Patent ID: 8761137

Claim:
A communication apparatus comprising: a first wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a first wireless apparatus on a first wireless network; a beacon transmitting unit configured to cyclically transmit a beacon signal to the first wireless apparatus via the first wireless communication unit; a period determiner configured to determine a transmission permission period during which data transmission by the first wireless apparatus is permitted; a notification unit configured to notify a control signal specifying the transmission permission period as determined by the period determiner to the first wireless apparatus via the beacon signal; a power managing unit configured to perform control so that power supply to the first wireless communication unit is suspended during a suspension period, the suspension period being a period that both the transmission permission period as determined by the period determiner and a transmission timing period of the beacon signal are excepted from a communication period; a second wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a second wireless apparatus on a second wireless network different from the first wireless network; a relay unit configured to relay communication between the first wireless apparatus on the first network and the second wireless apparatus on the second wireless network; and a second information acquiring unit configured to acquire link information indicating a state of a wireless link connected with the second wireless apparatus, wherein the period determiner determines the transmission permission period during which data transmission by the first wireless apparatus is permitted within a beacon interval period between the beacon signal and a next beacon signal, based on the link information indicating a state of a wireless link of the second wireless apparatus on the second wireless network, and the notification unit notifies the transmission permission period as determined by the period determiner via the beacon signal out of the beacon signal and a next beacon signal.