Feedback for data transmissions

• US 7,676,724 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lundby, Stein A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lamarre; Guy J
• Application Number:
  US11/562,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 370/394, 714/750
• US Class Current: 714/750
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0018 based on latency requirement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1829 Arrangements specially adapted for the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1858 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of acknowledgement message

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are presented for dynamically controlling the re-transmission scheme of acknowledgment signals. A source transmits a first data packet over a slot s₁. If channel conditions are favorable, source transmits a second data packet over slot s₂, which precedes the reception of any acknowledgment signals. A destination receives first data packet over slot d₁ and second data packet over slot d₂. Destination decodes first data packet during slots d₂ and d₃, and second data packet over slots d₃ and d₄. Destination transmits an acknowledgment signal (ACK1) associated with first data packet during slot d₄. Rather then transmitting the second ACK1 associated with first data packet over slot d₅, destination preempts this slot with an acknowledgment signal ACK2, which is associated with second data packet transmitted by source. Hence, destination is configured to overwrite the repetition of a previous acknowledgment in order to transmit a new acknowledgment.

Claims

1. A method for reducing a feedback delay of a packet data communication system, comprising:

transmitting a first data packet from a source to a destination over a first slot;

transmitting a second data packet from the source to the destination over a second slot, the second slot following the first slot and preceding a received acknowledgement signal;

receiving the first data packet at the destination and decoding the first data packet;

scheduling an acknowledgment signal for the first data packet over a first transmission slot and a re-transmission of the first data packet acknowledgment signal over a second slot;

receiving the second data packet at the destination and decoding the second data packet;

scheduling an acknowledgement signal for the second data packet over the second slot, wherein the acknowledgment signal for the second data packet overwrites the scheduled re-transmission of the first data packet acknowledgment signal; and

transmitting the acknowledgment for the first data packet over the first transmission slot and transmitting the acknowledgment for the second data packet over the second transmission slot.