Patent ID: 8798053

Claim:
A method for header compression in a data packet in a point-to-multi point (PTMP) connection, said method comprising the steps of: transmitting an announcement message announcing a PTMP data packet service; receiving one or more interest messages indicative of a number of entities interested in the announced PTMP data packet service and the state of de-compressors of the interested entities, as a response to the transmitted announcement message; responsive to any of the one or more interest messages indicating that, for its corresponding interested entity, the transmitted announcement message is a first announcement message received the interested entity for the PTMP service, transmitting uncompressed data packet headers to the interested entities; and responsive to each of the one or more interest messages indicating that, for its corresponding interested entity, the transmitted announcement message is not a first announcement message received by the interested entity for the PTMP service, compressing the header for the PTMP data packet service in the PTMP connection using a compressor state selected based on the state of de-compressors indicated by the received interest messages; wherein each compressor and de-compressor state refers to an amount of compression that a corresponding compressor or de-compressor is presently configured to use.