Fractional HARQ re-transmission
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus are described for determining, via a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) module, that a maximum number of retransmissions has been reached for a HARQ packet. The HARQ module may communicate an internal NACK to a message retransmission module indicating a transmission failure. The message retransmission module may retransmit at least a part of the message. The retransmission may be performed prior to the expiration of a timer.
1. A method for use in a transmitting station for error control, the method comprising:
determining, at a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) module, that a maximum number of retransmissions has been reached for a HARQ packet, the HARQ packet representing at least a portion of a message;
communicating, by the HARQ module to a message retransmission module, an internal NACK indicating a transmission failure; and
retransmitting at least a part of the message by the message retransmission module.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retransmitting is performed prior to expiration of a timer.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the timer is associated with retransmission of the message.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retransmitting at least a part of the message comprises retransmitting the message.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the internal NACK indicates the part of the message to be retransmitted.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retransmitting by the retransmission module is performed on a condition that a retransmission counter at the retransmission module does not exceed a predetermined threshold for a maximum number of retransmissions.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising incrementing, at the message retransmission module, the retransmission counter.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal NACK is a multi-level NACK.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting station is a base station.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting station is a client station.
11. A transmitting station for error control, the transmitting station comprising:
a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) module configured to:
determine that a maximum number of retransmissions has been reached for a HARQ packet, the HARQ packet representing at least a portion of a message; and
communicate, to a message retransmission module, an internal NACK indicating a transmission failure; and
the message retransmission module configured to retransmit at least a part of the message.
12. The transmitting station of claim 11 , wherein the message retransmission module is further configured to retransmit the at least a part of the message prior to expiration of a timer.
13. The transmitting station of claim 12 , wherein the timer is associated with retransmission of the message.
14. The transmitting station of claim 11 , wherein the message retransmission module retransmitting at least a part of the message comprises retransmitting the message.
15. The transmitting station of claim 14 , wherein the internal NACK indicates the part of the message to be retransmitted.
16. The transmitting station of claim 11 , wherein the message retransmission module is further configured to retransmit the at least a part of the message on a condition that a retransmission counter at the retransmission module does not exceed a predetermined threshold for a maximum number of retransmissions.
17. The transmitting station of claim 16 , wherein the message retransmission module is further configured to increment the retransmission counter.
18. The transmitting station of claim 11 , wherein the internal NACK is a multi-level NACK.
19. The transmitting station of claim 11 , wherein the transmitting station is a base station.
20. The transmitting station of claim 11 , wherein the transmitting station is a client station.
21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for execution by one or more processors, the set of instructions comprising:
a first code segment for determining that a maximum number of retransmissions has been reached for a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) packet, the HARQ packet representing at least a portion of a message;
a second code segment for communicating an internal NACK indicating a transmission failure; and
a third code segment for retransmitting at least a part of the message.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the third code segment is further configured to retransmit the at least a part of the message prior to expiration of a timer.
23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22 , wherein the timer is associated with retransmission of the message.