Multi-carrier radio link protocol supervision in a radio communication system

• US 20060187870A1
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1991
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Mark W., Honkasalo, Zhi-Chun, Zhu, Yuan-Joshua, Gao, Adele
• Granted Patent: US 7,936,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/320
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1848 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1858 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of acknowledgement message

Abstract

A method is provided for facilitating efficient usage of radio capacity in a radio communication system including a communication station operable to receive, over a plurality of subchannels of the radio communication system. In this regard, the packet-formatted data has an overall sequence, and is divided into a plurality of portions receivable by the communication station over respective subchannels, where each portion has a respective link sequence. The method includes detecting missing packet-formatted data at the communication station based upon the overall sequence or at least one of the link sequences. Then, when the missing packet-formatted data is detected based upon the overall sequence, a time period is timed, and when the communication station fails to receive the missing packet-formatted data before the step of timing times out, retransmission of the missing packet-formatted data is requested.

Claims

1. A communication station of a radio communication system, wherein the communication station is operable to receive, over a plurality of subchannels of the radio communication system, packet-formatted data having an overall sequence, the packet-formatted data being divided into a plurality portions receivable by the communication station over respective subchannels, each portion having a respective link sequence, the communication station comprising:

a controller operable to detect missing packet-formatted data upon the overall sequence or at least one of the link sequences,

wherein the controller is operable to time a time period,

wherein the controller is operable to request retransmission of the missing packet-formatted data when the communication station fails to receive the missing packet-formatted data before the step of timing times out, and

wherein the controller is operable to time the time period and request retransmission when the missing packet-formatted data is detected based upon the overall sequence.

2. A communication station according to claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to request retransmission of the missing packet-formatted data without timing the time period when the missing packet-formatted data is detected based upon at least one of the link sequences.

3. A communication station according to claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to request retransmission such that the missing packet-formatted data is retransmitted over a selected subchannel, the subchannel being selected based upon congestion of at least some of the subchannels.

4. A communication station according to claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to request retransmission by generating, and thereafter transmitting, a request for retransmission of the missing packet-formatted data, and

wherein the controller is further adapted to estimate a selected delay period by which to delay generation of the request.

5. A communication station according to claim 4, wherein the controller is operable to estimate a range of delay period times, the range of the delay periods bounded by a minimum delay period and a maximum delay period.

6. A communication station according to claim 5, wherein the controller is operable to estimate a practical delay period time, the practical delay period time comprising a delay period between the minimum delay period time and the maximum delay period time.

7. A first communication station of a radio communication system, the radio communication system also including a second communication station operable to receive, over a plurality of subchannels of the radio communication system, packet-formatted data having an overall sequence, the packet-formatted data being divided into a plurality of portions receivable by the communication station over respective subchannels, each portion having a respective link sequence, the first communication station comprising:

a controller for receiving, from the second communication station, a request for retransmission of missing packet-formatted data, the request for retransmission being received following the second communication station;

detecting missing packet-formatted data at the second communication station based upon the overall sequence or at least one of the link sequences; and

when the missing packet-formatted data is detected based upon the overall sequence,

timing a time period,

wherein the controller is adapted to receive the request for retransmission when the second communication station fails to receive the missing packet-formatted data before the step of timing times out, and

wherein the controller is adapted to retransmit the missing packet-formatted data to the second communication station in response to the request for retransmission.

8. A first communication station according to claim 7, wherein the controller is operable to receive a request for retransmission without the second communication station timing the time period when the missing packet-formatted data is detected based upon at least one of the link sequences.

9. A first communication station according to claim 7, wherein the controller is operable to select a subchannel based upon congestion of at least some of the subchannels, and retransmit the missing packet-formatted data over the selected subchannel.

10. A first communication station according to claim 7, wherein the controller is operable to estimate a selected delay period by which to delay generation of the request for retransmission.

11. A first communication station according to claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to estimate a range of delay period times, the range of the delay periods bounded by a minimum delay period and a maximum delay period.

12. A first communication station according to claim 11, wherein the controller is operable to estimate a practical delay period time, the practical delay period time comprising a delay period between the minimum delay period time and the maximum delay period time.

