Prioritization of protocol data units to assist radio link control retransmission

Abstract

A transmitting device may receive a radio link control (RLC) status report from a user equipment (UE) that indicates that a first RLC protocol data unit (PDU) is missing. The first RLC PDU may be multiplexed with a RLC PDU associated with a second priority to produce a second data block. The second priority may be higher priority than the first priority. The second data block may be transmitted using hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A transmitting device comprising:
 a processor configured to produce radio link control (RLC) protocol data units (PDUs) including a first RLC PDU associated with a first priority;   the processor is further configured to provide the RLC PDUs to be multiplexed into first data blocks;   a transmitter configured to transmit the first data blocks using hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ);   a receiver configured to receive an RLC status report from a user equipment, wherein the RLC status report indicates that the first RLC PDU is missing;   the processor is further configured to multiplex the first RLC PDU with at least one RLC PDU associated with a second priority to produce a second data block, wherein the second priority is higher than the first priority; and   the transmitter is further configured to transmit the second data block using HARQ.   
     
     
         2 . The transmitting device of  claim 1 , wherein the missing first RLC PDU is prioritized over other non-retransmitted RLC PDUs. 
     
     
         3 . The transmitting device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to track a number of times that the first RLC PDU was retransmitted. 
     
     
         4 . A method performed by a transmitting device, the method comprising:
 producing, by a processor, radio link control (RLC) protocol data units (PDUs) including a first RLC PDU associated with a first priority;   providing, by the processor, the RLC PDUs to be multiplexed into first data blocks;   transmitting, by the transmitting device, the first data blocks using hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ);   receiving, by the transmitting device, an RLC status report from a user equipment, wherein the RLC status report indicates that the first RLC PDU is missing;   multiplexing, by the transmitting device, the first RLC PDU with at least one RLC PDU associated with a second priority to produce a second data block, wherein the second priority is higher than the first priority; and   transmitting, by the transmitting device, the second data block using HARQ.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the missing first RLC PDU is prioritized over other non-retransmitted RLC PDUs. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein a number of times that the first RLC PDU was retransmitted is tracked. 
     
     
         7 . A receiving device comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive first data blocks using hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), wherein one of the first data blocks includes a first radio link control (RLC) protocol data unit (PDU) associated with a first priority and wherein the one first data block includes the first RLC PDU multiplexed with at least another RLC PDU;   a transmitter configured to transmit an RLC status report to a base station, wherein the RLC status report indicates that the first RLC PDU is missing; and   the receiver is further configured to receive a second data block using HARQ, wherein the second data block includes the first RLC PDU multiplexed with at least a second RLC PDU, wherein the second RLC PDU has a second priority, and wherein the second priority is higher than the first priority.   
     
     
         8 . The receiving device of  claim 7 , wherein transmission of the missing first RLC PDU is prioritized over other non-retransmitted RLC PDUs.