Transmission protection

Abstract

Communication between a cellular network and a communication device occurs in a first frequency band and a second frequency band, the second frequency band being at least partly different from the first frequency band. A data packet is sent in the first frequency band. Depending on an acknowledgment of receipt of the data packet, the data packet is selectively sent in the second frequency band.

1 . A communication device,
 the communication device comprising:
 a wireless interface configured to communicate with a cellular network in a first frequency band and to communicate with the cellular network in a second frequency band, the second frequency band being at least partly different from the first frequency band, 
 at least one processor configured to send a data packet to the cellular network via the wireless interface in the first frequency band, 
   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to check if receipt of the data packet is acknowledged by the cellular network,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to selectively send the data packet to the cellular network via the wireless interface in the second frequency band depending on said checking.   
     
     
         2 . The communication device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the data packet to the cellular network via the wireless interface in the first frequency band employing a first automatic repeat request scheme,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to selectively send the data packet to the cellular network via the wireless interface in the second frequency band employing a second automatic repeat request scheme.   
     
     
         3 . The communication device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to, as part of said sending of the data packet to the cellular network via the wireless interface in the first frequency band, monitor a transmission timeout of the data packet and, if said checking yields that the receipt of the data packet is not acknowledged by the cellular network and depending on said monitoring of the transmission timeout, to selectively re-send the data packet via the wireless interface to the cellular network in the first frequency band.   
     
     
         4 . The communication device of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to selectively execute said sending of the data packet to the cellular network via the wireless interface in the second frequency band if the monitoring of the transmission timeout yields an elapsed transmission timeout of the data packet.   
     
     
         5 . The communication device of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to monitor the transmission timeout of the data packet by executing a threshold comparison between a predetermined threshold and at least one of a transmission timeout timer and a retransmission counter,   wherein the predetermined threshold corresponds to sending of the data packet to the cellular network in the first frequency band for a time duration which is shorter than a lifetime indication of the data packet.   
     
     
         6 . The communication device of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to, as part of said sending of the data packet to the cellular network via the wireless interface in the second frequency band:
 monitor a further transmission timeout of the data packet; 
 if said checking yields that the receipt of the data packet is not acknowledged by the cellular network and depending on said monitoring of the further transmission timeout, selectively re-send the data packet via the wireless interface to the cellular network in the second frequency band, 
   wherein the at least one processor is configured to monitor the further transmission timeout of the data packet by executing a further threshold comparison between a further predetermined threshold and at least one of a further transmission timeout timer and a further retransmission counter,   wherein the further predetermined threshold corresponds to sending of the data packet to the cellular network in the second frequency band for a time duration which is shorter than the lifetime indication of the data packet.   
     
     
         7 . The communication device of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine at least one of the predetermined threshold and the further predetermined threshold based on at least one of a control message received via the wireless interface from the cellular network in the second frequency band and the lifetime indication of the data packet.   
     
     
         8 . The communication device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first frequency band is an unlicensed frequency band, wherein the wireless interface is configured to transceive according to an Licensed Assisted Access LTE data transmission procedure in the first frequency band,   wherein the second frequency band is a licensed frequency band, wherein the wireless interface is configured to transceive according an LTE-licensed data transmission procedure in the second frequency band.   
     
     
         9 . The communication device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the communication device is a mobile device of a group comprising a mobile phone, a smartphone, tablet, a personal digital assistant, a mobile music player, a smart watch, a wearable electronic equipment, and a mobile computer.   
     
     
         10 . A method, the method comprising:
 at least one processor of a communication device sending a data packet to a cellular network via a wireless interface of the communication device in a first frequency band,   the at least one processor checking if receipt of the data packet is acknowledged by the cellular network,   depending on said checking, the at least one processor selectively sending the data packet to the cellular network via the wireless interface in a second frequency band, the second frequency band being at least partly different from the first frequency band.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the method is executed by a communication device of  claim 1 .   
     
     
         12 . A node of a cellular network,
 the node comprising:
 a wireless interface configured to communicate with a communication device connected to the cellular network in a first frequency band and to communicate with the communication device in a second frequency band, the second frequency band being at least partly different from the first frequency band, 
 at least one processor configured to send a data packet to the communication device via the wireless interface in the first frequency band, 
   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to check if receipt of the data packet is acknowledged by the communication device,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to selectively send the data packet to the communication device via the wireless interface in the second frequency band depending on said checking.   
     
