Patent ID: 7099694

Claim:
A base station apparatus forming a communication network that is identified by a unique network identifier, the base station apparatus comprising: a table that stores states of use of a plurality of network identifiers; a receiver that receives information about a state of use of a network identifier used by an existing base station apparatus; an assigner that assigns a network identifier to said base station apparatus with reference to said information and updates the table in accordance with said information and said network identifier assigned to said base station apparatus; a setter that sets an extending identifier and increases a number of bits for use for a network identifier, when there is no unused network identifier and said base station apparatus and said existing base station apparatus form different communication networks; and a transmitter that transmits information about the updated table, wherein: when said base station apparatus and said existing base station apparatus form a same communication network, the assigner assigns the same network identifier as the network identifier used by said existing base station apparatus to said base station apparatus with reference to said information stored in the table, and when said base station apparatus and said existing base station apparatus form different communication networks, the assigner assigns a network identifier that is unused by said existing base station apparatus and different from the network identifier used by said existing base station apparatus to said base station apparatus and, if there is no unused network identifier, assigns the extending identifier and the increased number of bits as a network identifier to the communication network of said base station apparatus.