13. A method of facilitating efficient usage of radio capacity in a radio communication system including a communication station operable to receive, over a plurality of subchannels of the radio communication system, the packet-formatted data having an overall sequence, packet-formatted data being divided into a plurality of portions receivable by the communication station over respective subchannels, each portion having a respective link sequence, the method comprising:

detecting missing packet-formatted data at the communication station based upon the overall sequence or at least one of the link sequences; and

when the missing packet-formatted data is detected based upon the overall sequence,

timing a time period; and

requesting retransmission of the missing packet-formatted data when the communication station fails to receive the missing packet-formatted data before the step of timing times out.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the requesting step comprises requesting retransmission of the missing packet-formatted data without timing the time period when the missing packet-formatted data is detected based upon at least one of the link sequences.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the requesting step comprises requesting retransmission such that the missing packet-formatted data is retransmitted over a selected subchannel, the subchannel being selected based upon congestion of at least some of the subchannels.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the requesting step comprises generating, and thereafter transmitting, a request for retransmission of the missing packet-formatted data, and wherein the method further comprises:

estimating a selected delay period by which to delay generation of the request.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the estimating step comprises estimating a range of delay period times, the range of the delay periods bounded by a minimum delay period and a maximum delay period.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the estimating step comprises estimating a practical delay period time, the practical delay period time comprising a delay period between the minimum delay period time and the maximum delay period time.

19. A method of facilitating efficient usage of radio capacity in a radio communication system including a communication station operable to receive, over a plurality of subchannels of the radio communication system, packet-formatted data having an overall sequence, the packet-formatted data being divided into a plurality of portions receivable by the communication station over respective subchannels, each portion having a respective link sequence, the method comprising:

receiving, from the communication station, a request for retransmission of missing packet-formatted data, the request for retransmission being received following the communication station;

detecting missing packet-formatted data at the communication station based upon the overall sequence or at least one of the link sequences; and

when the missing packet-formatted data is detected based upon the overall sequence,

timing a time period,

wherein the receiving step comprises receiving the request for retransmission when the communication station fails to receive the missing packet-formatted data before the step of timing times out; and

retransmitting the missing packet-formatted data to the communication station in response to the request for retransmission.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a request for retransmission without the communication station timing the time period when the missing packet-formatted data is detected based upon at least one of the link sequences.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein the retransmitting step comprises:

selecting a subchannel based upon congestion of at least some of the subchannels; and

retransmitting the missing packet-formatted data over the selected subchannel.

22. A method according to claim 19 further comprising:

estimating a selected delay period by which to delay generation of the request for retransmission.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the estimating step comprises estimating a range of delay period times, the range of the delay periods bounded by a minimum delay period and a maximum delay period.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the estimating step comprises estimating a practical delay period time, the practical delay period time comprising a delay period between the minimum delay period time and the maximum delay period time.

25. A method for communicating between a first device and a second device using at least one variable parameter, the method comprising:

transmitting a message from the first device to the second device, the message including information indicating a length of a sequence number field included in each of a plurality of transmission frames;

receiving the message at the second device;

storing, in response to receiving the message, the information in the second device;

transmitting the plurality of transmission frames from the first device; and

receiving the plurality of transmission frames at the second device and processing each sequence number field of the plurality of transmission frames according to the information stored in the second device.

26. A method for transmitting data between a mobile station and a base station in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:

prior to transmitting data, exchanging communications control information between the mobile station and the base station, the control information comprising a first field for specifying a length of a variable length data frame sequence;

storing the exchanged information in both the mobile station and the base station; and

subsequently transmitting frames of data in accordance with the stored information.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the wireless communications system is implemented as a DS-CDMA system.

28. A method of operation of a device in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:

receiving a message at the device, the message comprising information indicating the length of a sequence number field included in each of a sequence of transmission frames;

receiving the sequence of transmission frames at the device, subsequent to receiving the message; and

processing each sequence number field of the sequence of transmission frames according to the information.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the device comprises a base station.

30. A method according to claim 28, wherein the device comprises a mobile station.