A
`
`Case Docket No. DE 000173
`
`THE COMMISSIONER FO,R PATENTS, Washington, D.C.
`
`20231
`
`Enclosed for filing is the patent appl
`CHRISTOPH HERRMANN
`
`ion of Inventor(s)
`
`For: WIRELESS NETWORK WITH A DATA EXCHANGE ACCORDING TO THE ARQ
`METHOD
`
`ENCLOSED ARE:
`[X] Appointment of Associates;
`[]
`Information Disclosure Statement, Form PTO 1449 and copies of
`documents listed therein;
`[] Preliminary Amendment;
`[X] Specification (14 Pages of Specification, Claims, & Abstract);
`[X] Declaration and Power of Attorney:
`(1 Page of a
`[ ]fully executed
`[X]unsigned Declaration);
`[X] Drawing (3 sheet of [ ]informal
`[X]formal sheets);
`[X] Certified copy
`a GERMAN appl
`ion Serial No.10050117.6;
`[X] Authorization Pursuant to 37 CFR 3l.136(a) (3)
`[] Other:
`[] Assignment to
`
`FEE COMPUTATION
`
`CLAIMS AS FILED
`
`FOR
`
`NUMBER FILED NUMBER
`EXTRA
`
`RATE
`
`BASIC FEE
`$740.00
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`Total Claims
`
`Independent
`Claims
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`10 - 20 =
`=
`- 3
`3
`
`0
`
`0
`
`X $18 =
`X $80
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`=
`
`Multiple Dependent Claims, if any
`
`$270 =
`
`0.00
`
`0.00
`
`0.00
`
`TOTAL FILING FEE
`$740.00
`Please charge Deposit Account No. 14-1270 in the amount of
`the total filing fee indicated above, plus any deficiencies. The
`Commissioner is also hereby authorized to charge any other fees
`which may be required, except the issue fee, or credit any
`overpayment to Account No. 14-1270.
`line
`[ ]Amend the specification by inserting before the
`as a centered heading --Cross Reference to Related Applications--;
`and
`below that as a new paragraph --This is a continuation-
`in-part of application Serial No.
`, filed
`, which is
`herein incorporated by
`CERTIFICATE OF EXPRESS MAILING
`
`Express Mail Mailing Label No. EL&J{pb /b'J'f 3t../ ttJ
`Date of Deposit O Cfo ,6,e r9 ) ;; 00 I
`I hereby certify that this paper andfor fee is being
`deposited with the United States Postal Service "Express
`Mail Post Office to Addressee" service under 37 C.F.R.
`1 . 10 on the date indicated above and is addressed to the
`Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, Washington,
`D.C. 20231.
`
`. Slobod, Reg. 26,236
`Atto ey
`(914) 333-9606
`Philips Electronics North America Corporation
`580 White Plains Road
`Tarrytown, New York 10591
`
`C:\wp\newtrans.sl.doc
`
`Natale A .. M-an~z~o __
`Typed Name
`
`Page 1 of 187
`
`

`

`A
`
`Case Docket No. DE 000173
`
`THE COMMISSIONER FO,R PATENTS, Washington, D.C.
`
`20231
`
`Enclosed for filing is the patent appl
`CHRISTOPH HERRMANN
`
`ion of Inventor(s)
`
`For: WIRELESS NETWORK WITH A DATA EXCHANGE ACCORDING TO THE ARQ
`METHOD
`
`ENCLOSED ARE:
`[X] Appointment of Associates;
`[]
`Information Disclosure Statement, Form PTO 1449 and copies of
`documents listed therein;
`[] Preliminary Amendment;
`[X] Specification (14 Pages of Specification, Claims, & Abstract);
`[X] Declaration and Power of Attorney:
`(1 Page of a
`[ ]fully executed
`[X]unsigned Declaration);
`[X] Drawing (3 sheet of [ ]informal
`[X]formal sheets);
`[X] Certified copy
`a GERMAN appl
`ion Serial No.10050117.6;
`[X] Authorization Pursuant to 37 CFR 3l.136(a) (3)
`[] Other:
`[] Assignment to
`
`FEE COMPUTATION
`
`CLAIMS AS FILED
`
`FOR
`
`NUMBER FILED NUMBER
`EXTRA
`
`RATE
`
`BASIC FEE
`$740.00
`
`Total Claims
`
`Independent
`Claims
`
`10 - 20 =
`=
`- 3
`3
`
`0
`
`0
`
`X $18 =
`X $80
`
`=
`
`Multiple Dependent Claims, if any
`
`$270 =
`
`0.00
`
`0.00
`
`0.00
`
`TOTAL FILING FEE
`$740.00
`Please charge Deposit Account No. 14-1270 in the amount of
`the total filing fee indicated above, plus any deficiencies. The
`Commissioner is also hereby authorized to charge any other fees
`which may be required, except the issue fee, or credit any
`overpayment to Account No. 14-1270.
