Patent ID: 7894853

Claim:
A communication apparatus configured to perform wireless communication in a network including at least another communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising: a transmitting and receiving unit configured to operate in one of at least three active modes when not operating in a sleep state, each of the at least three active modes specifying a condition for operation of the transmitting and receiving unit, wherein at a first active mode of the at least three active modes, the transmitting and receiving unit is configured to transmit a beacon signal and perform a reception operation for a predetermined time period immediately after the transmission of the beacon signal; at a second active mode of the at least three active modes, the transmitting and receiving unit is configured to transmit a beacon signal and perform a reception operation for a predetermined time period immediately after the transmission of the beacon signal and at a timing different from immediately after the transmission of the beacon signal, at a third active mode of the at least three active modes, the transmitting and receiving unit is configured to perform a reception operation during an entire time period between subsequent transmissions of the beacon signal, the transmitting and receiving unit is configured to transmit own active modes information and receive active modes information from the another communication apparatus, and when the another communication apparatus operates using the first active mode, the transmitting and receiving unit is configured to transmit a data signal according to a predetermined time period immediately after transmission of a beacon signal of the another communication apparatus.