Data Unit Sender and Data Unit Relay Device

• US 20080317017A1
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Ludwig, Reiner, Wiemann, Henning, Meyer, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,839,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0015 characterised by the adaptation strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1825 Adaptation of specific ARQ protocol parameters according to transmission conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1874 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1883 using multiple timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays

Abstract

New methods and devices for implementing an ARQ mechanism over a multi-hop connection (sender-relay-receiver) are proposed. A communication protocol is described in accordance with which data units are arranged in a sequence and each sent data unit is identifiable by a sequence position identifier. The sender implements a sending peer, the relay a relay peer and the receiver a receiving peer. Feedback messages are exchanged, which using said sequence position identifiers, carry information on a receipt of sent data units. The communication protocol provides for at least a first type and a second type of receipt information, the first type (RACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at a relay peer of said communication protocol, and the second type (ACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at a final destination peer of said communication protocol.

Claims

1. A data unit sender, comprising:

a data unit buffer for holding data units of a communication protocol,

a control unit arranged to control

a transmission of said data units to a peer of said communication protocol,

a processing of feedback messages received from said peer,

a retransmission of said data units based on said feedback messages, and

a management of said buffer, and

said control unit as a sending peer of said communication protocol,

where in accordance with said communication protocol said data units are arranged in a sequence and each sent data unit is identifiable by a sequence position identifier, and said feedback messages, using said sequence position identifiers, carry information on a receipt of said data units, said communication protocol providing for at least a first type and a second type of receipt information, said first type (RACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at a relay peer of said communication protocol, and said second type (ACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at a final destination peer of said communication protocol,

said control unit being arranged to perform a first retransmission control procedure for a given data unit in said buffer that has been sent but for which no first type receipt information has been received, to perform a second retransmission control procedure for said given data unit if first type receipt information has been received for said given data unit, and to hold said given data unit in said buffer at least until having received said second type (ACK) of receipt information for said given data unit.

2. The data unit sender according to claim 1, wherein said first retransmission control procedure comprises starting to monitor a first time-out period upon transmitting said given data unit and retransmitting said given data unit if said first time-out period passes without receiving first or second type receipt information for said given data unit.

3. The data unit sender according to claim 2, wherein said second retransmission control procedure comprises starting to monitor a second time-out period upon transmitting said given data unit or upon receiving first type receipt information for said given data unit, and retransmitting said given data unit if said second time-out period passes without receiving second type receipt information for said given data unit.

4. The data unit sender according to claim 3, wherein said control unit is arranged to dynamically adapt said first time-out period based on measurements of a time that passes between a transmission of at least some of said data units and a receipt of respective first type receipt information, and to dynamically adapt said second time-out period based on a measurement of a time that passes between a transmission of at least some of said data units and a receipt of respective second type receipt information.

5. The data unit sender according to claim 1, wherein said communication protocol provides for a third type (NACK) of receipt information that is indicative of an incorrect receipt of a data unit at a peer of said communication protocol.

6. The data unit sender according to claim 5, wherein said first retransmission control procedure comprises retransmitting said given data unit upon receiving third type receipt information for said given data unit.

7. The data unit sender according to claim 5, wherein said second retransmission control procedure comprises retransmitting said given data unit if third type receipt information for said given data unit has been received.

8. The data unit sender according to claim 5, wherein said control unit is arranged to keep a record of the data units in said buffer which were sent and for which first type receipt information has been received and of the data units in said buffer which were sent and for which third type receipt information has been received, and to control the transmission rate on the basis of the relationship between an amount of data in data units for which first type receipt information has been received and an amount of data in data units for which third type receipt information has been received.

9. The data unit sender according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is arranged to control the transmission of said data units to a first and a second peer of said communication protocol in parallel.

10. The data unit sender according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is arranged to employ a retransmission prohibit timer.

