Apparatus, and associated method, for requesting data retransmission in a packet radio communication system

• US 7,298,701 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Mark W., Hsu, Liangchi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou; Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Jay P.
• Application Number:
  US10/285,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20040085943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 370/235, 370/252
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1848 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, that reduces the occurrence of generation of redundant requests for retransmission of packet-formatted data, formatted at a physical layer and at a higher-logical layer, such as at an RLP layer. An estimate of an appropriate delay period is formed. The estimate is responsive to communication conditions in the communication system. When a data packet appears to have been inadequately delivered to the RLP logical layer, a DELAY_DETECTION_WINDOW timer is caused to time out the delay period estimated by the estimator. The request for retransmission, generated at the RLP layer, is permitted, upon expiration of the timer if the data packet has not yet been successfully delivered to the RLP layer and the transmitter has not given up the data packet delivery.

Claims

1. A radio communication system operable to communicate packet formatted data, the system having an apparatus for facilitating usage of radio capacity in the radio communication system, comprising:

a first communication station;

a second communication station, the packet formatted data is communicated between the first communication station and the second communication station,

the packet formatted data formatted at a first logical layer, utilizing a first-layer acknowledgement mechanism by which the second communication station selectably acknowledges whether the packet formatted data is adequately received thereat at the first logical layer and the packet formatted data formatted at a second logical layer, utilizing a second-layer acknowledgment mechanism by which the second communication station selectably acknowledges whether the packet formatted data is adequately received thereat at the second logical layer; and

an estimator coupled to receive indicia associated with communication characteristics of the first logical layer, said estimator for estimating a selected second-layer delay period, in response to the indicia received, by which to delay generation, at the second communication station, of a second-layer resend request requesting resending of the packet-formatted data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the indicia associated with the communication characteristics of the first logical layer to which said estimator is coupled to receive comprises traffic load indicia representative of communication activity in the radio communication system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the indicia associated with the communication characteristics of the first logical layer to which said estimator is coupled to receive comprises Quality of Service (QoS)-requirement associated with communication activity in the radio communication system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the indicia associated with the communication characteristics of the first logical layer to which said estimator is coupled to receive comprises communication quality indicia representative of communication quality of communication activity in the radio communication system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the selected second-layer delay period estimated by said estimator comprise a range of delay period times, the range of the delay periods bounded by a minimum delay period time and a maximum delay period time.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said estimator estimates a practical delay period time, the practical delay period time comprises a delay period between the minimum delay period time and the maximum delay period time.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a delay period message generator coupled to said estimator, said delay period message generator for generating a delay period message for communication to the mobile station, the delay period message containing values of the minimum delay period time, the maximum delay period of time, and the practical delay period time.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the second logical layer utilizes a Radio Link Protocol (RLP) and wherein the delay period message generated by said delay period message generator comprises an RLP-formatted message.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a delay period message generator coupled to said estimator, said delay period message generator for generating a delay period message for communication to the mobile station, the delay period message containing a value of the selected second-layer delay period estimated by said estimator.

10. In the radio communication system of claim 9, a further improvement of apparatus for the second communication station for facilitating the efficient usage of the radio capacity in the radio communication system, said apparatus comprising:

a delay period message detector coupled to detect the delay period message generated by said delay period message generator, said delay period message generator for extracting the value of the selected second-layer delay period therefrom; and

a timer coupled to receive indications of the value extracted by said delay period message detector and coupled to receive indications when the packet formatted data fails to be adequately delivered to the second logical layer of the second communication station, said timer for timing a time period indicated by the value extracted by said delay period message detector subsequent to reception of the indications when the packet formatted data fails to be adequately delivered to the second logical layer of the second communication system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a retransmission requestor coupled to receive indications when said timer times-out the time period indicated by the value extracted by said delay period message detector, said retransmission requestor for generating a retransmission request requesting retransmission, by the first communication station, of the packet formatted data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the second logical layer utilizes a Radio Link Protocol (RLP) and wherein the retransmission request generated by said retransmission requestor comprises an RLP-formatted message.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication station comprises a network part and the estimator is embodied at the first communication station.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second logical layer comprises a layer that is higher than the first logical layer.

