초록 ▼

A sleep length calculation unit 410 of a terminal calculates a sleep length based on what is contained in a PLCP header of a frame, and sets the calculated length on a timer 430. An address detection unit 420 of the terminal detects a destination address from inside a MAC header of the frame to see

A sleep length calculation unit 410 of a terminal calculates a sleep length based on what is contained in a PLCP header of a frame, and sets the calculated length on a timer 430. An address detection unit 420 of the terminal detects a destination address from inside a MAC header of the frame to see if this frame is destined for another terminal. If the frame is found destined for another terminal, then this terminal gives a power supply unit 180 an instruction to start sleeping while causing the timer 430 to start counting time. When the sleep length is found to have elapsed on the timer 430, the terminal gives the power supply unit 180 an instruction to stop sleeping. If what is contained in the PLCP header or MAC header is not deemed reliable, then a sleep inhibit determination unit 440 inhibits the power supply unit 180 from going to sleep. The structure allows a wireless communication system to effect a transition into power-saving mode upon acquiring necessary information, without making changes to existing standards.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A terminal which receives a physical layer frame including an upper layer frame relative to an upper layer above a physical layer and which has power-saving mode involving operations more energy-efficient than normal operations, comprising: power-saving operation time c

The invention claimed is: 1. A terminal which receives a physical layer frame including an upper layer frame relative to an upper layer above a physical layer and which has power-saving mode involving operations more energy-efficient than normal operations, comprising: power-saving operation time calculating means for calculating a power-saving operation time in accordance with a length of said upper layer frame extracted from a header of said physical layer frame; address detecting means which, after detecting a destination address from a header of said upper layer frame upon receipt thereof and determining that said upper layer frame is not destined for said terminal, gives an instruction for transition into said power-saving mode starting from the beginning of a body of said upper layer frame; and means which, upon elapse of said power-saving operation time calculated in response to said instruction for transition into said power-saving mode, gives an instruction to cancel said power-saving mode; wherein said power-saving operation time calculating means calculates as said power-saving operation time a time which is longer than a first time corresponding to said length of said upper layer frame minus the length of said header of said upper layer frame and which is less than a second time corresponding to said first time supplemented with a maximum frame interval. 2. A terminal which receives a physical layer frame including an upper layer frame relative to an upper layer above a physical layer and which has power-saving mode involving operations more energy-efficient than normal operations, comprising: power-saving operation time calculating means for calculating a power-saving operation time in accordance with a length of said upper layer frame extracted from a header of said physical layer frame; address detecting means which, after detecting a destination address from a header of said upper layer frame upon receipt thereof and determining that said upper layer frame is not destined for said terminal, gives an instruction for transition into said power-saving mode starting from the beginning of a body of said upper layer frame; and means which, upon elapse of said power-saving operation time calculated in response to said instruction for transition into said power-saving mode, gives an instruction to cancel said power-saving mode; wherein said power-saving operation time calculating means calculates as said power-saving operation time a time obtained by adding a maximum frame interval to said length of said upper layer frame minus the length of said header of said upper layer frame.