`line
`[ ]Amend the specification by inserting before the
`as a centered heading --Cross Reference to Related Applications--;
`and
`below that as a new paragraph --This is a continuation-
`in-part of application Serial No.
`, filed
`, which is
`herein incorporated by
`CERTIFICATE OF EXPRESS MAILING
`
`Express Mail Mailing Label No. EL&J{pb /b'J'f 3t../ ttJ
`Date of Deposit O Cfo ,6,e r9 ) ;; 00 I
`I hereby certify that this paper andfor fee is being
`deposited with the United States Postal Service "Express
`Mail Post Office to Addressee" service under 37 C.F.R.
`1 . 10 on the date indicated above and is addressed to the
`Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, Washington,
`D.C. 20231.
`
`. Slobod, Reg. 26,236
`Atto ey
`(914) 333-9606
`Philips Electronics North America Corporation
`580 White Plains Road
`Tarrytown, New York 10591
`
`C:\wp\newtrans.sl.doc
`
`Natale A .. M-an~z~o __
`Typed Name
`
`Page 2 of 187
`
`

`

`· PHDEOOOl 73
`
`:-
`
`..
`
`5
`
`'~'~1 O
`,~·7
`
`Wireless network with a data exchange according to the ARQ method
`
`1
`
`14.09.2001
`
`The invention relates to a wireless network comprising a radio network
`
`controller and a plurality of assigned terminals, which are each provided for exchanging data
`
`and which form a receiving and/or transmitting side.
`
`Such a wireless network is known from the document "3rd Generation
`
`Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Report on Hybrid
`
`ARQ Type II/III (Release 2000), 3G TR 25.835 V0.0.2, TSG-RAN Working Group 2 (Radio
`
`L2 and Radio L3 ), Sophia Antipolis, France, 21-15 August 2000". For the secured
`
`transmission of data a method is used here which is called the hybrid ARQ-method type II or
`
`III (ARQ = Automatic Repeat Request). The data sent in Packet Data Units (PDU) by the
`
`Radio Link Control layer (RLC layer) are additionally provided for the error correcting
`
`coding with an error control through repetition of transmission. This means that in the case of
`
`an error-affected reception of a packet data unit packed in a transport block coded by one of
`
`the assigned physical layers, the received packet data unit affected by error is sent anew.
`
`With the hybrid ARQ method type I the received packet data unit affected by error is rejected
`
`and an identical copy is requested anew. With the hybrid ARQ methods types II and III the
`
`received packet data unit affected by error is buffered and, after additional incremental
`,:
`redundancy relating to the received packet data unit, decoded together with the received
`
`20
`
`packet data unit affected by error. Since only incremental redundancy and not the whole
`
`error-affected packet data unit is transmitted anew, the amount of data to be transmitted anew
`
`is reduced. With the ARQ method type II the incremental redundancy is useless without the
`
`buffered ( error-affected) packet, with the ARQ method type III the incremental redundancy
`
`can be decoded also without the buffered ( error-affected) packet. The coded transport blocks
`
`25
`
`are sent over at least one transport channel. A message about the error-free reception in said
`
`document is sent only when the receiving RLC layer establishes on the basis of the so-called
`
`RLC sequence number that packet data units are lacking, even if the physical layer has
`
`already recognized the packet data unit as being error-affected. This means that the packet
`
`data unit is to be buffered over long time spaces until an incremental redundancy is requested
`
`Page 3 of 187
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`

`

`,.
`
`..
