Data packet transmission

1. A method of data packet transmission, comprising the steps of

transmitting a plurality of data packets from said first station to said second station at a first rate of transmission;

returning acknowledgement data from said second station to said first station to acknowledge the receipt of data packets at said second station;

retransmitting data packets that are not acknowledged from said first station to said second station;

monitoring, at said first station, a packet retransmit requirement by identifying the number of data packets that are marked for retransmission in at least one output buffer at said first station; and

adjusting, at said first station, said rate of transmission from said first rate to a second rate in response to an output of a control procedure that receives said retransmit requirement as an input.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said packet retransmit requirement is a parameter equal to the number of data packets that are marked for retransmission in said at least one output buffer plus the number of times each of said data packets has already been transmitted.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein said control procedure increases said transmission rate if said parameter is equal to zero.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein said control procedure increases said transmission rate by a first step size if said parameter is within a specified interval of a preferred transmission rate and by a second step size if said parameter is not within said specified interval.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein said control procedure further performs the step of storing the transmission rate as said preferred transmission rate before decreasing said transmission rate if the last change in said transmission rate was an increase.

6. A method according to claim 2 , wherein said control procedure decreases said transmission rate if said parameter is greater than a specified threshold.

7. A method according to claim 2 , wherein said step of monitoring said packet retransmit requirement includes the step of storing a previous parameter, and

said control procedure decreases said transmission rate if said parameter is greater than a specified threshold and within a specified interval of said previous parameter.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said first station adjusts said transmission rate at an interval that is a function of a calculated connection latency.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said first station is a server, said second station is a terminal and said server communicates with a plurality of terminals.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said first station is a terminal and said second station is a server.

11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein said terminal communicates with said server via a radio network.

12. A server for communicating with terminals wherein packets of data are transmitted from said server to said terminals, said server having at least one output buffer, and wherein said server is configured to

transmit a plurality of data packets to a terminal at a first rate of transmission;

receive acknowledgement data from said terminal to acknowledge the receipt of data packets at said terminal;

retransmit data packets that are not acknowledged to said terminal;

monitor a packet retransmit requirement by identifying the number of data packets that are marked for retransmission in said output buffer; and

adjust said rate of transmission from said first rate to a second rate in response to an output of a control procedure that receives said packet retransmit requirement as an input.

13. A server according to claim 12 , wherein said packet retransmit requirement is a parameter equal to the number of data packets that are marked for retransmission in said at least one output buffer plus the number of times each of said data packets has already been transmitted.

14. A server according to claim 13 , wherein said control procedure increases said transmission rate if said parameter is equal to zero.

15. A server according to claim 14 , wherein said control procedure increases said transmission rate by a first step size if said parameter is within a specified interval of a preferred transmission rate and by a second step size if said parameter is not within said specified interval.

16. A server according to claim 15 , wherein said control procedure further performs the step of storing the transmission rate as said preferred transmission rate before decreasing said transmission rate if the last change in said transmission rate was an increase.

17. A server according to claim 13 , wherein said control procedure decreases said transmission rate if said parameter is greater than a specified threshold.

18. A server according to claim 13 , wherein said step of monitoring said packet retransmit requirement includes the step of storing a previous parameter, and

said control procedure decreases said transmission rate if said parameter is greater than a specified threshold and within a specified interval of said previous parameter.

19. A server according to claim 12 , wherein said control procedure is performed at an interval that is a function of a calculated connection latency.

20. A terminal for communicating with a server wherein packets of data are transmitted from said terminal to said server, said terminal having at least one output buffer, and wherein said terminal is configured to

transmit a plurality of data packets to a said server at a first rate of transmission;

receive acknowledgement data from said server to acknowledge the receipt of data packets at said server;

retransmit data packets that are not acknowledged to the server;

monitor a packet retransmit requirement by identifying the number of data packets that are marked for retransmission in said output buffer; and

adjust said rate of transmission from said first rate to a second rate in response to an output of a control procedure that receives said packet retransmit requirement as an input.

21. A terminal according to claim 20 in the form of a mobile terminal or a radio device.

22. Instructions executable by a network of computers and/or programmable data processing devices such that when executing said instructions stations connected to said network will transmit data over said network, such that said network performs the steps of:

transmitting a plurality of data packets from said first station to said second station at a first rate of transmission;

returning acknowledgement data from said second station to said first station to acknowledge the receipt of data packets at said second station;

retransmitting data packets that are not acknowledged from said first station to said second station;

monitoring, at said first station, a packet retransmit requirement by identifying the number of data packets that are marked for retransmission in at least one buffer; and

adjusting, at said first station, said rate of transmission from said first rate to a second rate in response to an output of a control procedure that receives said packet retransmit requirement as an input.

23. Instructions executable by a combination of a server and mobile terminals connected to said server over a radio network, such that when executing said instructions said combination performs the steps of:

transmitting a plurality of data packets from said server to a network connected terminal at a first rate of transmission;

returning acknowledgement data from said terminal to said server to acknowledge the receipt of data packets at said terminal;

retransmitting data packets that are not acknowledged from said server to said terminal;

monitoring, at said server, a packet retransmit requirement by identifying the number of data packets that are marked for retransmission in at least one buffer; and

adjusting, at said server, said rate of transmission from said first rate to a second rate in response to an output of a control procedure that receives said packet retransmit requirement as an input.

24. A computer readable medium having computer-readable instructions executable by a computer such that when executing said instructions a computer will perform the steps of:

transmitting a plurality of data packets to a networked device at a first rate of transmission;

receiving acknowledgement data from said networked device to acknowledge the receipt of data packets at said terminal;

retransmitting data packets that are not acknowledged to said terminal;

monitoring retransmit information by identifying the number of data packets that are marked for retransmission in at least one buffer; and

adjusting said rate of transmission from said first rate to a second rate in response to an output of a control procedure that receives said retransmit information as an input.