US Patent 7382742 Communication system, information collecting system and method therefor

Interconnect of communication between mobile objects by another mobile object is enabled. Station A transmits its own identifier to another mobile station on a broadcast basis. Out of other mobile stations, Station B receives the identifier of Station A, and returns a response including its own identifier. Station A notifies Station B of identifiers of nodes with which it can communicate. Station B notifies Station A of identifiers of nodes with which it can communicate. This sequence of processing enables information on nodes with which either station can communicate to be exchanged between Stations A and B, and a communication path to nodes to be found between Station B (station A) and another node via Station A (station B).