INFORMATION COLLECTION METHOD, COMMUNICATION DEVICE, AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To collect information of communication apparatuses with no address allocated, included in a network.SOLUTION: An information collection method is used in a network in which a first communication device and a second communication device can communicate through one or more transmission processors with no address allocated. A first address is allocated to the first communication device, while a second address is allocated to the second communication device. The first communication device transmits a packet including numerical information toward the second communication device through one or more transmission processors. The transmission processors receiving the packet add a prescribed value to the value of the numerical information included in the packet, and transfer the packet to the second communication device. The second communication device receiving the packet notifies the first communication device of the numerical information included in the received packet. The first communication device uses the notified numerical information to specify the number of transmission processors for relaying communication with the second communication device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1