission section for transmitting the second beacon;

a reception section for collectively receiving the identification information and the group authentication request from the at least one communication terminal which serves as the representative of the group; and

a control section for performing an authentication procedure for each of all of the communication terminals which form the group, in response to the reception of the group authentication request by using the identification information.

2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission section of the management terminal transmits the second beacon which includes information specifying a frequency channel used for a response.

3. The wireless communication system according to claim 2 , wherein the control section of the management terminal performs the authentication procedure by using a frequency channel different from the frequency channel used for the response.

4. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication terminals which belong to the group transmit packets without preambles such that the packets are continuously transmitted following a response transmitted from the at least one communication terminal which serves as the representative of the group, so as to allow the response transmitted from the group to the management terminal to be recognized as one packet.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary management terminal (i) for transmitting a third beacon to the plurality of communication terminals before the plurality of communication terminals forms the group, (ii) for receiving an authentication request transmitted from a communication terminal which has received the third beacon, and (ii) for assigning the communication terminal which has transmitted the authentication request, in response to the authentication request, as either (a) a communication terminal which serves as the representative of the group, or (b) a communication terminal which belongs to the group.

6. A communication terminal in a wireless communication system including a plurality of communication terminals and a management terminal which manages the plurality of communication terminals, the communication terminal comprising:

a first transmission section for transmitting a first beacon;

a first reception section for receiving a response which is transmitted from another communication terminal having received the first beacon, the response including identification information;

a storage section, in which the other communication terminal is registered as a terminal which belongs to a group where the communication terminal serves as a representative, for storing the identification information of the other communication terminal;

a second reception section for receiving a second beacon from the management terminal; and

a second transmission section for collectively transmitting, together with a group authentication request which requests authentication of all of the communication terminals which belong to the group, to the management terminal in response to reception of the second beacon, identification information of the communication terminal and the identification information of the other communication terminal, which is stored in the storage section.

7. A communication method performed in a wireless communication system including a plurality of communication terminals and a management terminal which manages the plurality of communication terminals, the method comprising:

transmitting and receiving a first beacon among the plurality of communication terminals;

assigning a communication terminal, which has transmitted the first beacon, as a representative terminal of a group, and a communication terminal, which has received the first beacon, as a belonging terminal of the group;

receiving, by the representative terminal, identification information from the belonging terminal and storing the identification information in the representative terminal;

collectively transmitting identification information together with a group authentication request which requests authentication of all of the communication terminals which belong to the group, from the representative terminal to the management terminal, in response to reception of a second beacon transmitted from the management terminal, the identification information being of the representative terminal and the belonging terminal; and

performing, by the management terminal, an authentication procedure, in response to reception of the group authentication request by using the identification information which is collectively received from the representative terminal, for each of all of the communication terminals that form the group.

8. An integrated circuit to be used in a communication terminal in a wireless communication system including a plurality of communication terminals and a management terminal which manages the plurality of communication terminals, the integrated circuit comprising:

a first transmission section for transmitting a first beacon;

a first reception section for receiving a response which is transmitted from another communication terminal having received the first beacon, the response including identification information;

a storage section, in which the other communication terminal is registered as a terminal which belongs to a group where the communication terminal serves as a representative, for storing identification information of the other communication terminal

a second reception section for receiving a second beacon from the management terminal; and

a second transmission section for collectively transmitting together with a group authentication request which requests authentication of all of the communication terminals which belong to the group, to the management terminal in response to reception of the second beacon, identification information of the communication terminal and the identification information of the other communication terminal, which is stored in the storage section.