System and method for avoiding stall using timer for high-speed downlink packet access system

• US 8,036,129 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2009
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yi, Seung June, Lee, So Young, Yeo, Woon Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton; Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): O CONNOR, BRIAN T
• Application Number:
  US12/402,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20090175222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 370/236, 370/328, 370/349, 370/394, 709/235, 714/748
• US Class Current: 370/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0604 with predefined switching scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15535 Control of relay amplifier gain amplifier gain control in general H03G3/00; gain control reducing self - or loop interference H04B7/15578
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0071 Use of interleaving interleaving per se H03M13/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/06 using space diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1841 Resequencing
• 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 2001/0096 Channel splitting in point-to-point links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/34 ensuring sequence integrity, e.g. using sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0042 intra-user or intra-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0083 symbol-by-symbol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 : using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 : Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/225 : Calculation of statistics, e.g. average, variance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 : using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 : taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 : taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 : taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/46 : in multi hop networks, e.g. wireless relay networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

At least one timer is used to prevent a stall condition. If a timer is not active, the timer is started for a data block that is correctly received. The data block has a sequence number higher than a sequence number of another data block that was first expected to be received. When the timer is stopped or expires, all correctly received data blocks among data blocks up to and including a data block having a sequence number that is immediately before the sequence number of the data block for which the timer was started is delivered to a higher layer. Further, all correctly received data blocks up to a first missing data block, including the data block for which the timer was started, is delivered to the higher layer.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a stall avoidance in a receiving communication device using a timer, the timer controlling the stall avoidance, the method comprising:

if the timer is not active, starting the timer by the receiving communication device when a MAC-hs (medium access control high speed) protocol data unit (PDU) with a transmission sequence number (TSN) higher than next expected TSN is correctly received;

stopping the timer by the receiving communication device if the MAC-hs PDU with the TSN for which the timer was started can be delivered to a higher entity; and

when the timer is stopped, and there exists some received MAC-hs PDUs that cannot be delivered to the higher entity, starting the timer for a highest TSN among those of the MAC-hs PDUs that cannot be delivered to the higher entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the higher entity is a higher layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps are implemented in a mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps are implemented in a Node B.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the higher entity is a disassembly unit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a period of the timer is less than or equal to N*(TTI/2), wherein N is the range of sequence numbers to be assigned to the MAC-hs PDUs and TTI is the transmission time interval.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps are performed by a MAC-hs entity of a MAC layer of the receiving communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the MAC-hs PDUs are delivered to the higher entity in sequence.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the higher entity is a MAC-d sub-layer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the higher entity is a radio link control layer.

11. An apparatus for controlling a stall avoidance of a receiving communication device, the apparatus comprising at least a timer and a MAC-hs (medium access control-high speed) protocol entity operated with the timer, and the timer controlling the stall avoidance, the MAC-hs protocol entity being configured for:

if the timer is not active, starting the timer by the receiving communication device when a MAC-hs protocol data unit (PDU) with a transmission sequence number (TSN) higher than a next expected TSN is correctly received;

stopping the timer by the receiving communication device if the MAC-hs PDU with the TSN for which the timer was started can be delivered to a higher entity; and

when the timer is stopped, and there exists some received MAC-hs PDUs that cannot be delivered to the higher entity, starting the timer for a highest TSN among those of the MAC-hs PDUs that cannot be delivered to the higher entity.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the higher entity is a higher layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the steps are implemented in a mobile terminal.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the steps are implemented in a Node B.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the higher entity is a disassembly unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the MAC-hs PDUs are delivered to the higher entity in sequence.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the higher entity is a MAC-d (medium access control-dedicated) sub-layer.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the higher entity is a radio link control layer.