Method and apparatus for a selective acknowledgement scheme in a modified unacknowledge mode for use over a communications link

Claim 2

Method for use in a telecommunications system (GPRS) having the capability to exchange information packets over a communications link (Um) in both an acknowledge mode, in which reception by a receiver (BSS) of all information packets transmitted by a transmitter (MS) over the communications link (Um) are acknowledged by the receiver (BSS) sending at least one acknowledgement over the communications link (Um) back to the transmitter (MS), and in an unacknowledge mode in which none of the information packets transmitted by the transmitter (MS) over the communications link (Um) are acknowledged by the receiver (BSS), characterized by: said transmitter (MS) in said unacknowledge mode nevertheless determining from among a plurality of packets destined for transmission to the receiver (BSS) in said unacknowledge mode a selected packet (PDU) for which an acknowledgement of receipt from the receiver (BSS) is required, and signaling said receiver (BSS) that said acknowledgement of receipt of said selected packet (PDU) is required from the receiver (BSS), wherein the selected packet (PDU) is selected if incorrect reception of the selected packet (PDU) would cause other packet data to be lost or if the selected packet (PDU) is more important than others, the selected packet (PDU) being a reference packet that serves as a basis for further transmissions which indicate changes as compared to the reference packet.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) after transmitting said selected packet (PDU), waiting during a set time period thereafter for receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS) before taking further steps contingent on said acknowledgement of receipt by said receiver (BSS).

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) storing the selected packet (PDU) during said set time period at least until said receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS).

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS), after said selected packet (PDU) is transmitted to the receiver (BSS), also storing during said set time period packets for which acknowledgement is not required at least until said receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS).

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) retransmitting to said receiver (BSS) said stored selected packet (PDU) and said stored packets for which acknowledgement was not required after said set time elapses without receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS).

Claim 7

The method of claim 3 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) retransmitting to said receiver (BSS) said stored selected packet (PDU) after said set time elapses without receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS).

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) receiving over said communications link (Um) from said receiver (BSS) an acknowledgement of receipt of said selected packet (PDU) and by notifying a higher layer in a protocol stack of the transmitter (MS) of said receipt of said selected packet (PDU) by said receiver (BSS).

Claim 9

The method of claim 6 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) waiting for at least one further set time period after said step of retransmitting said stored selected packet (PDU) for an acknowledgement of receipt thereof from the receiver (BSS) before finally concluding that said retransmitted stored selected packet (PDU) was not received by the receiver (BSS).

Claim 10

The method of claim 8 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) notifying a higher layer in a protocol stack of the transmitter (MS) of nonreceipt of said retransmitted stored selected packet (PDU).

Claim 11

The method of claim 5 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) waiting for at least one further set time period after said step of retransmitting said stored selected packet (PDU) and said stored packets for which acknowledgement was not required, for an acknowledgement of receipt of the stored selected packet (PDU) from the receiver (BSS) before finally concluding that said retransmitted stored selected packet (PDU) was not received by the receiver (BSS).

Claim 12

The method of claim 10 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) notifying a higher layer in a protocol stack of the transmitter (MS) of nonreceipt of said retransmitted stored selected packet (PDU).

Claim 13

The method of claim 2 , characterized by said transmitter (MS) concluding after lapse of said set time period without receiving said acknowledgement that said selected packet (PDU) was not received by said receiver (BSS).

Claim 14

The method of claim 12 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) notifying a higher layer in a protocol stack of the transmitter (MS) of nonreceipt of said acknowledgement.

Claim 15

The method of claim 1 , characterized by said receiver (BSS) in said unacknowledge mode determining reception over said communications link (Um) of said selected packet (PDU) for which acknowledgement of receipt is required, and signaling said acknowledgement of receipt to said transmitter (MS) over said communications link (Um).

Claim 16

The method of claim 14 , characterized by said receiver (BSS) determining whether said received selected packet (PDU) was received correctly or not wherein said step of signaling said acknowledgement of receipt to said transmitter (MS) indicates correct or incorrect reception.

Claim 17

The method of claim 15 , characterized by said transmitter (MS) storing the selected packet (P DU) during said set time period at least until receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS) and upon receipt by said transmitter (MS) of said acknowledgement indicative of incorrect reception of said selected packet (PDU), retransmitting said selected packet (PDU).

Claim 18

The method of claim 15 , characterized by said receiver (BSS), after determining the selected packet (PDU) was received incorrectly, continuing to process incoming packets without any change in processing method therefor.

Claim 19

The method of claim 15 , characterized by said receiver (BSS) saving packets received after determining the selected packet (PDU) was received incorrectly until receiving the selected packet (PDU) correctly after which the receiver (BSS) processes incoming packets according to a method identified by said selected packet (PDU).

Claim 20

The method of claim 1 , characterized by said transmitter (MS) receiving over said communications link (Um) from said receiver (BSS) an acknowledgement of receipt of said selected packet (PDU) and by notifying a higher layer in a protocol stack of the transmitter (MS) of said receipt of said selected packet (PDU) by said receiver (BSS).

