Sliding-window data flow control using an adjustable window size

• US 6,415,410 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1998
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ahopelto, Juha-Pekka, Kari, Hannu, Vainikka, Jari, Kanerva, Mikko
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres, Joseph D.
• Application Number:
  US08/952,058
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 714/748, 714/749, 714/746
• US Class Current: 714/749
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1825 Adaptation of specific ARQ protocol parameters according to transmission conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1832 Details of sliding window management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/187 Details of sliding window management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/27 Evaluation or update of window size, e.g. using information derived from acknowledged [ACK] packets

Abstract

A digital data transmission system includes a transmitting party, a receiving party, a non-transparent circuit-switched data connection between the transmitting and receiving parties, a control element for changing the data transmission capacity of the data connection, and a sliding-window data flow control protocol where the number of transmitted data frames to which the transmitting party has not received an acknowledgement from the receiving party is not allowed to exceed the size of the sliding window. The transmitting and receiving parties are arranged to change the size of the sliding window when one or both of them receive information from the control element on a change in the data transmission capacity of the data connection.

Claims

1. Digital data transmission system comprising:

a transmitting party;

a receiving party;

a non-transparent circuit-switched data connection between the transmitting and receiving parties;

control means for changing the data transmission capacity of the data connection; and

a sliding-window data flow control protocol where the number of transmitted data frames to which the transmitting party has not received an acknowledgement from the receiving party is not allowed to exceed the size of said sliding window,

the transmitting and receiving parties being arranged to change the size of said sliding window in response to receipt, subsequent to data transmission on at least one traffic channel, by one or both of them of information from said control means regarding a change in the data transmission capacity of the data connection.

2. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitting party and the receiving party are arranged to change the window size independently, in accordance with predetermined rules, without mutual negotiation.

3. System as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitting party and the receiving party are arranged to change the window size by mutual negotiation.

4. System as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the data transmission system is a multiple access mobile communication system where a data connection comprises one traffic channel on the radio path, and wherein changing the data transmission capacity of the data connection involves changing the data transmission rate on the traffic channel, and wherein the change in window size is dependent on the data transmission rate.

5. System as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the data transmission system is a multiple access mobile communication system where a data connection comprises one traffic channel or a plurality of traffic channels on the radio path, and wherein changing the data transmission capacity of the data connection involves changing the number of traffic channels allocated to the data connection, and wherein the change in window size is dependent on the number of said traffic channels.

6. System as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transmitting party is a terminal adaptation function and the receiving party is an interworking function.

7. System as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transmitting party is an interworking function in a mobile communication network and the receiving party is a terminal adaptation function in a mobile station.

8. System as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control means comprise a mobile services switching center.