11. A data unit relay device, comprising

a data unit buffer for holding receive data units of a communication protocol received from a sender-side peer of said communication protocol, and for holding send data units of said communication protocol to be sent to a receiver-side peer of said communication protocol,

a control unit arranged to control

a receiving of said receive data units,

a transmission of said send data units,

a processing of receiver-side feedback messages received from said receiver-side peer,

a retransmission of said send data units to said receiver-side peer based on said feedback messages,

a transmission of sender-side feedback messages to said sender-side peer, and

a management of said buffer,

as a relay peer of said communication protocol,

where in accordance with said communication protocol said receive data units are arranged in a sequence and each receive data unit is identifiable by a sequence position identifier, and said send data units are arranged in the same sequence such that for each receive data unit there is a corresponding send data unit having a same payload section and the same sequence position identifier, and both said sender-side and said receiver-side feedback messages, using said sequence position identifiers, carry information on a receipt of said data units, said communication protocol providing for at least a first type and a second type of receipt information, said first type (RACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at said data unit relay device or a receiver-side relay peer of said communication protocol, and said second type (ACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at said final destination peer,

said control unit being arranged

to send a sender-side feedback message carrying said first type (RACK) of receipt information for a given receive data unit that was correctly received,

to perform a retransmission control process for a given send data unit in said buffer that has been sent, based on said receiver-side feedback messages,

to hold said given send data unit in said buffer until a deletion condition is fulfilled, and

after having received said second type (ACK) of receipt information for a given sequence position identifier in a receiver-side feedback message, to send to said sender-side peer a sender-side feedback message carrying said second type (ACK) of receipt information for said given sequence position identifier.

12. The data unit relay device according to claim 11, wherein said retransmission control process comprises starting to monitor a time-out period upon transmitting said given send data unit and retransmitting said given send data unit if said time-out period passes without receiving second type receipt information for said given data unit.

13. The data unit relay device according to claim 11, wherein said retransmission control process comprises

performing a first retransmission control procedure for a given send data unit in said buffer that has been sent but for which no first type receipt information has been received, and

performing a second retransmission control procedure for said given send data unit if first type receipt information has been received for said given send data unit.

14. The data unit relay device according to claim 13, wherein said first retransmission control procedure comprises starting to monitor a first time-out period upon transmitting said given send data unit and retransmitting said given send data unit if said first time-out period passes without receiving first or second type receipt information for said given send data unit.

15. The data unit relay device according to claim 14, wherein said second retransmission control procedure comprises starting to monitor a second time-out period upon transmitting said given send data unit or upon receiving first type receipt information for said given send data unit, and retransmitting said given send data unit if said second time-out period passes without receiving second type receipt information for said given send data unit.

16. The data unit relay device according to claim 15, wherein said control unit is arranged to dynamically adapt said first time-out period based on measurements of a time that passes between a transmission of at least some of said send data units and a receipt of respective first type receipt information, and to dynamically adapt said second time-out period based on a measurement of a time that passes between a transmission of at least some of said send data units and a receipt of respective second type receipt information.

17. The data unit relay device according to claim 13, wherein said communication protocol provides for a third type (NACK) of receipt information that is indicative of an incorrect receipt of a data unit at a peer of said communication protocol.

18. The data unit relay device according to claim 17, wherein said first retransmission control procedure comprises retransmitting said given send data unit upon receiving third type receipt information for said given send data unit.

19. The data unit relay device according to claim 17, wherein said second retransmission control procedure comprises retransmitting said given send data unit if third type receipt information for said given send data unit has been received.

20. The data unit relay device according to claim 17, wherein said control unit is arranged to keep a record of the send data units in said buffer which were sent and for which first type receipt information has been received and of the send data units in said buffer which were sent and for which third type receipt information has been received, and to control the transmission rate of said send data units on the basis of the relationship between an amount of data in send data units for which first type receipt information has been received and an amount of data in data units for which third type receipt information has been received.

21. The data unit relay device according to claim 17, wherein said control unit is arranged such that if a receiver-side feedback message is received that carries said third type (NACK) of receipt information for a sequence position identifier for which no data unit is stored in said buffer, a sender-side feedback message is sent that carries said third type (NACK) of receipt information for said sequence position identifier for which no data unit is stored in said buffer.

22. The data unit relay device according to claim 21, wherein said control unit is arranged such that in response to receiving a receive data unit associated with said sequence position identifier for which no data unit is stored in said buffer, a corresponding send data unit is sent.

23. The data unit relay device according to claim 11, wherein said control unit is arranged such that if a receiver-side feedback message is received that carries said first type (RACK) of receipt information for a sequence position identifier, a sender-side feedback message is sent that carries said first type (RACK) of receipt information for the same sequence position identifier.

24. The data unit relay device according to claim 23, wherein said control unit is arranged such that said sender-side feedback message that carries said first type (RACK) of receipt information for said same sequence position identifier is only sent if there is no data unit stored in said buffer for said same sequence position identifier.

