Higher layer packet framing using RLP
View Patent ↗Higher layer packet (HLP) framing information is transmitted across an air interface only as necessary, utilizing the Radio Link Protocol (RLP). In one embodiment, HLP framing information is transmitted in RLP control frames, between each HLP. In another embodiment, HLP framing information is transmitted in RLP data frames, with the RLP data frames including an indicator of that framing information. In three other embodiments, HLP framing information is transmitted in RLP data frames, and those RLP data frames containing HLP framing information are identified by RLP control frame functions. The control frame functions may comprise unnumbered RLP control frames, RLP data frames numbered using the RLP data frame sequence space but containing no HLP data, or RLP control frames numbered using an alternate sequence space.
1. A method of transmitting one or more Higher Layer Packets (HLP) between a transmitter and a receiver in a wireless communication network utilizing the Radio Link Protocol (RLP), comprising:
encapsulating a HLP into a plurality of RLP data frames, each having a unique RLP sequence number, such that only the RLP data frame containing the beginning of the HLP and the RLP data frame containing the end of the HLP include HLP framing information;
transmitting the RLP data frames from a wireless communication network transmitter to a wireless communication network receiver; and
separately transmitting from the wireless communication network transmitter to the wireless communication network receiver an indication of which RLP data frames contain HLP framing information.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising encapsulating the HLP into one or more lower layer data structures prior to encapsulation into RLP data frames.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication of which RLP data frames contain HLP framing information comprises a RLP control frame having the RLP sequence number of at least one RLP data frame containing HLP framing information.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the RLP control frame includes a CTL field value of 0′b1011.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein the RLP control frame includes a AFL Info field specifying the RLP receiver AFL State that applies when processing the RLP data frame identified by the RLP sequence number.
6. The method of claim 3 wherein the RLP control frame includes a SEQ Count field indicating whether additional RLP sequence numbers, indicating additional RLP data frames containing HLP framing information, are included in the control frame.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication of which RLP data frames contain HLP framing information comprises a RLP data frame, having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data, transmitted to the receiver following the RLP data frame containing the end of a HLP.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the RLP data frame having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data indicates that at least the immediately preceding RLP data frame in sequence number order includes HLP framing information.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the RLP data frame having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data includes a SEQ Count field indicating whether additional RLP sequence numbers, indicating additional RLP data frames containing HLP framing information, are included in the RLP data frame having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the RLP data frame having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data includes a CTL field value of 0′b1011.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein the RLP data frame having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data includes a AFL Info field specifying the RLP receiver AFL State that applies when processing the immediately preceding RLP data frame in sequence number order.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the AFL State specified by the AFL Info field applies to additional RLP data frames, if any, indicated by the SEQ Count field value.
13. The method of claim 7 further comprising retransmitting the RLP data frame having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data upon receipt of a NACK request from the receiver having the same RLP sequence number.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication of which RLP data frames contain HLP framing information comprises a RLP control frame having a unique RLP control frame sequence number, the RLP control frame additionally including the RLP sequence number of at least one RLP data frame containing HLP framing information.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising retransmitting the RLP control frame upon receipt of a NACK request from the receiver having the same RLP control frame sequence number.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein the RLP control frame includes a CTL field value of 0′b1011.
17. The method of claim 14 wherein the RLP control frame includes a AFL Info field specifying the RLP receiver AFL State that applies when processing the RLP data frame identified by the RLP sequence number.
18. The method of claim 14 wherein the RLP control frame includes a SEQ Count field indicating whether additional RLP sequence numbers, indicating additional RLP data frames containing HLP framing information, are included in the control frame.
19. A Radio Link Protocol (RLP) transmitter, comprising:
an control circuit operative to encapsulate a Higher Layer Packet (HLP) into a plurality of RLP data frames, each having a unique RLP sequence number, such that only the RLP data frame containing the beginning of the HLP and the RLP data frame containing the end of the HLP include HLP framing information; and
a transmitter operative to transmit the RLP data frames to a RLP receiver, and further operative to separately transmit to the receiver an indication of which RLP data frames contain HLP framing information.
20. The transmitter of claim 19 wherein the control circuit is further operative to encapsulate the HLP into one or more lower layer data structures prior to encapsulation into RLP data frames.
21. The transmitter of claim 19 wherein the indication of which RLP data frames contain HLP framing information comprises a RLP control frame having the RLP sequence number of at least one RLP data frame containing HLP framing information.
22. The transmitter of claim 21 wherein the RLP control frame includes a Application Framing Layer (AFL) Info field specifying the RLP receiver AFL State that applies when processing the RLP data frame identified by the RLP sequence number.
23. The transmitter of claim 21 wherein the RLP control frame includes a SEQ Count field indicating whether additional RLP sequence numbers, indicating additional RLP data frames containing HLP framing information, are included in the control frame.
24. The transmitter of claim 19 wherein the indication of which RLP data frames contain HLP framing information comprises a RLP data frame, having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data, transmitted to the receiver following the RLP data frame containing the end of a HLP.
25. The transmitter of claim 24 wherein the RLP data frame having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data indicates that at least the immediately preceding RLP data frame in sequence number order includes HLP framing information.
26. The transmitter of claim 24 wherein the RLP data frame having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data includes a AFL Info field specifying the RLP receiver AFL State that applies when processing the immediately preceding RLP data frame in sequence number order.
27. The transmitter of claim 24 wherein the RLP data frame having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data includes a SEQ Count field indicating whether additional RLP sequence numbers, indicating additional RLP data frames containing HLP framing information, are included in the RLP data frame having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data.
28. The transmitter of claim 24 wherein the AFL State specified by the AFL Info field applies to additional RLP data frames, if any, indicated by the SEQ Count field value.
29. The transmitter of claim 24 wherein the transmitter retransmits the RLP data frame having a unique RLP sequence number and carrying no HLP data upon receipt of a NACK request from the receiver having the same RLP sequence number.
30. The transmitter of claim 19 wherein the indication of which RLP data frames contain HLP framing information comprises a RLP control frame having a unique RLP control frame sequence number, the RLP control frame additionally including the RLP sequence number of at least one RLP data frame containing HLP framing information.
31. The transmitter of claim 30 wherein the transmitter retransmits the RLP control frame upon receipt of a NACK request from the receiver having the same RLP control frame sequence number.
32. The transmitter of claim 30 wherein the RLP control frame includes a AFL Info field specifying the RLP receiver AFL State that applies when processing the RLP data frame identified by the RLP sequence number.
33. The transmitter of claim 30 wherein the RLP control frame includes a SEQ Count field indicating whether additional RLP sequence numbers, indicating additional RLP data frames containing HLP framing information, are included in the control frame.