`
`, PHDE000173
`
`2
`
`14.09.2001
`
`and then, after a successful decoding, the reception may be acknowledged as correct,
`
`especially when the receiving side is the network side, while the physical layer and the RLC
`
`layer are usually located on different hardware components. In addition to the packet data
`
`units contained in the transport blocks, the RLC sequence numbers of the packet data unit
`
`5
`
`and a redundancy version are to be transmitted in synchronism with the coded transport block
`
`when the hybrid ARQ methods of type II or III are implemented. This transmission is
`
`generally effected over a clearly better protected transport channel to safeguard that this
`
`information is error-free already at first reception. The information is decisive if after a
`
`repetition of transmission with incremental redundancy the buffered ( error-affected) packet
`
`IO
`
`data unit is decoded together with the incremental redundancy, because the incremental
`
`redundancy is to be assigned to the respective packet data unit via the redundancy version.
`
`It is an object of the invention to provide a wireless network in which error-
`
`15
`
`affected data repeatedly to be transmitted according to the ARQ method of the type II or III
`
`are buffered for a shorter period of time on average.
`
`The object is achieved by the following features by the wireless network
`
`mentioned in the opening paragraph which comprises a radio network controller and a
`
`plurality of assigned terminals which are each provided for exchanging data and which form
`
`20
`
`each a receiving and/or transmitting side:
`
`A physical layer of a transmitting side is provided for
`
`storing coded transport blocks in a memory, which blocks contain at least a
`
`packet data unit which is delivered by the assigned radio link control layer and can be
`
`identified by a packet data unit sequence number,
`
`,?
`
`25
`
`storing abbreviated sequence numbers whose length depends on the maximum
`
`number of coded transport blocks to be stored and which can be shown unambiguously in a
`
`packet data unit sequence number, and for
`
`transmitting coded transport blocks having at least the assigned abbreviated
`
`sequence number and
`
`30
`
`a physical layer of a receiving side is provided for testing the correct reception
`
`of the coded transport block and for sending a positive acknowledge command to the
`
`transmitting side over a back channel when there is correct reception and a negative
`
`acknowledge command when there is error-affected reception.
`
`Page 4 of 187
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`

`

`· PHDE000173
`
`3
`
`14.09.2001
`
`The wireless network according to the invention may be, for example, a radio
`network according to the UMTS standard (UMTS = Universal Mobile Telecommunication
`System). With this system, when, for example, data are transmitted according to the ARQ
`
`method of type II or III, the transmission of an acknowledge command over a back channel
`
`5
`
`unknown thus far between a physical layer of a transmitting side (for example, a radio
`
`network controller) and the physical layer of a receiving side (for example, a terminal)
`
`provides that a correct or error-affected transmission of a transport block is announced to the
`
`transmitting side much more rapidly than known until now. As a result, a repetition of
`
`transmission with incremental redundancy may be effected rapidly. This enables the
`
`10
`
`receiving side to buffer the received coded transport block affected by error clearly more
`
`briefly, because the additional redundancy necessary for the correct decoding is available at
`
`an earlier instant. In this manner, the memory capacity or memory area needed on average for
`
`buffering received coded transport blocks affected by error is also reduced.
`
`The use of abbreviated sequence numbers reduces the extent of information
`
`15
`
`that is required to be additionally transmitted for managing the transport blocks and packet
`
`data units and simplifies the assignment of the received acknowledge command to the stored
`
`transport blocks. The physical layer of a receiving side is provided here for sending a positive
`
`or negative acknowledge command with the abbreviated sequence number of the correctly or
`
`received transport block affected by error over the return channel.
`
`20
`
`In lieu of transmitting the abbreviated sequence number, an abbreviated
`
`sequence number of a transport block which a received acknowledge command relates to can
`
`also implicitly be determined based on the length of time between the transmission of the
`
`transport block and the reception of the acknowledge command and on the transmission
`,,:
`sequence of the acknowledge command in case of a plurality of received acknowledge
`
`25
`
`commands. This is made possible in a simple manner in that a transmission of the transport
`
`blocks is provided in radio frames and in that the transmission of an acknowledge command
`
`from the transmitting side to the receiving side is provided in the Fth radio frame at the
`
`earliest after the radio frame that contains the respective transport block (with F~l ). The
`
`order of a plurality of acknowledge commands corresponds to the order of the transmission
`
`30
`
`of transport blocks in a preceding radio frame.
`
`If the physical layer of a transmitting side has received a negative
`
`acknowledge command, the physical layer once again requests the radio link control layer to
`
`transmit the packet data unit that has been transmitted affected by error via the coded
`
`Page 5 of 187
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`' PHDEOOOl 73
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`4
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`14.09.2001
`
`transport block. After a packet data unit has been received, the physical layer forms
`
`therefrom a coded transport block which contains an incremental redundancy.