25. The data unit relay device according to claim 11, wherein said deletion condition is fulfilled if said second type (ACK) of receipt information is received for said given send data unit.

26. The data unit relay device according to claim 11, wherein said deletion condition is fulfilled if a purge time period for said given send data unit has elapsed.

27. The data unit relay device according to claim 11, wherein said control unit is arranged to control the transmission of said send data units to a first and a second receiver-side peer of said communication protocol in parallel.

28. The data unit relay device according to claim 11, wherein said control unit is arranged to employ a retransmission prohibit timer.

29. A method of controlling a data unit sender, which comprises a data unit buffer for holding data units of a communication protocol and is arranged to act as a sending peer of said communication protocol, where in accordance with said communication protocol said data units are arranged in a sequence and each sent data unit is identifiable by a sequence position identifier, and said feedback messages, using said sequence position identifiers, carry information on a receipt of said data units, said communication protocol providing for at least a first type and a second type of receipt information, said first type (RACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at a relay peer of said communication protocol, and said second type (ACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at a final destination peer of said communication protocol, said method comprising the steps of:

performing a first retransmission control procedure for a given data unit in said buffer that has been sent but for which no first type receipt information has been received,

performing a second retransmission control procedure for said given data unit if first type receipt information has been received for said given data unit, and holding said given data unit in said buffer at least until having received said second type (ACK) of receipt information for said given data unit.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said first retransmission control procedure comprises the steps of

starting to monitor a first time-out period upon transmitting said given data unit and

retransmitting said given data unit if said first time-out period passes without receiving first or second type receipt information for said given data unit.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said second retransmission control procedure comprises the steps of

starting to monitor a second time-out period upon transmitting said given data unit or upon receiving first type receipt information for said given data unit, and

retransmitting said given data unit if said second time-out period passes without receiving second type receipt information for said given data unit.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the steps of

dynamically adapting said first time-out period based on measurements of a time that passes between a transmission of at least some of said data units and a receipt of respective first type receipt information, and

dynamically adapting said second time-out period based on a measurement of a time that passes between a transmission of at least some of said data units and a receipt of respective second type receipt information.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein said communication protocol provides for a third type (NACK) of receipt information that is indicative of an incorrect receipt of a data unit at a peer of said communication protocol.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein said first retransmission control procedure comprises retransmitting said given data unit upon receiving third type receipt information for said given data unit.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein said second retransmission control procedure comprises retransmitting said given data unit if third type receipt information for said given data unit has been received.

36. The method according to claim 33, further comprising the steps of

keeping a record of the data units in said buffer which were sent and for which first type receipt information has been received and of the data units in said buffer which were sent and for which third type receipt information has been received, and

controlling the transmission rate on the basis of the relationship between an amount of data in data units for which first type receipt information has been received and an amount of data in data units for which third type receipt information has been received.

37. The method according to claim 29, comprising controlling the transmission of said data units to a first and a second peer of said communication protocol in parallel.

38. The method according to claim 29, comprising employing a retransmission prohibit timer.

39. (canceled)

40. A method of controlling a data unit relay device that comprises a data unit buffer for holding receive data units of a communication protocol received from a sender-side peer of said communication protocol, and for holding send data units of said communication protocol to be sent to a receiver-side peer of said communication protocol, and is arranged to act as a relay peer of said communication protocol, where in accordance with said communication protocol said receive data units are arranged in a sequence and each receive data unit is identifiable by a sequence position identifier, and said send data units are arranged in the same sequence such that for each receive data unit there is a corresponding send data unit having a same payload section and the same sequence position identifier, and both said sender-side and said receiver-side feedback messages, using said sequence position identifiers, carry information on a receipt of said data units, said communication protocol providing for at least a first type and a second type of receipt information, said first type (RACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at said data unit relay device or a receiver-side relay peer of said communication protocol, and said second type (ACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at said final destination peer, said method comprising the steps of:

sending a sender-side feedback message carrying said first type (RACK) of receipt information for a given receive data unit that was correctly received,

performing a retransmission control process for a given send data unit in said buffer that has been sent, based on said receiver-side feedback messages,

holding said given send data unit in said buffer until a deletion condition is fulfilled, and

after having received said second type (ACK) of receipt information for a given sequence position identifier in a receiver-side feedback message, sending to said sender-side peer a sender-side feedback message carrying said second type (ACK) of receipt information for said given sequence position identifier.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein said retransmission control process comprises

