Packet data unit, a receiving communication device, a radio network controller and methods therein for transmitting data from the radio network controller to the user equipment

• US 9,628,588 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2012
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Jonsson, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): KAMARA, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US13/509,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20120281651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 370252, 370310, 370328-331, 370338, 370341, 370394, 3703951, 370466-472, 370474-476, 455436, 455411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols

Abstract

Some embodiments herein relate to a method in a radio network controller (14) for transmitting data to a user equipment (18) in a wireless communication system (10). The radio network controller (14) is communicating over a Radio Link Control layer with the user equipment (18). The radio network controller transmits a packet data unit to the user equipment (18). The packet data unit comprises a header with a first field, which first field comprises bits for a sequence number of the packet data unit. The header further comprises a second field comprising at least one bit indicating that a third field of the header comprises bits for the sequence number as an extension of bits to the first field for the sequence number.

Claims

1. A method in a radio network controller for transmitting data to a user equipment in a wireless communication system, which radio network controller is communicating over a Radio Link Control layer with the user equipment, said method comprising:

assigning an extended sequence number to a packet data unit to be transmitted to the user equipment, said extended sequence number having an extended number space and comprising a first number of bits representing a sequence number in a smaller number space, and further comprising a second number of bits representing a sequence number extension that extends the sequence number into the extended number space;

generating the packet data unit comprising a header with a first field of bits conveying the sequence number of the packet data unit, a third field of bits comprising the sequence number extension, and a second field of one or more bits indicating that a third field of the header comprises the sequence number extension; and

transmitting the packet data unit to the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third field comprises two to six bits followed by a header extension field indicating a length in bits of the packet data unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second field comprises two bits and the method includes setting the two bits to a preconfigured value, which preconfigured value indicates that the third field of the header comprises bits that extend the sequence number.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the preconfigured value defines that a succeeding octet of bits of the header comprises a first two bits that are the last two bits of a fourteen bit sequence number as said extended sequence number, a next four bits that are spare bits, and a last two bits that are header extension field bits.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet data unit is a Radio Link Control Protocol Data Unit and the header is a Radio Link Control Acknowledgment Mode header.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating is performed only when the user equipment is using a particular technology.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the particular technology is High Speed Data Packet Access for eight or four carriers.

8. A method in a user equipment for receiving data from a radio network controller in a wireless communication system, which user equipment is communicating over a Radio Link Control layer with the radio network controller, said method comprising:

receiving a packet data unit from the radio network controller comprising a header with bits indicating a sequence number in a first field;

recognizing from bits in a second field of the header that a third field of the header includes bits representing a sequence number extension, for forming an extended sequence number from the sequence number of the first field, said extended sequence number having an extended number space as compared to a number space of the sequence number; and

determining the extended sequence number of the received packet data unit based on the sequence number and the sequence number extension.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a length of the packet data unit in bits, from a header extension field that indicates the length in bits of the packet data unit and follows the third field.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the method includes recognizing that the second field comprises two bits with a preconfigured value, which preconfigured value indicates that the third field of the header comprises the sequence number extension.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the preconfigured value defines that a succeeding octet of bits of the header comprises first two bits that are the last two bits of a fourteen bit sequence number, next four bits that are spare bits, and last two bits that are header extension field bits.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the packet data unit is a Radio Link Control Protocol Data Unit and the header is a Radio Link Control Acknowledgment Mode header.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the user equipment is using High Speed Data Packet Access for eight or four carriers.

14. A radio network controller for transmitting data to a user equipment in a wireless communication system, wherein the radio network controller is configured to communicate over a Radio Link Control layer with the user equipment and comprises:

a processor configured to;

assign an extended sequence number to a packet data unit to be transmitted to the user equipment, said extended sequence number having an extended number space and comprising a first number of bits representing a sequence number in a smaller number space, and further comprising a second number of bits representing a sequence number extension that extends the sequence number into the extended number space; and

generate the packet data unit comprising a header with a first field of bits conveying the sequence number of the packet data unit, a third field of bits comprising the sequence number extension, and a second field of one or more bits indicating that a third field of the header comprises the sequence number extension; and

a transmitting circuit configured to transmit the packet data unit to the user equipment.

15. The radio network controller of claim 14, wherein the third field comprises two to six bits followed by a header extension field indicating a length in bits of the packet data unit.

16. The radio network controller of claim 14, wherein the second field comprises two bits and wherein the processor is configured to set the two bits to a preconfigured value, which preconfigured value indicates that the third field of the header comprises bits that extend the sequence number.

17. The radio network controller of claim 16, wherein the preconfigured value defines that a succeeding octet of bits of the header comprises a first two bits that are the last two bits of a fourteen bit sequence number as said extended sequence number, a next four bits that are spare bits, and a last two bits that are header extension field bits.

18. The radio network controller of claim 14, wherein the packet data unit is a Radio Link Control Protocol Data Unit and the header is a Radio Link Control Acknowledgment Mode header.

19. The radio network controller of claim 14, wherein the generating circuit is configured to generate the packet data unit only when the user equipment is using a particular technology.

20. The radio network controller of claim 19, wherein the particular technology is High Speed Data Packet Access for eight or four carriers.

21. A user equipment for receiving data from a radio network controller in a wireless communication system, wherein the user equipment is configured to communicate over a Radio Link Control layer with the radio network controller and comprises:

a receiver circuit configured to receive a packet data unit received from the radio network controller comprising a header with bits indicating a sequence number in a first field; and

a processor configured to;

recognize from bits in a second field of the header that a third field of the header includes bits representing a sequence number extension, for forming an extended sequence number from the sequence number of the first field, said extended sequence number having an extended number space as compared to a number space of the sequence number; and

determine the extended sequence number based on the sequence number and the sequence number extension.

22. The user equipment of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to determine a length of the packet data unit in bits, from a header extension field indicating the length in bits of the packet data unit.

23. The user equipment of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to recognize that the second field comprises two bits with a preconfigured value, which preconfigured value indicates that the third field of the header comprises bits for the sequence number.

24. The user equipment of claim 23, wherein the preconfigured value defines that a succeeding octet of bits of the header comprises a first two bits that are the last two bits of a fourteen bit sequence number, a next four bits that are spare bits, and a last two bits that are header extension field bits.

25. The user equipment of claim 21, wherein the packet data unit is a Radio Link Control Protocol Data Unit and the header is a Radio Link Control Acknowledgment Mode header.

26. The user equipment of claim 21, wherein the user equipment is configured to use High Speed Data Packet Access for eight or four carriers.