`
`The invention also relates to a radio network controller and a terminal in a
`
`wireless network which exchange data according to the hybrid ARQ method.
`
`5
`
`These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be
`
`elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.
`
`In the drawings:
`
`10
`
`Fig. 1 shows a wireless network comprising a radio network controller and a
`
`plurality of terminals,
`
`Fig. 2 shows a layer model for explaining different functions of a terminal or
`
`of a radio network controller and
`
`Fig. 3 shows a plurality of radio frames which contain data to be transmitted
`
`15
`
`over the radio path between radio network controller and terminals.
`
`Fig. I shows a wireless network, for example, radio network, including a radio
`
`network controller (RNC) 1 and a plurality of terminals 2 to 9. The radio network controller 1
`
`20
`
`is responsible for controlling all the components taking part in the radio traffic such as, for
`
`example, the terminals 2 to 9. An exchange of control and useful data takes place at least
`
`between the radio network controller 1 and the terminals 2 to 9. The radio network controller
`
`1 sets up a respective link for the transmission of useful data.
`"'
`As a rule, the terminals 2 to 9 are mobile stations and the radio network
`
`25
`
`controller 1 is fixedly installed. A radio network controller 1 may, however, also be movable
`
`or mobile, as appropriate.
`
`In the wireless network are transmitted, for example, radio signals in
`accordance with the FDMA, TOMA or CDMA method (FDMA = frequency division
`multiple access, TOMA = time division multiple access, CDMA = code division multiple
`
`30
`
`access), or in accordance with a combination of the methods.
`
`In the CDMA method, which is a special code-spreading method, binary
`
`information ( a data signal) coming from a user is modulated with a respective code sequence.
`
`Such a code sequence includes a pseudo-random square-wave signal (pseudo-noise code),
`
`whose rate, also called chip rate, is generally considerably higher than that of the binary data.
`
`Page 6 of 187
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`' PHDEOOOl 73
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`5
`
`14.09.2001
`
`The length oftime of a square-wave pulse of the pseudo-random square-wave signal is
`
`referred to as a chip interval Tc. 1/Tc is the chip rate. The multiplication or modulation
`
`respectively, of the data signal by the pseudo-random square-wave signal has a spreading of
`the spectrum by the spreading factor Ne= TIT c as a result, where T is the length of time of
`
`5
`
`the square-wave pulse of the data signal.
`
`Useful data and control data are transmitted between at least one terminal (2 to
`
`9) and the radio network controller I over channels predefined by the radio network
`
`controller I. A channel is determined by a frequency range, a time range and, for example, in
`
`the CDMA method, by a spreading code. The radio link from the radio network controller 1
`
`10
`
`to the terminals 2 to 9 is referred to as the downlink and from the terminals to the base station
`
`as the uplink. Thus data are sent over downlink channels from the base station to the
`
`terminals and over uplink channels from the terminals to the base station.
`
`For example, a downlink control channel may be provided which is used for
`
`broadcasting, prior to a connection setup, control data coming from the radio network
`
`15
`
`controller 1 to all the terminals 2 to 9. Such a channel is referred to as downlink broadcast
`
`control channel. For transmitting control data from a terminal 2 to 9 to the radio network
`
`controller 1 prior to a connection setup, for example, an uplink control channel assigned by
`
`the radio network controller 1 can be used which, however, may also be accessed by other
`
`terminals 2 to 9. An uplink channel that can be used by various terminals or all the terminals
`
`20
`
`2 to 9 is referred to as a common uplink channel. After a connection setup, for example,
`
`between a terminal 2 to 9 and the radio network controller 1, useful data are transmitted by a
`downlink and an uplink user channel. Channels that are set up between only one transmitter
`
`and one receiver are referred to as dedicated channels. As a rule, a user channel is a dedicated
`,:
`channel which may be accompanied by a dedicated control channel for transmitting link-
`specific control data.
`
`25
`
`For exchanging useful data between the radio network controller 1 and a
`
`terminal, it is necessary for a terminal 2 to 9 to be synchronized with the radio network
`controller I. For example, it is known from the GSM system (GSM = Global System for
`Mobile communication), in which a combination of FDMA and TDMA methods is used, that
`
`30
`
`after a suitable frequency range is determined based on predefined parameters, the position in
`
`time of a frame is determined (frame synchronization), with the aid of which frame the order
`in time for transmitting data is determined. Such a frame is always necessary for the data
`
`synchronization of terminals and base station in TDMA, FDMA and CDMA methods. Such a
`
`Page 7 of 187
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`

`' PHDEOOOl 73
`
`frame may contain several sub-frames, or together with various other successive frames, form
`
`6
`
`14.09.2001
`
`a superframe.