starting to monitor a time-out period upon transmitting said given send data unit and

retransmitting said given send data unit if said time-out period passes without receiving second type receipt information for said given data unit.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein said retransmission control process comprises

performing a first retransmission control procedure for a given send data unit in said buffer that has been sent but for which no first type receipt information has been received, and

performing a second retransmission control procedure for said given send data unit if first type receipt information has been received for said given send data unit.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein said first retransmission control procedure comprises

starting to monitor a first time-out period upon transmitting said given send data unit and

retransmitting said given send data unit if said first time-out period passes without receiving first or second type receipt information for said given send data unit.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein said second retransmission control procedure comprises

starting to monitor a second time-out period upon transmitting said given send data unit or upon receiving first type receipt information for said given send data unit, and

retransmitting said given send data unit if said second time-out period passes without receiving second type receipt information for said given send data unit.

45. The method according to claim 44, further comprising

dynamically adapting said first time-out period based on measurements of a time that passes between a transmission of at least some of said send data units and a receipt of respective first type receipt information, and

dynamically adapting said second time-out period based on a measurement of a time that passes between a transmission of at least some of said send data units and a receipt of respective second type receipt information.

46. The method according to claim 42, wherein said communication protocol provides for a third type (NACK) of receipt information that is indicative of an incorrect receipt of a data unit at a peer of said communication protocol.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein said first retransmission control procedure comprises retransmitting said given send data unit upon receiving third type receipt information for said given send data unit.

48. The method according to claim 46, wherein said second retransmission control procedure comprises retransmitting said given send data unit if third type receipt information for said given send data unit has been received.

49. The method according to claim 46, further comprising

keeping a record of the send data units in said buffer which were sent and for which first type receipt information has been received and of the send data units in said buffer which were sent and for which third type receipt information has been received, and

controlling the transmission rate of said send data units on the basis of the relationship between an amount of data in send data units for which first type receipt information has been received and an amount of data in send data units for which third type receipt information has been received.

50. The method according to claim 46, wherein if a receiver-side feedback message is received that carries said third type (NACK) of receipt information for a sequence position identifier for which no data unit is stored in said buffer, a sender-side feedback message is sent that carries said third type (NACK) of receipt information for said sequence position identifier for which no data unit is stored in said buffer.

51. The method according to claim 50, further comprising:

responding to receiving a receive data unit associated with said sequence position identifier for which no data unit is stored in said buffer by sending a corresponding send data unit.

52. The method according to claim 40, comprising:

if a receiver-side feedback message is received that carries said first type (RACK) of receipt information for a sequence position identifier, sending a sender-side feedback message that carries said first type (RACK) of receipt information for the same sequence position identifier.

53. The method according to claim 52, further comprising:

only sending said sender-side feedback message that carries said first type (RACK) of receipt information for said same sequence position identifier if there is no data unit stored in said buffer for said same sequence position identifier.

54. The method according to claim 40, wherein said deletion condition is fulfilled if said second type (ACK) of receipt information is received for said given send data unit.

55. The method according to claim 40, wherein said deletion condition is fulfilled if a purge time period for said given send data unit has elapsed.

56. The method according to claim 40, comprising controlling the transmission of said send data units to a first and a second receiver-side peer of said communication protocol in parallel.

57. The method according to claim 56, comprising employing a retransmission prohibit timer.

58. (canceled)

59. A communication protocol for transmitting data units from a sending peer of said communication protocol to a receiving peer of said protocol over one or more relay peers of said protocol, using feedback messages sent in a direction of said sending peer, wherein in accordance with said communication protocol said data units are arranged in a sequence and each sent data unit is identifiable by a sequence position identifier, and said feedback messages, using said sequence position identifiers, carry information on a receipt of said data units, said communication protocol providing for at least a first type and a second type of receipt information, said first type (RACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at one of said one or more relay peers of said communication protocol, and said second type (ACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt of a data unit at the receiving peer of said communication protocol, and

where each of said one or more relay peers is arranged to forward said second type of receipt information in the direction of said sending peer, and said sending peer is arranged to hold each data unit of said sequence until having received a corresponding feedback message with said second type of receipt information.

60. The communication protocol according to claim 59, wherein a third type (NACK) of receipt information is provided, that is indicative of an incorrect receipt of a data unit at a peer of said communication protocol.