Patent ID: 8149745

Claim:
A wireless communication system, comprising: a first wireless communication device; a second wireless communication device; and a base station that relays wireless communication between the first and the second wireless communication devices, wherein the first wireless communication device is capable of direct communication with another wireless communication device, and transmits a first data frame of a particular frame type to the second wireless communication device via the base station, if the second wireless communication device is capable of the direct communication, when receiving the first data frame of the particular frame type, the second wireless communication device transmits a second data frame of the particular frame type via the base station, when the first wireless communication device receives the second data frame from the second wireless communication device, the first wireless communication device determines that the second wireless communication device is capable of the direct communication, when the first wireless communication device determines that the second wireless communication device is capable of the direct communication, the first wireless communication device transmits a predetermined data frame, when the base station receives the predetermined data frame from the first wireless communication device, the base station transmits the predetermined data frame to the second wireless communication device, and the second wireless communication device measures signal quality of both the predetermined data frame transmitted from the first wireless communication device and the predetermined data frame transmitted from the base station, and transmits the measured signal quality to the first wireless communication device.