METHOD FOR PROVIDING AUTOMATIC REPEAT REQUEST ERROR CONTROL AND RELATED TERMINAL AND ARQ CONTROL CENTER

1 . A method for providing automatic repeat request error control in a broadcast communication network, the method comprising:

a first step of transmitting of a data packet by a first terminal towards a second terminal; and

receiving said data packet and storing a copy of said data packet by a third terminal; and

determining an ARQ failure indication for said first transmitting; and

thereafter performing a second step of transmitting towards said second terminal, during an identical time-interval, of said data packet by said first terminal and said copy of said data packet by said third terminal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said method comprises selecting by an ARQ control center during a previous step said third terminal as an ARQ supporting terminal for said first terminal based upon a quality of transmission link and activity in said broadcast communication network.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said method comprises a step of coordinating by and ARQ control center said second step of transmitting for substantially simultaneous transmission of both packets.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said method comprises executing said determining step of said ARQ failure indication by means of an ARQ control center based upon a quality of transmission of said data packet in said broadcast communication network.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said method further comprises, generating by said ARQ control center an ARQ control signal; and transmitting said ARQ control signal into said broadcast communication network.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said method comprises implementing said broadcast communication network with a home network that comprises a plurality of domains and an inter-domain bridge being coupled between

a first domain, comprising said first terminal and said third terminal; and

a second domain, comprising said second terminal.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein said ARQ control center being comprised in said inter-domain bridge.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein said method comprises not further forwarding by said inter-domain bridge erroneous received packets from said first domain towards said second domain.

9 . A supporting terminal for supporting a first terminal in a broadcast communication network during automatic repeat request error control mechanism, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a data packet being transmitted by said first terminal over said broadcast communication network towards a second terminal; and

a storing means for storing a copy of said data packet; and

a transmitter for transmitting, in the event of determination of an ARQ failure indication for said data packet, said copy of said data packet during an identical time-interval as wherein said first terminal retransmits said data packet towards said second terminal.

10 . An ARQ control center in a broadcast communication center that comprises a selector agent for selecting, based upon quality of transmission and activity in said broadcast communication network, a terminal as an ARQ supporting terminal according to claim 9 for supporting said first terminal.

11 . An ARQ control center in a broadcast communication network that comprises a coordinating agent for coordinating substantially simultaneous transmission of a copy of a data packet by a supporting terminal according to claim 9 and a retransmit of said data packet by said first terminal.

12 . An ARQ control center in a broadcast communication network comprising a determining means for determining an ARQ failure indication, based upon a quality of transmission of said data packet in said broadcast communication network, for a data packet being first transmitted by a first terminal towards a second terminal,

said ARQ failure indication initiating thereby a transmission of a copy of said data packet by a supporting terminal according to claim 9 , during an identical time-interval as wherein said first terminal retransmits said data packet towards said second terminal.

13 . An ARQ control center according to claim 12 that further comprises

a generating agent for generating an ARQ control signal; and

a transmitter for transmitting said ARQ control signal into said broadcast communication network.

14 . An ARQ control center according to claim 10 whereby said ARQ control center being comprised in an inter-domain bridge (IDB 12 ) in a broadcast home network being coupled between a first domain (DOD 1 ), comprising said first terminal (T 1 ) and said third terminal (T 3 ); and a second domain (DOD 2 ), comprising said second terminal (T 2 ).

15 . An ARQ control center according to claim 14 that comprises a decision agent for deciding not to further forward by said inter-domain bridge erroneous received packets from said first domain towards said second domain.