     
         13 . The node of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the data packet to the communication device via the wireless interface in the first frequency band employing a first automatic repeat request scheme,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to selectively send the data packet to the communication device via the wireless interface in the second frequency band employing a second automatic repeat request scheme.   
     
     
         14 . The node of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a property of the first automatic repeat request scheme based on at least one of an interference situation in the first frequency band and a quality report received from the communication device.   
     
     
         15 . The node of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to, as part of said sending of the data packet to the communication device via the wireless interface in the first frequency band:
 monitor a transmission timeout of the data packet; and 
 if said checking yields that the receipt of the data packet is not acknowledged by the communication device and depending on said monitoring of the transmission timeout, selectively re-send the data packet via the wireless interface to the communication device in the first frequency band. 
   
     
     
         16 . The node of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to selectively execute said sending of the data packet to the communication device via the wireless interface in the second frequency band if the monitoring of the transmission timeout yields an elapsed transmission timeout of the data packet.   
     
     
         17 . The node of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to monitor the transmission timeout of the data packet by executing a threshold comparison between a predetermined threshold and at least one of a transmission timeout timer and a retransmission counter,   wherein the predetermined threshold corresponds to sending of the data packet to the communication device in the first frequency band for a time duration which is shorter than a lifetime indication of the data packet.   
     
     
         18 . The node of  claim 17 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to, as part of said sending of the data packet to the communication device via the wireless interface in the second frequency band:
 monitor a further transmission timeout of the data packet; 
 if said checking yields that the receipt of the data packet is not acknowledged by the communication device and depending on said monitoring of the further transmission timeout, selectively re-send the data packet via the wireless interface to the communication in the second frequency band, 
   wherein the at least one processor is configured to monitor the further transmission timeout of the data packet by executing a further threshold comparison between a further predetermined threshold and at least one of a further transmission timeout timer and a further retransmission counter,   wherein the further predetermined threshold corresponds to sending of the data packet to the communication device in the second frequency band for a time duration which is shorter than the lifetime indication of the data packet.   
     
     
         19 . The node of  claim 17 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine at least one of the predetermined threshold and the further predetermined threshold based on at least one of a interference situation of transmission in the first frequency band and the lifetime indication of the data packet,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to send a control message indicating at least one of the predetermined threshold and the further predetermined threshold via the wireless interface to the communication device in the second frequency band.   
     
     
         20 . The node of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the first frequency band is an unlicensed frequency band, wherein the wireless interface is configured to transceive according to an License Assisted Access data transmission procedure in the first frequency band,   wherein the second frequency band is a licensed frequency band, wherein the wireless interface is configured to transceive according an LTE-licensed data transmission procedure in the second frequency band.   
     
     
         21 . A method,
 the method comprising:
 at least one processor of a node of a cellular network sending a data packet to a communication device connected to the cellular network via a wireless interface of the node in a first frequency band, 
 the at least one processor checking if receipt of the data packet is acknowledged by the communication device, 
 depending on said checking, the at least one processor selectively sending the data packet to the communication device via the wireless interface in a second frequency band, the second frequency band being at least partly different from the first frequency band. 
   
     
     
         22 . A node of a cellular network,
 the node comprising:
 a wireless interface configured to communicate with a communication device connected to the cellular network in a first frequency band and to communicate with the communication device in a second frequency band, the second frequency band being at least partly different from the first frequency band, 
 at least one processor configured to receive a data packet from the communication device via the wireless interface in the first frequency band, 
   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to check if receipt of the data packet is successful,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to selectively receive the data packet from the communication device via the wireless interface in the second frequency band depending on said checking.   
     
     
         23 . The node of  claim 22 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the data packet to the communication device via the wireless interface in the first frequency band employing a first automatic repeat request scheme,   wherein the at least one processor is further configured to selectively receive the data packet to the communication device via the wireless interface in the second frequency band employing a second automatic repeat request scheme.   
     
     
         24 . The node of  claim 23 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a property of the first automatic repeat request scheme based on at least one of an interference situation in the first frequency band and a quality report received from the communication device,   wherein the at least one processor is configured to send a control message to the communication device via the wireless interface in at least one of the first frequency band and the second frequency band, the control message indicating the determined property of the first automatic repeat request scheme.   
     
     
         25 . The node of  claim 22 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to send at least one of a positive acknowledgement and a negative acknowledgement of receipt of the data packet, depending on said checking.