APPARATUS, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD, FOR REQUESTING DATA RETRANSMISSION IN A PACKET RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080077838A1
• Filed: 10/08/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Mark, Hsu, Liangchi
• Granted Patent: US 8,817,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/748
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1848 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, that reduces the occurrence of generation of redundant requests for retransmission of packet-formatted data, formatted at a physical layer and at a higher-logical layer, such as at an RLP layer. An estimate of an appropriate delay period is formed. The estimate is responsive to communication conditions in the communication system. When a data packet appears to have been inadequately delivered to the RLP logical layer, a DELAY_DETECTION_WINDOW timer is caused to time out the delay period estimated by the estimator. The request for retransmission, generated at the RLP layer, is permitted, upon expiration of the timer if the data packet has not yet been successfully delivered to the RLP layer and the transmitter has not given up the data packet delivery.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a processing element configured to:

transmit packet formatted data formatted at a first logical layer, utilizing a first-layer acknowledgement mechanism and transmit the packet formatted data at a second logical layer, utilizing a second-layer acknowledgment mechanism;

generate an estimate of a selected second-layer delay period by which to delay generation of a second-layer resend request requesting resending of the packet formatted data when a determination reveals that the packet formatted data is not successfully delivered to a second logical layer of a terminal,

wherein the estimate of the selected second-layer delay period is based on indicia associated with communication characteristics of a communication system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the estimate comprises one or more values which correspond to one or more delay periods by which to delay generation of the second-layer resend request

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more delay periods comprise a minimum delay time, a maximum delay time and a suggested delay time.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more values are used to time a time period corresponding to the delay period.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing element is further configured to receive the second-layer resend request upon expiration of the time period.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing element is further configured to receive a first-layer resend request requesting resending of the packet-formatted data during the time period.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing element is further configured to retransmit the packet formatted data to the second logical layer of the terminal.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing element is further configured to retransmit the packet formatted data to the first logical layer of the terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second logical layer comprises a radio link protocol (RLP) layer and the first logical layer comprises a physical layer.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first-layer acknowledgment mechanism comprises a hybrid automatic request (H-ARQ) retransmission and the second-layer acknowledgement comprises a radio link protocol (RLP) retransmission.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second-logical layer comprises a layer that is higher than the first-logical layer.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the characteristics comprise information relating to the first logical layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the characteristics comprise data relating to hybrid automatic request (H-ARQ) information.

14. A method, comprising:

transmitting packet formatted data formatted at a first logical layer, utilizing a first-layer acknowledgement mechanism and transmitting the packet formatted data at a second logical layer, utilizing a second-layer acknowledgment mechanism;

generating an estimate of a selected second-layer delay period by which to delay generation of a second-layer resend request requesting resending of the packet formatted data when a determination reveals that the packet formatted data is not successfully delivered to a second logical layer of a terminal,

wherein the estimate of the selected second-layer delay period is based on indicia associated with communication characteristics of a communication system.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the estimate comprises one or more values which correspond to one or more delay periods by which to delay generation of the second-layer resend request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more delay periods comprise a minimum delay time, a maximum delay time and a suggested delay time.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more values are used to time a time period corresponding to the delay period.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, receiving the second-layer resend request upon expiration of the time period.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising, receiving a first-layer resend request requesting resending of the packet-formatted data during the time period.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the characteristics comprise information relating to the first logical layer.

21. An apparatus comprising a processing element configured to:

receive packet formatted data, the packet formatted data formatted at a first logical layer, utilizing a first-layer acknowledgment mechanism;

selectably acknowledge whether the packet formatted data is accurately received thereat at the first logical layer and, the packet formatted data formatted at a second logical layer, utilizing a second-layer acknowledgement mechanism;

selectably acknowledge whether the packet formatted data is accurately received thereat at the second logical layer; and

receive an estimate of a selected second-layer delay period by which to delay generation, at the terminal, of a second-layer resend request requesting resending of the packet-formatted data, the estimate of the selected second-layer delay period is based on indicia associated with communication characteristics of the first logical layer.

22. An apparatus comprising a processing element configured to:

receive packet formatted data, the packet formatted data formatted at a first logical layer, utilizing a first-layer acknowledgement mechanism;

selectably acknowledge whether the packet formatted data is accurately received thereat at the first logical layer and, the packet formatted data formatted at a second logical layer, utilizing a second-layer acknowledgement mechanism;

selectably acknowledge whether the packet formatted data is accurately received thereat at the second logical layer;

receive and detect a delay period message, the delay period message having an indicia associated with a selected second-layer delay period;

receive indications of the indicia associated with the selected second-layer delay period contained in the delay period message; and

time a time period indicated by the indicia when the packet formatted data appears to be inaccurately delivered to the second logical layer of the terminal.