Patent ID: 8165536

Claim:
A wireless communication apparatus which communicates with a first wireless device and a second wireless device, and which is capable of receiving a first frame and a second frame, and transmitting a third frame, wherein the first wireless device is capable of transmitting the first frame and the second frame, and receiving the third frame, and the second wireless device is capable of receiving the first frame and the third frame and is incapable of receiving the second frame, the apparatus comprising: an M-number of (M is an integer of 2 or more) receiving portions configured to receive the first frame and the second frame, the first frame being capable of being received by at least one of the receiving portions, the second frame being capable of being received by at least two of the receiving portions; a frame analyzing section configured to analyze the first frame received by a J-number of (J is an integer from 1 to (M−1)) receiving portions to discriminate whether the first frame is directed to the wireless communication apparatus or not; and a selecting section configured to select a receiving portion to be in service from the M-number of receiving portions, wherein, the selecting section selects a P-number of (P is an integer from 1 to M) receiving portions from the M-number of receiving portions when the frame analyzing section discriminates the first frame as a frame directed to the wireless communication apparatus, the selecting section controls a power supply of the receiving portions to reduce a power consumption of an unselected receiving portion, and to set a selected receiving portion to an operating state after the first frame is received portions and before the second frame is received, and the selecting section controls the power supply to set one of the receiving portions in an operating state and to reduce a power consumption of the receiving portions other than the one of the receiving portions which is set in the operating state, after a period in which one of the first frame and the third frame inhibits the second wireless device from communicating elapses.