Method and apparatus for accessing variable sized blocks of data

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of buffers, each of the plurality of buffers corresponding to a time slot within a frame in which data is to be transmitted or received;

a plurality of indicators associated with the plurality of buffers;

a memory access controller to transfer data to be transmitted or received in at least one of the plurality of time slots to at least a portion of the plurality of buffers using a programmed data transfer length; and

control logic operable to control the transfer of variable size portions of the data having a length less than the programmed data transfer length between the memory access controller and at least a subset of the plurality of buffers based on the plurality of indicators without requiring reprogramming of the programmed data transfer length.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of indicators indicates whether the associated buffer is available for data storage.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a processing unit operable to transmit the data in the plurality of buffers to a remote device over a wireless medium.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processing unit is further operable to receive an acknowledgement indicating whether the transmission was successful.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processing unit is further operable to modify one or more of the plurality of indicators to indicate the portion of the plurality of buffers for which data was successfully transmitted based on the received acknowledgement.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the control logic transfers data from the source to the portion of the plurality of buffers for which the plurality of indicators indicate that the data stored in the corresponding buffer was successfully transmitted.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second plurality of indicators associated with the plurality of buffers, wherein the second plurality of indicators indicate which of the associated buffers are utilized to store data.

8. A method, comprising:

accessing a first plurality of indicators associated with a corresponding plurality of buffers, the plurality of buffers being associated with a corresponding plurality of time slots within a frame in which data is to be transmitted or received;

defining a programmed data transfer length for transferring data to the buffers; and

controlling the transfer of variable size portions of the data having a length less than the programmed data transfer length to at least a subset of the plurality of buffers based on the accessed plurality of indicators without requiring reprogramming of the programmed data transfer length.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting data stored in the plurality of buffers to a remote device over a wireless medium.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving an acknowledgement indicating whether data stored in each of the corresponding plurality of buffers transmitted successfully.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising modifying a portion of the first plurality of indicators to indicate that data stored in the associated buffers was transmitted successfully, based upon the acknowledgement.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein transferring the data from the source to the portion of the buffers comprises determining the buffers for which the stored data was transmitted successfully using the first plurality of indicators.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein transferring data from the source to the portion of the buffers comprises transferring data from the source to the buffers for which the stored data was transmitted successfully.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

means for accessing a first plurality of indicators associated with a corresponding plurality of buffers, the plurality of buffers being associated with a corresponding plurality of time slots within a frame in which data is to be transmitted or received;

means for defining a programmed data transfer length for transferring data to the buffers; and

means for controlling the transfer of variable size portions of the data having a length less than the programmed data transfer length to at least a subset of the plurality of buffers based on the accessed plurality of indicators without requiring reprogramming of the programmed data transfer length.

15. A system, comprising:

a memory;

a radio module; and

a wireless local loop controller adapted to:

transmit data stored in a plurality of buffers using the radio module, wherein each of the plurality of buffers corresponds to a time slot within a frame in which data is transmitted or received, and a programmed data transfer length is defined for transferring data to said plurality of buffers;

receive an acknowledgement indicating whether data stored in each of the plurality of buffers transmitted successfully;

modify a plurality of indicators associated with the plurality of buffers to indicate whether the data stored in the corresponding buffer transmitted successfully, based upon the received acknowledgement; and

transfer variable size portions of data having a length less than the programmed data transfer length from the memory to at least a portion of the buffers based upon the modified indicators without requiring reprogramming of the programmed data transfer length.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the wireless loop controller is further adapted to modify a second plurality of indicators associated with the plurality of buffers to indicate which of the associated buffers are utilized to store data.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the wireless local loop controller is adapted to transmit the data using a DECT protocol.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of buffers is located in a packet data memory in the wireless local loop controller.