Abstract: A wireless communications protocol utilizes protocol data units (PDUs) for transmitting and receiving service data units (SDUs). Each PDU has a sequence number of n bits for indicating a relative sequential ordering of the PDU in a transmitted or received stream of PDUs. A transmission time interval (TTI) is also used in which a predetermined number of PDUs are transmitted or received. PDUs are received within a TTI. A starting sequence number and an ending sequence number for received PDUs within the TTI are found. Any received PDU within the TTI that has a sequence number that is sequentially before the starting sequence number or that is sequentially after the ending sequence number is discarded. The incremental magnitude of the sequence numbers is used to signal discarded PDUs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of cyclic redundancy check (CRC) residue error detection and handling, which includes storing a plurality of protocol data units sequentially, checking sequence numbers of the plurality of protocol data units sequentially, discarding a protocol data unit when a sequence number of the protocol data unit and a sequence number of an immediately preceding protocol data unit are non-consecutive and the sequence number of the protocol data unit and a sequence number of an immediately succeeding protocol data unit are non-consecutive. The error of mistakenly incrementing a hyper frame number value can be prevented.

Abstract: A method for handling discarding of a sequence of service data units in a communications system is disclosed. The sequence of service data units includes at least a last discarded service data unit (SDU). When a protocol data unit (PDU) containing a length indicator of the last discarded SDU contains no new SDUs, the method includes creating a move receiving window super field (MRW SUFI), setting a NLENGTH field of the MRW SUFI to 0, setting a last sequence number move receiving window field (SN_MRWLENGTH) to a sum of one plus a sequence number (SN) of the PDU containing the length indicator of the last discarded SDU, and issuing the MRW SUFI.

Abstract: A method of polling in a wireless communications system includes prohibiting polling within a first predetermined period and triggering a poll function while polling is prohibited. After the first predetermined period has expired the method determines that there are no protocol data units (PDUs) scheduled for transmission or re-transmission and that there is at least a transmitted PDU that is not acknowledged yet, and selects a PDU to schedule for re-transmission to fulfill the poll function.

Abstract: According to the method for restoring hyper frame number (HFN) synchronization in a wireless communications system, a receiving station can recover HFN synchronization on line. Following data transmission, data receipt and commencement of a ciphering session, HFN un-synchronization between the transmitting and receiving stations of the wireless communications system is detected by identification of HFN un-synchronization symptoms during said ciphering session. The current HFN of the receiving station is adjusted and the new HFN value adopted for subsequent operations within the ciphering session. Data loss due to PDUs being deciphered using un-synchronous parameters is minimized and explicit parameter signaling procedures, such as RLC Reset procedures, are avoided.

Abstract: A transmitter is capable of transmitting protocol data units (PDUs). Each PDU has an n-bit sequence number. A polling determination method is provided that determines if polling should be performed according to a parameter S that is an n-bit sequence number. Polling is then triggered if a PDU that is next to be transmitted is not a re-transmitted PDU and the polling determination method indicates that polling is to be triggered according to the sequence number of the PDU. The polling determination method uses the equation: t=((2n+1+S VT(A)) mod 2n)/VT(WS) to determine if polling should be triggered, where S is the sequence number of the next outgoing PDU.

Abstract: A first peer successively transmits a predetermined number of more than one identical instances of a data block to a second peer. The second peer receives at least two of the predetermined number of identical instances of the data block. The second peer combines more than one corrupted received data block to form a complete instance of the original data block.

Abstract: The invention provides a data discard signalling procedure in a wireless communication system. If data is discarded by the transmitter, the transmitter needs to notify the receiver of the discard. A shortened move receiving window super-field is used to request the receiver to move its reception window and optionally to indicate the set of discarded RLC SDUs, as a result of an RLC SDU discard in the sender. A move receiving window acknowledgement super-field acknowledges the reception of a MRW SUFI. If various criteria are met, the SDU discard with explicit signalling procedure can be efficiently terminated resulting in increased transmission throughput. Utilizing the data discard signalling procedure of the present invention, transmission throughput is increased and the transmission performance is improved.

Abstract: 23A wireless communications device has a first security key, a second security key, and established channels. Each established channel has a corresponding security count value, and utilizes a security key. At least one of the established channels utilizes the first security key. The second security key is assigned to a new channel. A first set is then used to obtain a first value. The first set has only security count values of all the established channels that utilize the second key. The first value is at least as great as the x most significant bits (MSBx) of the greatest value in the first set. The MSBx of the initial security count value for the new channel is set equal to the first value. If the first set is empty, then the initial security count is set to zero.

Abstract: A wireless data discarding request is transmitted by a first station to a second station for requesting the second station to discard at least a layer 2 service data unit (SDU). A layer 2 data discard acknowledgment protocol data unit (PDU) is generated by the second station. The layer 2 data discard acknowledgment PDU has a first field that enables the first station to determine the SDUs actually discarded by the second station. The layer 2 data discard acknowledgment PDU is then transmitted to the first station. The first field may contain the discard indication of each requested discarding SDU, the number of SDUs discarded by the second station, the number of SDU-terminating PDUs discarded, or the total number of PDUs discarded.