15. A method of communicating in a radio communication system for facilitating usage of radio capacity in the radio communication system, said method comprising:

receiving packet formatted data communicated between a first communication station and a second communication station, the packet formatted data formatted at a first logical layer;

utilizing a first-layer acknowledgment mechanism by which the second communication station selectably acknowledges whether the packet formatted data is adequately received thereat at the first logical layer and the packet formatted data formatted at a second logical layer;

utilizing a second-layer acknowledgment mechanism by which the second communication station selectably acknowledges whether the packet formatted data is adequately received thereat at the second logical layer;

detecting indicia associated with communication characteristics of the first logical layer; and

estimating, responsive to the indicia detected during said operation of detecting, a selected second-layer delay period by which to delay generation, at the second communication station, of a second-layer resend request requesting resending of the packet-formatted data.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the selected second-layer delay period estimated during said operation of estimating comprises a range of delay period times, the range of the delay periods bounded by a minimum delay period time and a maximum delay period time.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the selected second-layer delay period estimated during said operation of estimating comprises a practical delay period time, the practical delay period time comprises a delay period between the minimum delay period time and the maximum delay period time.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the operations of:

generating a delay period message containing a value of the selected second-layer delay period estimated during said operation of estimating; and

delivering the delay period message to the second communication station.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the operation of:

timing a time period indicated by the value contained in the delay period message when the packet formatted data fails to be adequately delivered to the second logical layer of the received communication station.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising the further operation of:

requesting retransmission of the packet formatted data packet of the time period timed during said operation of timing times out.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein said operation of estimating is performed at the second communication station.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein estimating, responsive to the indicia occurs at the first communication station which comprises a network part.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the second logical layer comprises a layer that is higher than the first logical layer.

24. A radio communication system operable to communicate packet formatted data, the system having an apparatus for facilitating usage of radio capacity in the radio communication system, the system comprising:

a first communication station;

a second communication station, the packet formatted data communicated between the first communication station and the second communication station,

the packet formatted data formatted at a first logical layer, utilizing a first-layer acknowledgment mechanism by which the second communication station selectably acknowledges whether the packet formatted data is adequately received thereat at the first logical layer and

the packet formatted data formatted at a second logical layer, utilizing a second-layer acknowledgment mechanism by which the second communication station selectably acknowledges whether the packet formatted data is adequately received thereat at the second logical layer;

a delay period message detector coupled to detect a delay period message sent by the first communication station to the second communication station, the delay period message having an indicia associated with a selected second-layer delay period; and

a timer coupled to receive indications of the indicia associated with the selected second layer delay period contained in the delay period message detected by said delay period message detector, said timer for timing a time period indicated by the indicia when the packet formatted data appears to be inadequately delivered to the second logical layer of the second communication station.

25. A terminal for facilitating usage of radio capacity, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive packet formatted data, the packet formatted data formatted at a first logical layer, utilizing a first-layer acknowledgement mechanism;

a detector configured to selectably acknowledge whether the packet formatted data is accurately received thereat at the first logical layer and, the packet formatted data formatted at a second logical layer, utilizing a second-layer acknowledgment mechanism;

wherein the detector is further configured to selectably acknowledge whether the packet formatted data is accurately received thereat at the second logical layer; and

wherein the detector is further configured to receive an estimate of a selected second-layer delay period by which to delay generation, at the terminal, of a second-layer resend request requesting resending of the packet-formatted data, the estimate of the selected second-layer delay period is based on inidicia associated with communication characteristics of the first logical layer.

26. The terminal of claim 25, wherein the selected second-layer delay period that is estimated comprises a range of delay period times, the range of the delay periods bounded by a minimum delay period time and a maximum delay period time.

27. A terminal for facilitating usage of radio capacity, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive packet formatted data, the packet formatted data formatted at a first logical layer, utilizing a first-layer acknowledgment mechanism;

a detector configured to selectably acknowledge whether the packet formatted data is accurately received thereat at the first logical layer and, the packet formatted data formatted at a second logical layer, utilizing a second-layer acknowledgment mechanism;

wherein the detector is further configured to selectably acknowledge whether the packet formatted data is accurately received thereat at the second logical layer;

wherein the detector is further configured to receive and detect a delay period message, the delay period message having an indicia associated with a selected second-layer delay period;

a timer configured to receive indications of the indicia associated with the selected second-layer delay period contained in the delay period message; and

wherein the timer is further configured to time a time period indicated by the indicia when the packet formatted data appears to be inaccurately delivered to the second logical layer of the terminal.