Patent ID: 7852823

Claim:
A communication management method for a communication system in which a plurality of communication devices are connected via a communication network to a central management device for managing grant of a voluntary transmission right to the plurality of communication devices, the communication system providing a predetermined first period, a predetermined second period, and a predetermined third period, the predetermined first period being shorter than the predetermined second period and the predetermined third period, the method comprising: determining one of the communication devices has been granted the voluntary transmission right by the central management device; and transmitting a transmission right return frame from the one communication device determined as having been granted the voluntary transmission right to the central management device to voluntarily return the voluntary transmission right to the central management device; when the communication device having detected no frame transmission from any of the communication devices over a communication network for longer than the predetermined third period, the communication device being endowed with a right of obtaining the voluntary transmission right; and the communication device with the voluntary transmission right, transmitting the transmission right return frame after the predetermined first period, which is shorter than the predetermined third period, following completion of transmission of last frame.