Acknowledge mode polling with immediate status report timing

• US 8,422,480 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Sai Yiu Duncan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): NG, CHRISTINE Y
• Application Number:
  US12/240,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20090086704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/328, 370/338, 370/346, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/346
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1685 the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]

Abstract

A wireless network avoids delays in receiving status reports by having transmitters make sure that any outstanding Hybrid Automatic Repeat-reQuest (HARQ) processes in progress are all finished before sending the polling request. Thus, the receiver can respond to any polling request of the transmitter immediately without delay. Since the transmitter already ensures all HARQ processes are done, the receiver'"'"'s status report will accurately reflect the latest information. The transmitter may send a poll anytime regardless of the HARQ processes if the most up-to-date polling is determined to be not as important (e.g., when the transmitter is trying to advance its transmitter window, in which case the exact Status info is not critical). The receiver may then react immediate upon receiving the poll. Thereby, detecting the loss of any piece of data within a data burst is expedited.

Claims

1. A method for radio link control (RLC) polling and status report timing in a wireless network, comprising:

transmitting data packets in an acknowledge mode communication channel to a receiver;

determining that status reporting from the receiver is warranted;

transmitting a polling status request separate from the transmitted data packets, wherein the transmitting the polling status request is performed in response to receiving acknowledgement information for all of the transmitted data packets when up-to-date polling is required; and

receiving a status report from the receiver sent without delay.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that status reporting is warranted by determining that the receiver has completed sending the acknowledgement information for the transmitted data packets.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining that status reporting is warranted by determining a last data indication of a transmitter RLC buffer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting data packets in a Hybrid Automatic Repeat-reQuest (HARQ) communication channel.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing local not acknowledged (Nak) communication between an RLC entity and a HARQ component of a medium access channel (MAC) layer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that status reporting is warranted by determining that the up-to-date polling is not required, wherein the transmitting is performed irrespective of receiving the acknowledgment information for all of the transmitted data packets.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining that the up-to-date polling is not required when advancing a transmitter window.

8. At least one processor for radio link control (RLC) polling and status report timing in a wireless network, comprising:

a first module for transmitting data packets in an acknowledge mode communication channel to a receiver;

a second module for determining that status reporting from the receiver is warranted and for determining whether the receiver has completed sending acknowledgment information for the transmitted data packets;

a third module for transmitting a polling status request separate from the transmitted data packets, wherein the third module waits to transmit the polling status request until the second module determines that the receiver has completed sending the acknowledgment information for the transmitted data packets; and

a fourth module for receiving a status report from the receiver.

9. An apparatus for radio link control (RLC) polling and status report timing in a wireless network, comprising:

means for transmitting data packets in an acknowledge mode communication channel to a receiver;

means for determining that status reporting from the receiver is warranted, prior to receiving acknowledgement information for all of the transmitted data packets;

means for transmitting a status request separate from the transmitted data packets in response to receiving the acknowledgement information for all of the transmitted data packets; and

means for receiving a status report from the receiver sent without delay.

10. An apparatus for radio link control (RLC) polling and status report timing in a wireless network, comprising:

a transmitter component for transmitting data packets in an acknowledge mode communication channel to a receiver and for transmitting a polling status request separate from the transmitted data packets;

an RLC poll criteria component for determining that status reporting from the receiver is warranted; and

a receiver component for receiving acknowledgement information for the transmitted data packets and for receiving a status report from the receiver, wherein the transmitter component waits to transmit the polling status request until the receiver component receives the acknowledgement information for the transmitted data packets when up-to-date polling is required.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the RLC poll criteria component further determines that status reporting is warranted by determining that the receiver has completed sending the acknowledgement information for the transmitted data packets.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the RLC poll criteria component further determines that a status report is warranted by determining a last data indication in a transmitter RLC buffer.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transmitter component further transmits data packets in a Hybrid Automatic Repeat-reQuest (HARQ) communication channel.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the RLC poll criteria component further performs local not acknowledged (Nak) communication between an RLC entity and a HARQ component of a medium access channel (MAC) layer.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the RLC poll criteria component further determines that status reporting is warranted by determining that the up-to-date polling is not required; and

the transmitter component further transmits the status request before the receiver component has received the acknowledgement information for the transmitted data packets.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the RLC poll criteria component further determines that the up-to-date polling is not required when advancing a transmitter window.

