Patent ID: 7948913

Claim:
One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions for performing a method of communicating data by way of a sending channel that is associated with a feedback channel, where communicating involves utilizing a header-compression algorithm that can operate in one of at least three modes, the method comprising: receiving a capacity indication that indicates a capacity of the feedback channel; receiving a quality indication that indicates a communications quality of the feedback channel; based on said capacity indication and on said quality indication, selecting one of said at least three modes, resulting in a selection of a desired operational mode of said header-compression algorithm, wherein selecting one of at least three modes includes: (1) comparing the capacity indication to a predetermined channel capacity threshold; (2) comparing the quality indication to a predetermined channel quality threshold; (3) if the quality indication is less than the predetermined channel quality threshold, select the unidirectional mode as the desired operational mode; (4) if the quality indication is greater than or equal to the predetermined channel quality threshold and the capacity indication is less than the channel capacity threshold, select the bidirectional optimistic mode as the desired operational mode; and (5) if the quality indication is greater than or equal to the predetermined channel quality threshold and the capacity indication is greater than or equal to the channel capacity threshold, select the bidirectional reliable mode as the desired operational mode; and communicating said data in accordance with said desired operational mode.