`
`The exchange of control and useful data via the radio interface between the
`
`radio network controller 1 and the terminals 2 to 9 can be explained with the layer model or
`
`5
`
`protocol architecture shown by way of example in Fig. 2 (compare for example 3rd
`
`Generation Partnership Project (3GPP); Technical Specification Group (TSG) RAN;
`
`Working Group 2 (WG2); Radio Interface Protocol Architecture; TS 25.301 V3.2.0 (1999-
`
`10)). The layer model comprises three protocol layers: the physical layer PHY, the data link
`
`layer having the sub-layers MAC and RLC (in Fig. 2 various objects of the sub-layer RLC
`
`1 O
`
`are shown) and the layer RRC. The sub-layer MAC is equipped for Medium Access Control,
`
`the sub-layer RLC for Radio Link Control and the layer RRC for Radio Resource Control.
`
`The layer RRC is responsible for the signaling between the terminals 2 to 9 and the radio
`
`network controller 1. The sub-layer RLC is used for controlling a radio link between a
`
`terminal 2 to 9 and a radio network controller 1. The layer RRC controls the layers MAC and
`
`15
`
`PHY via control links 10 and 11. By doing this, the layer RRC can control the configuration
`
`of the layers MAC and PHY. The physical layer PHY offers transport links 12 to the layer
`
`MAC. The layer MAC renders logic connections 13 available to the layer RLC. The layer
`
`RLC can be reached by applications via access points 4.
`
`In such a network a method of securely transmitting data is used, which is
`called the hybrid ARQ (ARQ = Automatic Repeat Request) method. The data sent in packet
`
`20
`
`data units PDU are additionally provided for a forward error correction by means of an error
`
`control via repetitions of transmissions. This means that in case a packet data unit is received
`
`affected by error, the received packet data unit affected by error is sent anew. With the hybrid
`.!
`ARQ methods of type II or III it is possible to send only certain parts of the data of an error-
`
`25
`
`affected transmission once again. This is referred to as incremental redundancy.
`
`The packet data units are formed in the RLC layer and packed to transport
`
`blocks in the MAC layer, which transport blocks are transmitted by the physical layer from
`
`the radio network controller to a terminal or vice versa over the available transport channels.
`
`In the physical layer the transport blocks are provided with a cyclic redundancy check (CRC)
`
`30
`
`and coded together. The result of this operation is referred to as a coded transport block. The
`
`coded transport blocks contain a packet data unit and control information.
`
`Coded transport blocks affected by error that were transmitted are buffered in
`
`the physical layer of the receiving side for the conversion according to the hybrid ARQ
`
`method of type II or III until the incremental redundancy required afterwards makes an error-
`
`Page 8 of 187
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`

`

`· PHDEOOOl 73
`
`7
`
`14.09.2001
`
`free decoding possible. It is known that at least the RLC sequence number or packet data unit
`
`sequence number, which features a packet data unit, and a redundancy version is to be
`
`transmitted, in parallel with the coded transport block or the incremental redundancy required
`
`afterwards, as so-called side information (compare: ff3rd Generation Partnership Project;
`
`5
`
`Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Report on Hybrid ARQ Type II/III
`
`(Release 2000), 3G TR 25.835 V0.0.2, TSG-RAN Working Group 2 (Radio L2 and Radio
`
`L3), Sophia Antipolis, France, 21-15 August 2000"), so that the receiving side can detect
`
`which coded transport block is concerned or which buffered coded transport block the
`
`additionally transmitted redundancy refers to when a coded transport block affected by error
`
`10
`
`or additional incremental redundancy affected by error is received. The redundancy version
`
`indicates whether it is a first-time sent incremental redundancy or which next incremental
`
`redundancy possibly repeated several times is concerned.
`
`According to the invention, an abbreviated sequence number in lieu of the
`
`RLC sequence number is used for the transmission of the side information over the radio
`
`15
`
`interface, the length of which abbreviated sequence number is clearly shorter than the RLC
`
`sequence number. This abbreviated sequence number is determined by the number ofM
`
`coded transport blocks which, on the receiving side, can at most be buffered simultaneously,
`and consists ofl ld M 1 bits. (f Id Ml means the logarithm to the base of2 rounded to the
`next higher natural number).
