Telecommunication network utilizing an error control protocol

• US 6,148,422 A
• Filed: 10/07/1997
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Strawczynski, Leo, Gage, Bill, Rabipour, Rafi
• Primary Examiner(s): Baker, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US08/946,312
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 714/758, 714/807, 714/708, 714/704
• US Class Current: 714/704
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/24 Testing correct operation

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and a method for improving the voice quality of wireless-to-wireless calls. More specifically, the invention provides a method and an apparatus to add supplemental information for better error detection and correction of data packets. This feature allows the identification of the telecommunication link causing errors in the data packets and optimizes the use of the reconstructed data packets.

Claims

1. A wireless terminal capable of receiving audio information from a base station of a telecommunication network said wireless terminal including:

means for receiving a data packet transmitted from the base station of the telecommunications network;

error detection means for determining if data in the data packet is in error;

said error detection means including error location determining means for deriving information from data contained in the data packet transmitted from the base station on a location in the telecommunication network at which an error in data contained in the data packet has occurred.

2. A wireless terminal as defined in claim 1, wherein said error detection means comprises means for decoding an error-detection code.

3. A wireless terminal as defined in claim 1, wherein said error detection code is CRC.

4. A wireless terminal as defined in claim 3, wherein said error location determining means includes means for observing a state of a status flag in the data frame transmitted from the base station, the status flag being discrete from the error-detection code.

5. A wireless terminal as defined in claim 4, wherein said error location determining means is capable of determining if an error observed by said error detection means has occurred in either one of a link established between the base station and said wireless terminal and a remaining part of the telecommunication network.

6. A wireless terminal as defined in claim 4, comprising a counter for counting a number of successive data packets containing data in error.

7. A wireless terminal as defined in claim 6, wherein said counter is responsive to observance of an error condition indicative by said status flag to cause the counter to increment.

8. A wireless terminal as defined in claim 7, wherein said counter is responsive to observance of an error condition indicative by said error detection code to cause the counter to increment.

9. A wireless terminal as defined in claim 8, wherein said counter is responsive to observance to a status flag indicative of a non-error condition to cause said counter to reset.

10. A wireless terminal as defined in claim 9, comprising a data packet processing means, said data packet processing means processing a data packet in dependence upon a value of said counter.

11. A wireless terminal capable of receiving audio information from a base station of a telecommunication network said wireless terminal including:

a unit for receiving a data packet transmitted from the base station of the telecommunications network;

an error detection unit for determining if data in the data packet is in error, said error detection unit including an error location determination sub-unit for processing the data packet transmitted from the base station for deriving information on a location in the telecommunication network at which an error in the data contained in the data packet has occurred.

12. A method for receiving audio information from a base station of a telecommunication network said method including:

receiving a data packet transmitted from the base station of the telecommunication network;

determining if data in the data packet is in error including processing the data packet transmitted from the base station for deriving information on a location in the telecommunication network at which an error in the data contained in the data packet has occurred.

13. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

an input for receiving a block of data bits;

analysis unit for processing the block of data bits to determine if data conveyed by the block of data bits is in error;

data pocket assembly unit for generating a data packet for transmission over a communication link, the data packet containing;

a) the block of data bits;

b) an error-detecting code indicative of existence of an error in data contained in the data packet;

c) a status flag for conveying information indicative of whether data conveyed by the data packet is in error;

d) an information data element indicative of the location at which the error in said data packet originates, if said data packet is in fact in error;

said data packet assembly unit being responsive to said analysis unit when said analysis unit detects an error in the block of data bits, for setting the status flag of the data packet at a value indicative of an existence of error.

14. A data processing apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said data packet assembly unit is responsive to said analysis unit when said analysis unit means detects no error in the block of data bits for setting said error-detecting code to a value indicative of an non-error condition.

15. A data processing apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said block of data bits contains an earlier status flag conveying information indicative of whether the data conveyed by the data bits is in error.

16. A data processing apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said information is composed of the status flag and of the earlier status flag.

17. A data processing apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said error-detecting code is a CRC code.

18. A data processing apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said data packet assembly unit includes endoding means for encoding data bits in accordance with an FEC protocol.

19. A data processing apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the data bits encoded by said encoding means include the CRC code.

20. A data processing apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the data bits encoded by said encoding means include the status flag.

21. A data processing apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the status flag includes a single bit.

22. A computer readable storage medium comprising a program element suitable for execution by a computing apparatus for:

processing a block of data bits to determine if data conveyed by the block of data bits is in error;

generating a data packet for transmission over a communication link, the data packet containing;

a) the block of data bits;

b) an error-detecting code indicative of existence of an error in data contained in the data packet;

c) a status flag for conveying information indicative of whether data conveyed by the data packet is in error;

d) an information data element indicative of the location at which the error in said data packet originates, if said data packet is in fact in error;

said generating responsive to said processing when said processing detects an error in the block of data bits, for setting the status flag of the data packet at a value indicative of an existence of error.