Patent ID: 8121066

Claim:
A radio expansion method for expanding a radio network having a plurality of communication terminals using at least one relay terminal which receives and transmits data transmitted or received by the communication terminals, the method comprising steps of: providing an arrangement support function for a first said relay terminal; transmitting, by the arrangement support function, a survey packet to other said relay terminals or one of the communication terminals from a current location of the first relay terminal using a radio communication unit of the first relay terminal; measuring, by the arrangement support function, a communication quality of a survey response packet transmitted by the other relay terminal or the communication terminal in response to the survey packet; evaluating, by the arrangement support function, whether or not the current location is appropriate for the first relay terminal according to the measured communication quality; and providing, as a result of the evaluating, an indication by the arrangement support function of the first relay terminal as to whether the current location is appropriate, wherein, in the evaluating step, the appropriate location is a location where the first relay terminal can communicate with one of: at least two communication terminals, at least two other relay terminals, and at least one communication terminal and at least one other relay terminal, within a predetermined range of the communication quality.