Patent ID: 7764616

Claim:
A transmitter device comprising: a control unit configured to generate a plurality of data blocks; a communication interface configured to transmit to a receiver device, through a communication network, said data blocks in succession up to a predetermined amount, after sequence information is written into each of said data blocks by said control unit, said sequence information comprising an indication of an order of said data blocks; said communication interface configured to receive from said receiver device an acknowledgement that acknowledges receipt of one or more of said data blocks, said acknowledgement containing sequence information of a subsequent data block expected to be received next by said receiver device; said control unit further configured to direct said communication interface to retransmit at least one of said data blocks in response to expiration of a retransmission timeout without receipt of said acknowledgement containing sequence information of said subsequent data block expected to be received next by said receiver device after receipt of said at least one of said data blocks; and said control unit further configured, in response to retransmission of said at least one of said data blocks, to direct said communication interface to transmit subsequent data blocks that are awaiting initial transmission, transmission of said subsequent data blocks limited to a predetermined number by said control unit until receipt, after retransmission of said at least one of said data blocks, of said acknowledgement containing sequence information of said at least one of said data blocks.