Wireless communications with efficient retransmission operation

Abstract

Automatic repeat request (ARQ) operations can be implemented in wireless communications by sending ( 2401 ) a plurality of data packets in a superpacket, and responding ( 2430 ) with an acknowledgement packet that indicates which packets of the superpacket require retransmission.

1 - 18 . (canceled)  
   
   
       19 . A method, comprising the steps of: 
 transmitting a superpacket from a first communication transceiver to a second communication transceiver; and    transmitting, responsive to said second communication transceiver receiving said superpacket, an acknowledgement packet from said second communication transceiver to said first communication transceiver indicating whether retransmission of respective packets of said superpacket is required.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said superpacket is transmitted from, first communication transceiver to said second communication transceiver via a wireless communication link.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said acknowledgement packet is transmitted from second communication transceiver to said first communication transceiver via a wireless communication link.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said acknowledgement packet includes a payload.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said payload includes a plurality of bits which respectively correspond to the packets of said superpacket.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein bit values of said plurality of bits indicate whether retransmission of the respectively corresponding packets is required.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , including determining from said payload of the acknowledgement packet whether any packets of the superpacket are to be retransmitted, and the first transceiver retransmitting in another superpacket any packets that are determined from the acknowledgement packet to require retransmission.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , including transmitting, responsive to said second communication transceiver receiving said another superpacket, an acknowledgement packet from said second communication transceiver to said first communication transceiver indicating whether retransmission of respective packets of said another superpacket is required.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein an error detection procedure is used by said second transceiver to determine whether retransmission of any packets of the superpacket is required.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said using step includes using a cyclic redundancy code for determining whether retransmission of any packets of the superpacket is required.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 19 , including transmitting, from the first transceiver to the second transceiver, a packet requesting transmission of the acknowledgment packet if the first transceiver determines that the acknowledgment packet has not been received correctly and that a time period for receiving the acknowledgment packet has not expired.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , including repeating said step of transmitting the packet requesting transmission of the acknowledgment packet until an occurrence of one of a correct receipt of the acknowledgement packet and an expiration of the time period.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said packets of said superpacket include at least one of audio information, video information and computer graphics information.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said payload bits are repetition coded in said acknowledgement packet.  
   
   
       33 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 an input for receiving a superpacket from another apparatus;    an acknowledgment generator coupled to said input and responsive to said superpacket for producing an acknowledgment packet; and    an output coupled to said acknowledgment generator for outputting said acknowledgment packet for transmission to said another apparatus.    
   
   
       34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein said apparatus receives said superpacket via wireless communication.  
   
   
       35 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein said superpacket includes a plurality of packets;  
   
   
       36 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein said acknowledgment packet has a payload.  
   
   
       37 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein said payload includes a plurality of bits which respectively correspond to the packets of said superpacket.  
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein bit values indicate whether retransmission of the respectively corresponding packets is required.  
   
   
       39 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein said acknowledgment packet is transmitted from said apparatus via wireless communication.  
   
   
       40 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , including an error detector coupled to said input for determining whether any of the packets of said superpacket have been received incorrectly, said error detector coupled to said acknowledgment generator for providing thereto information indicative of any packets of said superpacket that have been received incorrectly.  
   
   
       41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , including a register coupling said error detector to said acknowledgment generator for receiving said information from said error detector and providing said information to said acknowledgment generator.  
   
   
       42 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein said acknowledgment generator is operable for inserting said information received from said register into said payload of said acknowledgment packet.  
   
   
       43 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein said packets include at least one of audio information, video information and computer graphics information.  
   
   
       44 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein said payload bits are repetition coded in said acknowledgement packet.  
   
   
       45 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 an output for providing a superpacket for transmission to another apparatus;    an input for receiving from said another apparatus an acknowledgment packet; and    an acknowledgment receiver coupled to said input and responsive to said acknowledgment packet for selecting from said previously transmitted superpacket any portion of said superpacket which is to be retransmitted.    
   
   
       46 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said apparatus transmits said superpacket via wireless communication.  
   
   
       47 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said superpacket includes a plurality of packets;  
   
   
       48 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said acknowledgment packet has a payload.  
   
   
       49 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein said payload includes a plurality of bits which respectively correspond to the packets of said superpacket.  
   
   
       50 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein bit values indicate whether retransmission of the respectively corresponding packets is required.  
   
   
       51 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said superpacket is transmitted from said apparatus via wireless communication.  
   
   
       52 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein said packets include at least one of audio information, video information and computer graphics information.  
   
   
       53 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein said payload bits are repetition coded in said acknowledgement packet.