ARQ method for wireless communication

• US 6,557,134 B2
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Glenayre Electronics Incorporated (EDCI Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Glenayre Electronics Incorporated (EDCI Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ghirnikar, Avinash, Ghosh, Biswa, Bims, Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lamarre, Guy J.
• Application Number:
  US08/941,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20020019965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,037 Days
• Field of Search: 714/746-749, 714/704, 714/812, 714/706, 340/3.44, 340/539, 340/825, 340/5, 340/7.43, 340/7.27, 370/463, 370/244, 370/505, 370/252, 370/509, 370/216, 370/276, 370/337, 370/313, 370/311, 375/365, 375/363, 709/236, 709/250, 463/44, 463/36, 463/43, 455/435
• US Class Current: 714/748
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1628 List acknowledgements, i.e. the acknowledgement message consisting of a list of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers H04L1/1614 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1877 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications like streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream control arrangements H04N21/44004
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/023 with message or information receiving capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/185 Selective call encoders for paging networks, e.g. paging centre devices

Abstract

Forward and Reverse Channel Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) communication is described in which a Forward Channel Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) session between a first unit and a second unit is performed, in which a command is send to the second unit to start a forward channel ARQ session, where the command includes a message length field specifying the length of an ARQ message to be sent by the first unit to the second unit. The second unit may refuse the command because of the length of the ARQ message.

Claims

1. A wireless selective call transceiver comprising:

a storage space; and

a control circuit coupled to the storage space, the control circuit to refuse to receive a message when available space in the storage space is not large enough to store the complete message, wherein the message is refused by the control circuit causing the selective call transceiver to transmit an abort message to the source of the refused message.

2. The transceiver defined in claim 1 further comprising a transmitter to send a negative acknowledgment (NACK) to signal a network that is sending the message.

3. The transceiver defined in claim 1 wherein the control increases the available space in the storage space to enable receipt of the message.

4. The transceiver defined in claim 1 wherein the control increases the available space in the storage space by deleting one or more previously stored messages.

5. The transceiver defined in claim 1 wherein the control deletes the one or more previously stored messages based on a priority scheme.

6. The transceiver defined in claim 1 wherein the one or more previously stored messages are stored in a folder designated to have the control delete its contents.

7. The transceiver defined in claim 4 wherein the control maintains an indication specifying the one or more previously stored messages for deletion which the control uses in deciding to delete the one or more previously stored messages.

9. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising:

the second unit determining an amount of storage required by the ARQ message from the message length field; and

the second unit comparing the amount of storage required by the ARQ message to the available space in the memory.

10. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the ARQ message comprises a plurality of fragments and the message length field indicates the length of the plurality of fragments.

11. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising:

the second unit responding with an acknowledgment if the second unit desires the first unit to send the ARQ message or a memory full response if the available space in the memory is not sufficient to store the ARQ message.

12. The method defined in claim 7 further comprising terminating the ARQ session in response to the memory full response.

13. The method defined in claim 7 further comprising the second unit responding with a request for the first unit to resend the command.

14. The method defined in claim 9 further comprising:

the first unit resending the command within a predetermined time limit in response to receiving the request for the first unit to resend the command, or

the second unit unilaterally terminating the ARQ session if the first unit does not resend the command within the predetermined time limit.

15. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising:

the second unit acknowledging each received fragment of the ARQ message; and

the first unit sending a fragment of the ARQ message within a predetermined time limit in response to each acknowledgment by the second unit.

16. The method defined in claim 11 further comprising:

the second unit unilaterally terminating the ARQ session if the predetermined time limit is exceeded.

17. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising:

the first unit sending the ARQ message;

the second unit sending a first done indication message to the first unit after receiving all fragments of the ARQ message; and

the first unit sending a second done indication message to the second unit in response to the first done indication message to complete transfer of the ARQ message.

18. The method defined in claim 13 further comprising:

the first unit retransmitting at least a last fragment of the ARQ message if the first done indication message is not received.

20. The system defined in claim 15 wherein the second unit responds with an acknowledgment if the second unit desires the first unit to send the ARQ message or responds with a memory fill response if the available storage in the second unit is not sufficient to store the ARQ message.

21. The system defined in claim 15 wherein the second unit responds with a request for the first unit to resend the command.

22. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the first unit resends the command within a predetermined time limit in response to receiving the request for the first unit to resend the command, or the second unit unilaterally terminates the ARQ session if the first unit does not resend the command within the predetermined time limit.

23. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the second unit acknowledges each received fragment of the ARQ message, and the first unit sends a fragment of the ARQ message within a predetermined time limit in response to each acknowledgment by the second unit.

25. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the first unit sends the ARQ message after receiving a reply from the second unit, and wherein the second unit sends a first done indication message to the first unit after receiving all fragments of the ARQ message, in response to which the first unit sends a second done indication message to the second unit to complete the ARQ session.

26. The system defined in claim 15 wherein the first unit retransmits at least a last fragment of the ARQ message if the first done indication message is not received.

28. The method defined in claim 23 further comprising:

the first unit terminating the ARQ session if the done indication message has not been received after a first predetermined time limit; and

the second unit resending the done indication message if the acknowledgment indication is not received within a second predetermined time limit.

30. The method defined in claim 23 wherein the request comprises a message length field specifying the length of an ARQ message to be sent by the first unit to the second unit.

31. The method defined in claim 23 further comprising:

sending a request to the second unit to start a reverse channel ARQ session; and

the second unit granting the request.

8. A method of performing wireless Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) messaging between a sending unit and a receiving unit, said method comprising:

sending a command to the receiving unit to start a channel ARQ session; and

the receiving unit refusing to accept an ARQ message, by sending an abort message to the sending unit, if available space in a memory of the receiving unit is not large enough to store the entire ARQ message.

19. A wireless communication system comprising:

a sending unit to send a command to start an Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) session; and

a receiving unit to accept or reject the command based on whether available storage space in the receiving unit is large enough to store a complete associated ARQ message, wherein the command is rejected by the receiving unit sending an abort message command to the sending unit.

24. The system defined in claim 19 wherein the second unit unilaterally terminates the ARQ session if the predetermined time limit is exceeded.

29. The method defined in claim 24 further comprising the second unit terminating the ARQ session if the acknowledgment indication has not been received within a third predetermined time limit.

27. A method of performing a Reverse Channel Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) between a mobile pager unit and a base unit, said method comprising:

the mobile pager unit sending an ARQ message as part of a Reverse Channel ARQ session;

the base unit sending a done indication signal to the mobile pager unit after receiving all of the ARQ message;

the mobile pager unit sending an acknowledgment indication to the base unit in response to receiving the done indication message to terminate the ARQ session.