Method and system for implementing hybrid automatic repeat request

• US 7,979,768 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sammour, Mohammed, Chandra, Arty, Terry, Stephen E., Zhang, Guodong, Chen, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): RIZK, SAMIR WADIE
• Application Number:
  US11/688,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 714/748, 370/345, 370/347, 370/473, 370/467, 455/522, 709/237
• 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 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1816 with retransmission of the same, encoded, message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1845 Combining techniques, e.g. code combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1848 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0092 Error control systems characterised by the topology of the transmission link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/125 Arrangements for preventing errors in the return channel

Abstract

A receiver sends hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) feedback for a current packet and at least one previous packet, whereby an error is detected based on the H-ARQ feedback. The receiver sends H-ARQ feedback with an identification of the packet or a sequence number of a packet that the receiver expects to receive next. The receiver stores a packet in a memory before combining the packet with a previously received packet, and decodes the stored packet after failing to decode a combined packet to avoid a corruption error. The receiver may set a timer when sending a NACK. If the receiver fails to receive a packet until expiration of the timer, the receiver initiates a process for recovering the packet. Each H-ARQ feedback may be associated with other attributes. Some H-ARQ processes may operate in an asynchronous mode while others in a synchronous mode in the same direction.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a receiver, of implementing hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ), the method comprising:

receiving a packet;

storing the packet in a memory before combining the packet with a previous received packet;

decoding a combined packet; and

decoding the packet stored in the memory on a condition that the decoding of the combined packet failed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein available resources are pooled and dynamically allocated for multiple H-ARQ processes and a certain H-ARQ process is given a higher priority for the resources.

3. A method, performed by a receiver, of implementing hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ), the method comprising:

transmitting a negative acknowledgement (NACK);

setting a timer in response to the transmission of the NACK;

clearing the timer on a condition that a packet corresponding to the NACK is received; and

initiating a process for recovering the packet on a condition that a packet corresponding to the NACK is not received.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

transmitting a report indicating an H-ARQ error to recover a failed packet at an H-ARQ level.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

transmitting a local NACK indicating an H-ARQ error.

6. A receiver for implementing hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ), the receiver configured to:

receive a packet;

store the packet in a memory before combining the packet with a previous received packet;

decode a combined packet; and

decode the packet stored in the memory on a condition that the decoding of the combined packet failed.

7. The receiver of claim 6 wherein available resources are pooled and dynamically allocated for multiple H-ARQ processes and a certain H-ARQ process is given a higher priority for the resources.

8. A receiver for implementing hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ), the receiver configured to:

transmit a negative acknowledgement (NACK);

set a timer in response to the transmission of the NACK;

clear the timer on a condition that a packet corresponding to the NACK is received; and

initiate a process for recovering the packet on a condition that a packet corresponding to the NACK is not received.

9. The receiver of claim 8 wherein the receiver is further configured to transmit a report indicating an H-ARQ error to recover a failed packet at an H-ARQ level.

10. The receiver of claim 8 wherein the receiver is further configured to transmit a local NACK indicating an H-ARQ error.