The wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method

The invention provides a wireless communication device and wireless communication method. A wireless communication device that performs packet transmission in accordance with a packet transmission system that performs wireless bandwidth allocation by virtual carrier sensing has a time-point management section that manages the time-point and outputs current time-point information, and a parameter management section that manages a parameter relating to packet transmission right acquisition priority. The parameter management section includes: a parameter holding section that holds, in association with a time-point, a parameter relating to packet transmission right acquisition priority that changes with a different distribution between wireless communication devices located in the same wireless LAN area, in a prescribed period; and a parameter alteration section that reads, from the parameter holding section, the parameter associated with current time-point information and dynamically alters a current parameter relating to packet transmission right acquisition priority in accordance with the parameter thus read.