For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the wireless communication system includes AP 100 #1 and STA 200 #1. AP 100 #1 and STA 200 #1 are connected to each other to form a wireless communication network in a unit called a basic service set (BSS) #1. In addition, although not illustrated in FIG. 1 for simplicity, a plurality of STAs 200 #1 are connected to AP 100 #1 in some cases. In this case, while a certain STA 200 #1 is executing transmission to AP 100 #1, another STA 200 #1 stops transmission of the self-device during an NAV period. Then, after the transmission of the certain STA 200 #1 ends, the other STA 200 #1 starts the transmission.
Here, in a case in which a plurality of APs are installed, communication ranges of the APs overlap each other. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a communication range of AP 100 #1, that is, a range of BSS #1 which may be connected to AP 100 #1, overlaps a communication range of AP 100 #2, that is, a range of BSS #2. Such an environment is called an overlapping BSS (OBSS) environment.
In the OBSS environment, there is a possibility of a signal transmitted by an STA being received by an AP of another BSS different from the BSS to which the STA belongs. Therefore, when a signal is received from another STA, the STA stops transmission of the self-device because a transmission period of the signal is an NAV period despite the fact that the other STA is an STA of the other BSS. As a result, transmission opportunities of an STA under the OBSS environment decrease, and thus use efficiency of communication resources may deteriorate.