Patent ID: 8116296

Claim:
A communication method for carrying out data communication among a plurality of communication stations, comprising: transmitting a request to send signal frame from a first communication station to at least one other communication station, the request to send signal frame indicating a request to initiate data transmission; receiving the request to send signal frame transmitted from said first communication station at a second communication station; and transmitting a clear to send signal frame from said second communication station to at least one of the plurality of communication stations, in reply to the request to send signal frame, wherein said first communication station receives the clear to send signal frame transmitted from said second communication station, the clear to send signal frame received by said first communication station includes an address of said first communication station, the clear to send signal frame includes at least a first section and a second section, the first section including information used to indicate an interval of time during which a third communication station having an address that is not included in the second section does not perform communication, and the second section including the address of said first communication station, and said first section is a format that a communication station having an address that is not included in the clear to send signal frame can interpret, and said second section is a format that a communication station having an address that is not included in the clear to send signal frame can not interpret.