`
`20
`
`For this purpose, the transmitting physical layer generates an abbreviated
`
`sequence number from the RLC sequence number locally received as side information from
`
`the RLC layer. The physical layer contains another table or a memory which stores the
`
`abbreviated sequence number and the RLC sequence number, so that an image of the RLC
`?
`sequence number follows the abbreviated sequence number. If the physical layer receives
`
`25
`
`from the RLC layer a transport block containing side information, but all the abbreviated
`
`sequence numbers have already been issued, this transport block cannot be transmitted and
`
`the RLC layer is to be informed of this queue situation. In another case the physical layer
`
`selects a non-issued abbreviated sequence number, writes the relation to the RLC sequence
`
`number in the table and codes the transport block and sends it as a coded transport block with
`
`30
`
`the side information via the radio interface. For an incremental redundancy to be sent
`
`afterwards, which relates to this coded transport block, again this abbreviated sequence
`
`number is taken from the table and sent in the side information in parallel with the
`
`incremental redundancy.
`
`Page 9 of 187
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`. PHDEOOOI 73
`
`8
`
`14.09.2001
`
`To inform the transmitting side (transmitting terminal or radio network
`
`controller) of the fact that a transport block has not been transmitted error-free, according to
`
`the invention a fast back channel is provided which is inserted directly between the receiving
`
`physical layer and the sending physical layer and not between the RLC layers concerned. The
`
`5
`
`back channel is built up if a terminal and the radio network controller have agreed that data
`
`are transmitted according to the hybrid ARQ method of type II or III. The receiving physical
`
`layer checks whether the coded transport block has been transmitted correctly. If it has, a
`
`positive acknowledge signal ACK is sent to the sending physical layer over the back channel.
`
`Conversely, if the coded transport block has not been received error-free, a negative
`
`10
`
`acknowledge command NACK is sent to the sending physical layer.
`
`The positive and negative acknowledge commands ACK and NACK may each
`
`contain the abbreviated sequence number of the correctly or erroneously received coded
`
`transport block. The sending side can also identify the transmitted transport block affected by
`
`error on account of the number of a radio frame, which contains the positive or negative
`
`15
`
`acknowledge command. The acknowledge commands in a radio frame of the back channel
`
`relate to coded transport blocks which were transmitted in transmission time intervals TTI
`
`which ended in a radio frame that preceded by exactly F radio frames (with F~l) the radio
`
`frame containing the acknowledge commands. Fig. 3 shows this. A transport time interval
`
`TTI indicates the time which a transport block lasts and corresponds at least to the length of
`
`20
`
`time of one radio frame RF which determines the time necessary for the transport blocks to
`
`be sent over the radio link or radio interface. The numbers of the radio frames are generally
`
`broadcast to the mobile stations via a broadcast channel. In Fig. 3 are shown various transport
`
`blocks TBO to TB4 which are to be transmitted for the length of time of two radio frames RF.
`
`,#
`
`The transport block TBO in this example is not transmitted according to the hybrid ARQ
`
`25 method of type II or III, whereas the other transport blocks are to be transmitted indeed
`
`according to the hybrid ARQ methods of type II or III. The announcement about a correct or
`
`error-affected transmission thus only occurs for the transport blocks TB 1 to TB4 via a
`
`positive or negative acknowledge command over the physical back channel.
