Patent ID: 7864799
Filing Date: 2011-01-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A communication device, comprising a first data unit buffer for holding data units of a first communication Relay-Automatic Retransmission Request (ARQ) protocol, where said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol is a communication protocol suitable for transmitting data units from a sending peer of said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol to a receiving peer of said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol over one or more relay peers of said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol, providing for feedback messages sent in a direction to said sending peer of said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol, where said feedback messages carry information on a receipt of said data units of said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol, said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol providing for at least a first type and a second type of receipt information, said first type (RACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt at a relay peer and said second type (ACK) of receipt information being indicative of a correct receipt at said receiving peer, and where said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol provides that said sending peer of said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol uses a sending peer control procedure for controlling a transmission based on said feedback messages of said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol, and each relay peer of said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol uses a relay peer control procedure for controlling a transmission based on said feedback messages of said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol, a second data unit buffer for holding data units of a second communication protocol that at least has ARQ functionality, where said second communication ARQ-functional protocol is a communication protocol suitable for transmitting data units from a sending peer of said second communication ARQ-functional protocol to a receiving peer of said second communication ARQ-functional protocol, which provides for feedback messages sent in a direction to said sending peer of said second communication ARQ-functional protocol, where said feedback messages of said second communication ARQ-functional protocol carry information on a receipt of said data units of said second communication ARQ-functional protocol, said second communication ARQ-functional protocol providing for a specific type of receipt information that is indicative of a correct receipt at said receiving peer of said second communication ARQ-functional protocol, and where said second communication ARQ-functional protocol provides that said sending peer of said second communication ARQ-functional protocol uses a control procedure for controlling a transmission based on said feedback messages of said second communication ARQ-functional protocol and the receipt information contained therein, and a control system arranged to control a generation of said data units of said second communication ARQ-functional protocol such that a data symbol stream carried in said data units of said first communication Relay ARQ protocol is also carried in said data units of said second communication ARQ-functional protocol, said control system being arranged to implement the control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication Relay ARQ protocol in such a way that if all the data symbols of said data symbol stream contained in a given data unit of said first communication Relay ARQ protocol are successfully transferred into said second data unit buffer, then said control procedure for controlling a transmission of said data units of said first communication Relay ARQ protocol acts as if said first type (RACK) of receipt information had been received for said given data unit, whereby said control system implements the control procedure according to the first communication Relay-ARQ protocol using RACKs and ACKs and couples logic of the first communication Relay-ARQ protocol to the second communication ARQ-functional protocol by exploiting the ARQ functionality of the second communication ARQ-functional protocol to simplify handling of the data units of said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol by temporarily passing responsibility of further forwarding the data units of said first communication Relay-ARQ protocol by using said second data unit buffer of the second communication ARQ-functional protocol.