Method and apparatus for segmentation of messages in a communications system

1. A method for transmitting messages in an electronic communications system, the method comprising:

segmenting a message into a plurality of message segments, the plurality of message segments comprising at least one leading message segment and a trailing message segment;

applying a message segment indication to the at least one leading message segment;

assigning one of a plurality of timeout values to the message;

determining the length of the message segments according to the timeout value of the message such that the message segments have a segment length that decreases with an increasing timeout value of the message; and

transmitting the message segments over the electronic communications system.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the length of each of the plurality of message segments is limited to a maximal segment length of 1024 bytes or octets.

3. The method according to claim 1 ,

further comprising receiving an acknowledgment message upon receipt of the at least one leading message segment at a destination device.

4. The method according to claim 3 ,

wherein the acknowledgement message comprises an indication of the number of message segments received in order.

5. The method according to claim 3 ,

wherein the acknowledgement message comprises parts of the transmitted message.

6. The method according to claim 5 ,

wherein the parts of the transmitted message in the acknowledgement message comprise an indication of a message designator and a message type.

7. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein each of the plurality of timeouts is associated with a priority value; and

wherein a message with a timeout value having a lower priority value has precedence over a message with a timeout value having a higher priority value.

8. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the length of each of the plurality of message segments is determined such that each message segment can be transmitted in a time interval which is essentially shorter than the timeout value of the message.

9. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the communications system is an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) communications system.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length of each of the plurality of message segments is limited to a maximal segment length that decreases with an increasing timeout value.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the timeout value determines a maximum time interval available for transmission of each message segment.

12. An apparatus for transmitting messages in a communications system, the apparatus comprising:

first means for segmenting a message into a plurality of message segments, the plurality of message segments comprising at least one leading message segment and a trailing message segment;

second means for applying a message segment indication to the at least one leading message segment;

third means for assigning one of a plurality of timeout values to the message; and

fourth means for determining the length of the message segments according to the timeout value of the message such that the message segments have a segment length that decreases with an increasing timeout value of the message.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein the length of each of the plurality of message segments is limited to a maximal segment length of 1024 bytes or octets.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 ,

further comprising a fifth means for receiving an acknowledgment message upon receipt of the at least one leading message segment at a destination device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 ,

wherein the acknowledgement message comprises an indication of the number of message segments received in order.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 ,

wherein the acknowledgement message comprises parts of the transmitted message.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 ,

wherein the parts of the transmitted message in the acknowledgement message comprise an indication of a message designator and a message type.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein each of the plurality of timeouts is associated with a priority value; and

wherein a message with a timeout value having a lower priority value has precedence over a message with a timeout value having a higher priority value.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 ,

further comprising a sixth means for assigning the timeout to the message according to the priority value, and

wherein the length of each of the plurality of message segments is determined such that each message segment can be transmitted in a time interval which is essentially shorter than the timeout value of the message.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the communications system is an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) communications system.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the length of each of the plurality of message segments is limited to a maximal segment length that decreases with an increasing timeout value.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the timeout value determines a maximum time interval available for transmission of each message segment.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage media embodying a sequence of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of converting messages, the method comprising:

segmenting a message into a plurality of message segments, the plurality of message segments comprising at least one leading message segment and a trailing message segment;

applying a message segment indication to the at least one leading message segment;

assigning one of a plurality of timeout values to the message; and

determining the length of the message segments according to the timeout value of the message, —so such that the message segments have a segment length that decreases with an increasing timeout value of the message.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the length of each of the plurality of message segments is limited to a maximal segment length of 1024 bytes or octets.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the method further comprises receiving an acknowledgment message upon receipt of the at least one leading message segment at a destination device.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein the acknowledgement message comprises an indication of the number of message segments received in order.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein the acknowledgement message further comprises parts of the transmitted message.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 27 , wherein the parts of the transmitted message in the acknowledgement message comprise an indication of a message designator and a message type.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein each of the plurality of timeouts is associated with a priority value; and

wherein a message with a timeout value having a lower priority value has precedence over a message with a timeout value having a higher priority value.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 29 , wherein the length of each of the plurality of message segments is determined such that each message segment can be transmitted in a time interval which is essentially shorter than the timeout value of the message.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the length of each of the plurality of message segments is limited to a maximal segment length that decreases with an increasing ˜timeout value.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 23 , wherein the timeout value determines a maximum time interval available for transmission of each message segment.

33. An apparatus for transmitting messages in a communications system, the apparatus comprising:

first means for segmenting a message into a plurality of message segments, the plurality of message segments comprising at least one leading message segment and a trailing message segment;

second means for applying a message segment indication to the at least one leading message segment;

third means for assigning one of a plurality of timeout values to the message; and

fourth means for determining the length of the message segments according to the timeout value of the message such that the message segments have a maximal segment length that decreases with an increasing timeout value of the message.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 , wherein the timeout value determines a maximum time interval available for transmission of each message segment.