Abstract: A radio link control (RLC) layer provides RLC entity information to a medium access control (MAC) layer. The RLC entity information indicates that the RLC layer has service data unit (SDU) data to be transmitted. After providing the RLC entity information, the RLC layer receives an unexpected data interruption that requires the RLC layer to discard or interrupt transmitting the SDU data. After the unexpected data interruption, the MAC layer requests at least a protocol data unit (PDU) from the RLC layer in response to the RLC entity information. The RLC layer then submits to the MAC layer at least one padding PDU in response to the MAC request. The padding PDU is submitted in place of the discarded SDU data. Alternatively, the affected SDU data is not discarded until the next transmission time interval (TTI).

Abstract: A transmitter is capable of transmitting layer 2 protocol data units (PDUs). Each PDU has an n-bit sequence number. A base sequence number VT(A) is obtained that marks a beginning sequence number of a transmitting window of the transmitter. A current sequence number VT(S) is obtained that marks a sequence number of a PDU that is next to be transmitted by the transmitter. 2n is added to a difference of the current sequence number VT(S) and the base sequence number VT(A) to yield a first value. A second value is obtained that is a modulus of the first value with 2n. A test value is then obtained that is the second value divided by a size of the transmitting window. Polling is triggered when the test value is greater than or equal to a polling value. The polling value represents a percentage of the transmitting window that has been transmitted.

Abstract: A method to detect a lost status report determines that a second status report is required when an AMD PDU not negatively acknowledged in the first status report, an AMD PDU with a polling bit set, or the last negatively acknowledged AMD PDU is received after the expiry of a roundtrip timer and before all the negatively acknowledged AMD PDUs in the first status report are received. The method provides a deterministic way of detecting a lost status report, resulting in improved transmission throughput in a wireless communications system.

Abstract: A received PDU is sequentially identified by an n-bit frame number (FN) and an m-bit hyper frame number (HFN), which are synchronously maintained on first and second stations. The second station determines an activation time at which a ciphering key change is to occur, and composes a security mode command that includes an identifying FN corresponding to the activation time, and x least-significant bits (LSBs) from the HFN of the identifying FN. The second station transmits the security mode command to the first station. The x LSBs contained in the security mode command enable the first station to resolve cyclical ambiguities of the identifying FN to properly construct an application time. The first station uses a first ciphering key to decrypt PDUs with FNs sequentially prior to the application time, and uses a second ciphering key to decrypt PDUs with FNs sequentially on or after the application time.

Abstract: A method according to the present invention blocks a sender from processing SDUs required to be transmitted through a radio bearer when a memory block corresponding to the radio bearer is full, and guarantees that every PDUs received by a receiver can be accommodated in a memory block corresponding to a new radio bearer. With regard to data transmission, after a transmitting buffer is reconfigured, PDUs required to be transmitted through a previously established radio bearer are kept and gradually received by the receiver. A new radio bearer is guaranteed to gradually take control of these occupied storage space. With regard to data reception, the receiver outputs WINDOW SUFIs to the sender for dynamically tuning a transmission window size for the new radio bearer so that PDUs transmitted from the sender will never be discarded. To sum up, radio transmission efficiency is greatly improved, and data throughput is optimized.

Abstract: A method of controlling a receiver and a transmitter to handle a transmission window size change procedure is disclosed. The method includes driving the receiver to deliver a control message having a window size parameter to the transmitter for adjusting a transmission window size of the transmitter, and driving the transmitter to output an acknowledgement message to the receiver and adjust the transmission window size according to the window size parameter when the transmitter receives the control message.

Abstract: A method of controlling a receiver and a transmitter to handle a transmission window size change procedure is disclosed. The method includes driving the receiver to deliver a control message having a window size parameter to the transmitter for adjusting a transmission window size of the transmitter, and driving the transmitter to output an acknowledgement message to the re- ceiver and adjust the transmission window size according to the window size parameter when the transmitter receives the control message.

Abstract: A method of controlling a reset procedure sets a proper clocked period to the timer Timer_Status_Prohibit for blocking the timer Timer_Status_Period from interfering with the counting of the state variable VT(RST). In addition, the method of controlling a reset procedure makes use of an amended triggering condition. Therefore, the sender ignores the STATUS PDUs when the reset procedure is ongoing. To sum up, the state variable VT(RST) is not incremented abnormally, and the reset procedure behaves correctly according to the configured protocol parameter MaxRST.

Abstract: A first station communicates with a second over first and second channels. The first station includes first and second ciphering configurations, and a ciphering engine. The ciphering engine uses the first or second ciphering configuration when ciphering data. Activation times are determined for the channels. A ciphering reconfiguration message is composed containing the activation times. The first station transmits the ciphering reconfiguration message to the second station along the second channel. A reset operation is performed on one of the channels, which does not affect the corresponding activation time. The ciphering engine uses the first ciphering configuration prior to the activation times, and uses the second ciphering configuration on or after the activation times.

Abstract: A wireless communications device has a layer 2 interface that is designed as a finite state machine. The finite state machine includes a null state, a data transfer state, a reset pending state, a local suspend state and a reset/suspend state. In the null state, no communications channel is established. In all the other states, a communications channel is established with another communications device. In the data transfer state the communications channel is active. In the reset pending state communications is halted pending a reset acknowledge signal from the other device. In the local suspend state communications are temporarily suspended for all data after a predetermined event. The reset/suspend state explicitly supports the condition in which both rest pending and local suspend conditions are present, and enables the state machine to transition to a subsequent state without requiring knowledge of a previous state.