17. A method for radio link control (RLC) polling and status report timing in a wireless network, comprising:

receiving data packets in an acknowledge mode communication channel from a transmitter;

initiating transmission of acknowledgement information for the received data packets;

receiving a polling status request separate from the received data packets when the transmitter has determined that status reporting from a receiver is warranted, wherein the polling status request is received upon completing the transmission of the acknowledgement information for the data packets when the transmitter has determined that up-to-date polling is required; and

transmitting a polling status report from the receiver sent without delay.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the initiating the transmission of acknowledgement information for the data packets further comprises:

transmitting acknowledgements for data packets successfully received and not acknowledged for data packets not successfully received; and

receiving the polling status request after the transmitter has determined that status reporting is warranted by determining that the receiver has completed sending the acknowledgement information for the transmitted data packets.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving data packets in a Hybrid Automatic Repeat-reQuest (HARQ) communication channel.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising performing local not acknowledged (Nak) communication between an RLC entity and a HARQ component of a medium access channel (MAC) layer.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the polling status request before completing the transmission of the acknowledgment information for the data packets, wherein the acknowledgment information for the data packets comprises acknowledgements for data packets successfully received and not acknowledged for data packets not successfully received.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving the polling status request after the transmitter determines that the up-to-date polling is not required when advancing a transmitter window.

23. A computer program product for radio link control (RLC) polling and status report timing in a wireless network, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising,

a first set of codes for causing a computer to receive data packets in an acknowledge mode communication channel from a transmitter;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to receive a polling status request separate from the received data packets in response to completing transmission of acknowledgement information for the received data packets when up-to-date polling is required; and

a third set of codes for causing the computer to transmit a status report without delay in response to receiving the polling status request.

24. An apparatus for radio link control (RLC) polling and status report timing in a wireless network, comprising:

means for receiving data packets in an acknowledge mode communication channel from a transmitter;

means for receiving a polling status request separate from the received data packets in response to completing transmission of acknowledgment information for the packets; and

means for transmitting a status report without delay in response to receiving the polling status request.

25. An apparatus for radio link control (RLC) polling and status report timing in a wireless network, comprising:

a receiver component for receiving data packets in an acknowledge mode communication channel from a transmitter and for receiving a polling status request separate from the received data packets; and

a transmitter component for transmitting acknowledgement information for the data packets and for transmitting a status report without delay, wherein the receiver component receives the polling status request upon the transmitter component completing the transmitting of the acknowledgement information for the data packets when up-to-date polling is required.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the acknowledgement information comprises acknowledgements for data packets successfully received and not acknowledged for data packets not successfully received;

and

the receiver component further receives the polling status request after the transmitter has determined that status reporting is warranted by determining that the receiver has completed sending the acknowledgement information for the transmitted data packets.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the receiver component further receives data packets in a Hybrid Automatic Repeat-reQuest (HARQ) communication channel.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising an RLC entity and HARQ component of a medium access channel (MAC) layer, the RLC entity for performing local not acknowledged (Nak) communication with the HARQ component.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the receiver component further receives the polling status request before the transmitter component has completed the transmitting of the acknowledgement information for the data packets, the acknowledgment information comprising acknowledgments for data packets successfully received and not acknowledged for data packets not successfully received.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the receiver component further receives the polling status report after the transmitter determines that the up-to-date polling is not required when advancing a transmitter window.

31. A computer program product for radio link control (RLC) polling and status report timing in a wireless network, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising,

a first set of codes for causing a computer to transmit data packets in an acknowledge mode communication channel to a receiver;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to determine that status reporting from the receiver is warranted;

a third set of codes for causing the computer to transmit a polling status request separate from the transmitted data packets wherein the polling status request is transmitted in response to receiving acknowledgement information for all the transmitted data packets when up-to-date polling is required; and

a fourth set of codes for causing the computer to receive a status report from the receiver sent without delay.

32. At least one processor for radio link control (RLC) polling and status report timing in a wireless network, comprising:

a first module for receiving data packets in an acknowledge mode communication channel from a transmitter;

a second module for receiving a polling status request separate from the received data packets in response to completing transmission of acknowledgement information for the received data packets when up-to-date polling is required; and

a third module for transmit a status report without delay in response to receiving the polling status request.