Communication Device

• US 20090003378A1
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Sachs, Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 7,864,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• 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 1/188 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0092 Error control systems characterised by the topology of the transmission link

Abstract

A communication device is described that comprises a first data unit buffer for holding data units of a first communication protocol and a second data unit buffer for holding data units of a second communication protocol. The first communication protocol is a communication protocol suitable for transmitting data units from a sending peer of said first communication protocol to a receiving peer of said first communication protocol over one or more relay peers of said first communication protocol. The first communication protocol provides for at least a first type (RACK) of receipt information that is indicative of a correct receipt at a relay peer and a second type (ACK) of receipt information that is indicative of a correct receipt at said receiving peer. The second can be a conventional ARQ protocol or a protocol using the two types of receipt information. A control system is arranged to control a generation of said data units of said second communication protocol such that a data symbol stream carried in said data units of said first communication protocol is also carried in said data units of said second communication protocol, and the control system is arranged to implement the control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol in such a way that if all the data symbols of said data symbol stream contained in a given data unit of said first communication protocol are successfully transferred into said second data unit buffer, then said control procedure acts as if said first type (RACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising

a first data unit buffer for holding data units of a first communication protocol, where said first communication protocol is a communication protocol suitable for transmitting data units from a sending peer of said first communication protocol to a receiving peer of said first communication protocol over one or more relay peers of said first communication protocol, providing for feedback messages sent in a direction of said sending peer of said first communication protocol. where said feedback messages carry information on a receipt of said data units of said first communication protocol, said first 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 at a relay peer and said second type (ACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt at said receiving peer, and where said first communication protocol provides that said sending peer of said first communication protocol uses a sending peer control procedure for controlling a transmission based on said feedback messages of said first communication protocol, and each relay peer of said first communication protocol uses a relay peer control procedure for controlling a transmission based on said feedback messages of said first communication protocol,

a second data unit buffer for holding data units of a second communication protocol, where said second communication protocol is a communication protocol suitable for transmitting data units from a sending peer of said second communication protocol to a receiving peer of said second communication protocol, which provides for feedback messages sent in a direction of said sending peer of said second communication protocol, where said feedback messages of said second communication protocol carry information on a receipt of said data units of said second communication protocol, said second communication protocol providing for a specific type of receipt information that is indicative of a correct receipt at said receiving peer of said second communication protocol, and where said second communication protocol provides that said sending peer of said second communication protocol uses a control procedure for controlling a transmission based on said feedback messages of said second communication protocol and the receipt information contained therein, and

a control system arranged to control a generation of said data units of said second communication protocol such that a data symbol stream carried in said data units of said first communication protocol is also carried in said data units of said second communication protocol, said control system being arranged to implement the control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol in such a way that if all the data symbols of said data symbol stream contained in a given data unit of said first communication protocol are successfully transferred into said second data unit buffer, then said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol acts as if said first type (RACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said control system is arranged to implement a sending peer control procedure of said first communication protocol for performing a first retransmission control procedure for a data unit that has been sent but for which no first type (RACK) receipt information has been received, performing a second retransmission control procedure if said first type (RACK) receipt information has been received for said data unit that has been sent, and holding said data unit that has been sent at least until having received said second type (ACK) of receive information.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said control system is arranged to implement a relay peer control procedure of said first communication protocol for

performing a first retransmission control procedure for a data unit that has been sent but for which no first type (RACK) receipt information has been received,

performing a second retransmission control procedure if said first type (RACK) receipt information has been received for said data unit that has been sent,

holding said data unit that has been sent until a predetermined deletion condition is fulfilled, and

after receiving said second type (ACK) of receipt information for said data unit that has been sent, sending to a sender-side peer of said first communication protocol a feedback message of said first communication protocol carrying said second type (ACK) of receipt information for said data unit that has been sent.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said first communication protocol and said second communication protocol are at the same communication layer.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said first communication protocol is at a first communication layer, and said second communication protocol is at a second communication layer below said first communication layer.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said feedback messages of said first communication protocol are embedded in data units of said second communication protocol received by said communication device from a peer of said second communication protocol, and said control system is arranged to extract said feedback messages of said first communication protocol from said received data units of said second communication protocol.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said control system is arranged to identify receipt information associated with data units of said first communication protocol on the basis of receipt information associated with data units of said second communication protocol contained in feedback messages of said second communication protocol.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein said control system is arranged to implement said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol such that if said specific receipt information is received for all of the one or more data units of said second communication protocol that carry all of the data symbols of said data symbol stream that are contained in a given data unit of said first communication protocol, then said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol acts as if said first type (RACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit of said first communication protocol.

9. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein said control system is arranged to implement said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol such that if said specific receipt information is received for all of the one or more data units of said second communication protocol that carry all of the data symbols of said data symbol stream that are contained in a given data unit of said first communication protocol, then said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol acts as if said second type (ACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit of said first communication protocol.

10. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein said second communication protocol is a communication protocol suitable for transmitting data units from a sending peer of said second communication protocol to a receiving peer of said second communication protocol over one or more relay peers of said second communication protocol, and said second communication protocol providing for at least said first type and said second type of receipt information, where said control system is arranged to implement said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol such that if said second type of receipt information is received for all of the one or more data units of said second communication protocol that carry all of the data symbols of said data symbol stream that are contained in a given data unit of said first communication protocol, then said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol acts as if said second type (ACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit of said first communication protocol.

11. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein said first and said second communication protocol provide for a third type (NACK) of receipt information that is indicative of an incorrect receipt, where said control system is arranged to implement said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol such that if said third type (NACK) of receipt information is received for one of the one or more data units of said second communication protocol that carry all of the data symbols of said data symbol stream that are contained in a given data unit of said first communication protocol, then said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol acts as if said third type (NACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit of said first communication protocol.

12. A method of controlling a communication device, said device comprising a first data unit buffer for holding data units of a first communication protocol and a second data unit buffer for holding data units of a second communication protocol, where said first communication protocol is a communication protocol suitable for transmitting data units from a sending peer of said first communication protocol to a receiving peer of said first communication protocol over one or more relay peers of said first communication protocol, which provides for feedback messages sent in a direction of said sending peer of said first communication protocol, where said feedback messages carry information on a receipt of said data units of said first communication protocol, said first 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 at a relay peer and said second type (ACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt at said receiving peer, and where said first communication protocol provides that said sending peer of said first communication protocol uses a sending peer control procedure for controlling a transmission based on said feedback messages of said first communication protocol, and each relay peer of said first communication protocol uses a relay peer control procedure for controlling a transmission based on said feedback messages of said first communication protocol, and where said second communication protocol is a communication protocol suitable for transmitting data units from a sending peer of said second communication protocol to a receiving peer of said second communication protocol, which provides for feedback messages sent in a direction of said sending peer of said second communication protocol, where said feedback messages of said second communication protocol carry information on a receipt of said data units of said second communication protocol, said second communication protocol providing for a specific type of receipt information that is indicative of a correct receipt at said receiving peer of said second communication protocol, and where said second communication protocol provides that said sending peer of said second communication protocol uses a control procedure for controlling a transmission based on said feedback messages of said second communication protocol and the receipt information contained therein. said method comprising the steps of:

generating said data units of said second communication protocol such that a data symbol stream carried in said data units of said first communication protocol is also carried in said data units of said second communication protocol, and

operating the control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol in such a way that if all the data symbols of said data symbol stream contained in a given data unit of said first communication protocol are successfully transferred into said second data unit buffer, then said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol acts as if said first type (RACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

implementing a sending peer control procedure of said first communication protocol for;

performing a first retransmission control procedure for a data unit that has been sent but for which no first type (RACK) receipt information has been received,

performing a second retransmission control procedure if said first type (RACK) receipt information has been received for said data unit that has been sent, and

holding said data unit that has been sent at least until having received said second type (ACK) of receive information.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

implementing a relay peer control procedure of said first communication protocol for

performing a first retransmission control procedure for a data unit that has been sent but for which no first type (RACK) receipt information has been received.

performing a second retransmission control procedure if said first type (RACK) receipt information has been received for said data unit that has been sent, holding said data unit that has been sent until a predetermined deletion condition is fulfilled, and

after receiving said second type (ACK) of receipt information for said data unit that has been sent, sending to a sender-side peer of said first communication protocol a feedback message of said first communication protocol carrying said second type (ACK) of receipt information for said data unit that has been sent.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein said first communication protocol and said second communication protocol are at the same communication layer.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein said first communication protocol is at a first communication layer, and said second communication protocol is at a second communication layer below said first communication layer.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein said feedback messages of said first communication protocol are embedded in data units of said second communication protocol received by said communication device from a peer of said second communication protocol, said method further comprising the step of extracting said feedback messages of said first communication protocol from said received data units of said second communication protocol.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

identifying receipt information associated with data units of said first communication protocol on the basis of receipt information associated with data units of said second communication protocol contained in feedback messages of said second communication protocol.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

operating said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol such that if said specific receipt information is received for all of the one or more data units of said second communication protocol that carry all of the data symbols of said data symbol stream that are contained in a given data unit of said first communication protocol, then said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol acts as if said first type (RACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit of said first communication protocol.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

operating said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol such that if said specific receipt information is received for all of the one or more data units of said second communication protocol that carry all of the data symbols of said data symbol stream that are contained in a given data unit of said first communication protocol, then said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol acts as if said second type (ACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit of said first communication protocol.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein said second communication protocol is a communication protocol suitable for transmitting data units from a sending peer of said second communication protocol to a receiving peer of said second communication protocol over one or more relay peers of said second communication protocol, and said second communication protocol providing for at least said first type of receipt information and said second type of receipt information, the method further comprising:

operating said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol such that if said second type of receipt information is received for all of the one or more data units of said second communication protocol that carry all of the data symbols of said data symbol stream that are contained in a given data unit of said first communication protocol, then said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol acts as if said second type (ACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit of said first communication protocol.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein said first communication protocol and said second communication protocol provide for a third type (NACK) of receipt information that is indicative of an incorrect receipt, the method further comprising:

operating said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol such that if said third type (NACK) of receipt information is received for one of the one or more data units of said second communication protocol that carry all of the data symbols of said data symbol stream that are contained in a given data unit of said first communication protocol, then said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication protocol acts as if said third type (NACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit of said first communication protocol.

23. (canceled)