Claim 21

Transceiver having a receiving section and a transmitting section for use on both a receiving side and a transmitting side in a communications telecommunications system having the capability to exchange information packets over a communications link (Um) in both an acknowledge mode in which reception by a receiver (BSS) section of a transceiver on the receiving side of all information packets transmitted by the transmitter (MS) section of a transceiver on the transmitting side over the communications link (Um) are acknowledged by the receiver (BSS) section sending at least one acknowledgement over the communications link (Um) back to the transmitter (MS) section and in an unacknowledge mode in which none of the information packets transmitted by the transmitter (MS) section over the communications link (Um) are acknowledged by the receiver (BSS) section, characterized by: said transmitter (MS) section in said unacknowledge mode nevertheless having means for determining from among a plurality of packets destined for transmission to the receiver (BSS) section in said unacknowledge mode a selected packet (PDU) for which an acknowledgement of receipt from the receiver (BSS) section is required, and means for transmitting a signal to said receiver (BSS) section that said acknowledgement of receipt of said selected packet (PDU) is required from the receiver (BSS) section, wherein the selected packet (PDU) is selected if incorrect reception of the selected packet (PDU) would cause other packet data to be lost or if the selected packet (PDU) is more important than others, the selected packet (PDU) being a reference packet that serves as a basis for further transmissions which indicate changes as compared to the reference packet.

Claim 22

Transceiver having a receiving section and a transmitting section for use on both a receiving side and a transmitting side in a communications telecommunications system having the capability to exchange information packets over a communications link (Um) in both an acknowledge mode in which reception by a receiver (BSS) section of a transceiver on the receiving side of all information packets transmitted by the transmitter (MS) section of a transceiver on the transmitting side over the communications link (Um) are acknowledged by the receiver (BSS) section sending at least one acknowledgement over the communications link (Um) back to the transmitter (MS) section and in an unacknowledge mode in which none of the information packets transmitted by the transmitter (MS) section over the communications link (Um) are acknowledged by the receiver (BSS) section, characterized by: said transmitter (MS) section in said unacknowledge mode nevertheless having means for determining from among a plurality of packets destined for transmission to the receiver (BSS) section in said unacknowledge mode a selected packet (PDU) for which an acknowledgement of receipt from the receiver (BSS) section is required, and means for transmitting a signal to said receiver (BSS) section that said acknowledgement of receipt of said selected packet (PDU) is required from the receiver (BSS) section, wherein the selected packet (PDU) is selected if incorrect reception of the selected packet (PDU) would cause other packet data to be lost or if the selected packet (PDU) is more important than others, the selected packet (PDU) being a reference packet that serves as a basis for further transmissions which indicate changes as compared to the reference packet.

Claim 23

The transceiver of claim 20 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) section receiving over said communications link (Um) from said receiving side an acknowledgement of receipt of said selected packet (PDU) and by notifying a higher layer in a protocol stack of the transceiver of said receipt of said selected packet (PDU) by said receiving side.

Claim 24

The transceiver of claim 20 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) section having means for waiting during a set time period after transmitting said selected packet (PDU) for receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS) section before taking further steps contingent on said acknowledgement of receipt by said receiver (BSS) section.

Claim 25

The transceiver of claim 22 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) section having means for storing the selected packet (PDU) during said set time period at least until said receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS) section.

Claim 26

The transceiver of claim 23 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) having means for also storing, after said selected packet (PDU) is transmitted to the receiver (BSS), during said set time period packets for which acknowledgement is not required at least until said receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS).

Claim 27

The transceiver of claim 24 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) having means for retransmitting to said receiver (BSS) said stored selected packet (PDU) and said stored packets for which acknowledgement was not required after said set time elapses without receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS).

Claim 28

The transceiver of claim 23 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) having means for retransmitting to said receiver (BSS) said stored selected packet (PDU) after said set time elapses without receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS).

Claim 29

The transceiver of claim 26 , further characterized by said transmitter (MS) section receiving over said communications link (Um) from said receiving side an acknowledgement of receipt of said stored selected packet (PDU) and by notifying a higher layer in a protocol stack of the transceiver of said receipt.

Claim 30

The transceiver of claim 20 , characterized by said receiver (BSS) section in said unacknowledge mode having means for determining reception over said communications link (Um) of said selected packet (PDU) for which acknowledgement of receipt is required, and means for signaling said acknowledgement of receipt to said transmitter (MS) second over said communications link (Um).

Claim 31

The transceiver of claim 28 , characterized by said receiver (BSS) section determining whether said received selected packet (PDU) was received correctly or not, wherein said step of signaling said acknowledgement of receipt to said transmitter (MS) section indicates correct or incorrect reception.

Claim 32

The transceiver of claim 29 , characterized by said transmitter (MS) section storing the selected packet (PDU) during said set time period at least until receipt of said acknowledgement from said receiver (BSS) section and upon receipt by said transmitter (MS) section of said acknowledgement indicative of incorrect reception of said selected packet (PDU), retransmitting said selected packet (PDU).

Claim 33

The transceiver of claim 29 , characterized by said receiver (BSS) section, after determining the selected packet (PDU) was received incorrectly, continuing to process incoming packets without any change in the processing method therefor.

Claim 34

The transceiver of claim 29 , characterized by said receiver (BSS) section saving packets received after determining the selected packet (PDU) was received incorrectly until receiving the selected packet (PDU) correctly after which the receiver (BSS) section processes incoming packets according to a method identified by said selected packet (PDU).