System and method for acknowledging receipt of messages within a packet based communication network

• US 6,393,023 B1
• Filed: 05/08/1998
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Shimizu, Takeshi, Helland, Patrick J., Wilcke, Winfried W., Weber, Wolf-Dietrich, Wicki, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Huy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Steven
• Application Number:
  US09/075,461
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/389, 370/392, 370/397, 370/399, 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/419, 370/426, 370/428, 370/421, 370/448, 370/465, 370/445, 370/452, 370/466-469, 709/219, 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/235, 709/237, 709/238, 709/200, 709/205
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1874 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/188 Time-out mechanisms

Abstract

A system and method for acknowledging receipt of messages within a packet based communication network. A sending node generates a data packet within an upper layer, and transmits the data packet to a receiving node using a lower layer. The lower layer generates and transmits a pseudo reply packet to the upper layer in response to an acknowledgment received from the receiving node. The pseudo reply packet notifies the upper layer of the sending node that the receiving node successfully received the data packet and removes the burden of having an upper layer of the receiving node generate an actual reply packet.

Claims

1. A method for acknowledging receipt of messages within a packet based communication network, comprising the steps of:

indicating whether delivery is to be certified;

storing a data packet in a buffer at a sending node;

transmitting the data packet from the sending node to a receiving node;

receiving an acknowledgement from the receiving node;

retrieving the data packet from the buffer when the acknowledgment is received; and

generating a pseudo reply packet from the retrieved data packet within the sending node in response to the acknowledgement, if delivery is to be certified.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

creating the data packet within an upper layer of the sending node;

passing the data packet from the upper layer to a lower layer of the sending node;

wherein,

the transmitting step includes transmitting the data packet from the lower layer to the receiving node; and

the steps of storing, retrieving, and generating are effected by the lower layer; and

passing the pseudo reply packet from the lower layer to the upper layer, whereby the upper layer interprets the pseudo reply packet as information that the data packet was successfully received by the receiving node.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving the data packet at the receiving node;

transmitting the acknowledgment to the sending node; and

preventing the receiving node from generating a standard reply packet, if delivery is to be certified, whereby resources of the receiving node are conserved.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

if delivery is to be certified, the receiving node does not generate a standard reply packet.

5. An apparatus for acknowledging receipt of messages within a packet based communication network, comprising:

means for indicating whether delivery is to be certified;

means for storing a data packet in a buffer at a sending node;

means for transmitting the data packet from the sending node to a receiving node;

means for receiving an acknowledgement from the receiving node;

means for retrieving the data packet from the buffer when the acknowledgement is received; and

means for generating a pseudo reply packet from the retrieved data packet within the sending node in response to the acknowledgement, if delivery is to be certified.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further including:

means for creating the data packet within an upper layer of the sending node;

means for passing the data packet from the upper layer to a lower layer of the sending node;

wherein,

the means for transmitting includes means for transmitting the data packet from the lower layer to the receiving node; and

the means for storing, retrieving, and generating are included in the lower layer; and

means for passing the pseudo reply packet from the lower layer to the upper layer, whereby the upper layer interprets the pseudo reply packet as information that the data packet was successfully received by the receiving node.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

means for receiving the data packet at the receiving node;

means for transmitting the acknowledgment to the sending node; and

means for preventing the receiving node from generating a standard reply packet, if delivery is to be certified, whereby resources of the receiving node are conserved.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

if delivery is to be certified, the receiving node does not generate a standard reply packet.

9. A computer-useable medium embodying computer program code for causing a computer to acknowledge receipt of messages within a packet based communication network, by performing the steps of:

indicating whether delivery is to be certified;

storing a data packet in a buffer at a sending node;

transmitting the data packet from the sending node to a receiving node;

receiving an acknowledgement from the receiving node;

retrieving the data packet from the buffer when the acknowledgement is received; and

generating a pseudo reply packet from the retrieved data packet within the sending node in response to the acknowledgement, if delivery is to be certified.

10. The computer-useable medium of claim 9 further embodying computer program code for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

creating the data packet within an upper layer of the sending node;

passing the data packet from the upper layer to a lower layer of the sending node;

wherein,

the transmitting step includes transmitting the data packet from the lower layer to the receiving node; and

the lower layer performs the steps of storing, retrieving, and generating; and

passing the pseudo reply packet from the lower layer to the upper layer, whereby the upper layer interprets the pseudo reply packet as information that the data packet was successfully received by the receiving node.

11. The computer-useable medium of claim 9 further embodying computer program code for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

receiving the data packet at the receiving node;

transmitting the acknowledgment to the sending node; and

preventing the receiving node from generating a standard reply packet, if delivery is to be certified, whereby resources of the receiving node are conserved.

12. The computer-usable medium of claim 9 wherein:

if delivery is to be certified, the receiving node does not generate a standard reply packet.

13. A system for acknowledging receipt of messages within a packet based communication network, comprising:

a sending node having

an upper layer for generating a data packet and for indicating whether delivery is to be certified,

a buffer for storing the data packet, and

a lower layer, coupled to the upper layer, for transmitting the data packet and, if delivery is to be certified, for retrieving the data packet from the buffer to generate a pseudo reply packet and for transmitting the pseudo reply packet to the upper layer in response to an acknowledgment.

14. method for acknowledging receipt of messages within a packet based communication network, comprising the steps of:

storing a data packet in a buffer at a sending node;

transmitting the data packet from the sending node to a receiving node;

receiving an acknowledgement from the receiving node; and

generating a pseudo reply packet from the stored data packet within the sending node in response to the acknowledgement, thereby freeing the receiving node from having to generate a standard reply packet.

15. An apparatus for acknowledging receipt of messages within a packet based communication network, comprising:

means for storing a data packet in a buffer at a sending node;

means for transmitting the data packet from the sending node to a receiving node;

means for receiving an acknowledgement from the receiving node; and

means for generating a pseudo reply packet from the stored data packet within the sending node in response to the acknowledgement, thereby freeing the receiving node from having to generate a standard reply packet.

16. A computer-useable medium embodying computer program code for causing a computer to acknowledge receipt of messages within a packet based communication network, by performing the steps-of:

storing a data packet in a buffer at a sending node;

transmitting the data packet from the sending node to a receiving node;

receiving an acknowledgement from the receiving node; and

generating a pseudo reply packet from the stored data packet within the sending node in response to the acknowledgement, thereby freeing the receiving node from having to generate a standard reply packet.

17. A system for acknowledging receipt of messages within a packet based communication network, comprising:

a sending node having

an upper layer for generating a data packet, and

a lower layer, coupled to the upper layer, for storing and transmitting the data packet, and for generating a pseudo reply packet based upon the stored data packet and transmitting the pseudo reply packet to the upper layer in response to an acknowledgment.