`
`The transmission time interval TTI of the transport blocks TB 1 and TB4 is
`
`30
`
`equal to the length of time of a single radio frame RF and the transmission time interval TTI
`
`of the transport blocks TBO, TB2 and TB3 is equal to two radio frames RF. A first part of the
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`transport blocks TB2, TB3 and TBO and transport block TB 1 are used for transmitting coded
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`transport blocks during a first radio frame RF and a second part of the transport blocks TB2,
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`TB3 and TBO and transport block TB4 during a second subsequent radio frame RF over the
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`physical channel PRC. It is assumed that the transport blocks TB I, TB2 and TB4 have been
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`received correctly and the transport block TB3 from a terminal or from the network
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`controller. The correct or error-affected reception is checked in a radio frame RF which
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`comes after the ended Transmission Time Interval (TTI) and is announced to the sending side
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`5
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`(F=2) in the next radio frame RF via the back channel BC. Fig. 3 shows in the third radio
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`frame RF the positive acknowledge command ACK for the transport block TBl and in the
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`fourth radio frame RF the positive acknowledge command ACK for the transport blocks TB4
`
`and TB2 and the negative acknowledge command NACK for the transport block TB3. No
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`acknowledge command is sent for the transport block TBO, because this command is not
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`10
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`transmitted according to an ARQ method of type II or III. The acknowledge commands are
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`sorted in the sequence in which the transport blocks have been sent. The acknowledge
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`command can, however, also be sent during a later radio frame RF. The number F of radio
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`frames RF which occur between the reception of a transport block (i.e. after the transmission
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`time interval has ended) or a number of transport blocks (i.e. after their transmission time
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`15
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`intervals have ended, ending all at the same frame boundary) and the sending of an
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`acknowledge command should be selected so that the receiving side has enough time to
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`decode all co-transmitted transport blocks and check them for errors.
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`The transmission of the transport blocks TBO to TB4 is accompanied with data
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`called side information, which contain at least information about the redundancy version and
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`20
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`about the abbreviated sequence number of a transport block. This side information is referred
`
`to as SI in Fig. 3.
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`If a sending side receives a negative acknowledge command NACK,
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`additional incremental redundancy is prompted to be sent. The physical layer that has
`.,;
`received the negative acknowledge command (NACK) for one or more received coded
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`25
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`transport blocks affected by errors, determines the RLC sequence number of the packet data
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`unit which the negative acknowledge commands relate to and announces to the associated
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`RLC layer the RLC sequence numbers of the error-affected packet data units. At the same
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`time, the receiving physical layer stores the RLC sequence numbers of the packet data units
`
`that have been announced to be error-affected. The RLC layer then sends each one of these
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`30
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`packet data units again, as in the case where the opposite RLC layer requests to send a packet
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`data unit again (hybrid ARQ method type I). The MAC layer generates a transport block
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`from the packet data unit, which transport block is then transferred with the side information
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`to the physical layer. The physical layer compares the RLC sequence number contained in
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`the side information with the buffered sequence number and recognizes that this transport
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`block is to be sent as a repetition of transmission. The physical layer generates a coded
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`transport block which contains the necessary incremental redundancy and no longer the
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`whole coded packet data unit - as defined by the hybrid ARQ method type II or III.
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`If the physical layer has received a positive acknowledge command AC~ it
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`5
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`deletes the stored RLC sequence number. Via this RLC sequence number the physical layer
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`can also acknowledge the correct reception of the packet data unit to the associated RLC
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`layer, which RLC layer then deletes the packet data unit that has this RLC sequence number
`from its buffer. This is particularly possible in the case of the downlink direction, when
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`physical layer and RLC layer are not accommodated on separate hardware components in the
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`10
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`receiving mobile station. On the other hand, it may be more favorable for the sending RLC
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`layer to wait for the acknowledgement of receipt from the RLC layer on the receiving side,
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`because it is still possible for transmission errors to occur when the transport block is
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`transferred from the receiving physical layer to the receiving RLC layer (more particularly in
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`the uplink direction, because here the receiving physical layer and the receiving RLC layer
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`15
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`are accommodated on different hardware components).
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`CLAIMS:
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`1.
`
`A wireless network comprising a radio network controller and a plurality of
`
`assigned terminals, which are each provided for exchanging data according to the hybrid
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`ARQ method and which form a receiving and/or transmitting side, in which a physical layer
`
`of a transmitting side is arranged for
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`5
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`storing coded transport blocks in a memory, which blocks contain at least a
`
`packet data unit which is delivered by the assigned radio link control layer and can be
`
`identified by a packet data unit sequence number,
`
`storing abbreviated sequence numbers whose length depends on the maximum
`
`number of coded transport blocks to be stored and which can be shown unambiguously in a
`
`"] 0
`
`packet data unit sequence number, and for
`
`transmitting coded transport blocks having at least the assigned abbreviated
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`sequence number and
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`a physical layer of a receiving side is provided for testing the correct reception
`
`of the coded transport block and_ for sending a positive acknowledge command to the
`
`transmitting side over a back channel when there is correct reception and a negative
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`acknowledge command when there is error-affected reception.
`
`2.
`
`A wireless network as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the radio
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`network controller and the assigned terminals are prov