Patent ID: 7289497

Claim:
In a system for transmitting packets over a link between a compressor and a decompressor, a method of implicit packet type identification comprising the steps of: selecting a set of implicit packet transmission characteristics, comprising at least first and second distinguishably different transmission characteristics and further selecting a number of specific packet sizes for use only with header free packets, wherein said compressor uses one of said specific packet sizes to transmit only header free packets; operating said compressor to compress a header of a first packet type so that the first packet type becomes header free and to assign said first transmission characteristic to packets of the first packet type, the compressor further operating to assign said second transmission characteristic to packets of a second packet type which is different from said first packet type; and operating said decompressor to detect said transmission characteristics of packets received by said decompressor, and to thereby identify a received packet as being either the first packet type or the second packet type.