Fragmentable Data Unit Transmission via Fixed Fragmentation and MAC PDU Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of fragmentation and reassembly processes in wireless communication networks, particularly with ARQ connections, increases performance overhead and affects throughput due to multiple headers and retransmissions of variable-sized ARQ blocks.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for fragmenting data units into a fixed number of fragments, encoding control information in MAC PDUs to indicate fragment position and belonging FDU, and transmitting these fragments with associated control information to reduce complexity and improve throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If variable-sized ARQ blocks are fragmented and reassembled during retransmission, then reliability of data transmission is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple levels of fragmentation and reassembly processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ARQ block status information into individual bit fields, where each bit corresponds to a specific ARQ block. This allows the receiver to process and feedback status information for multiple ARQ blocks independently, improving reliability while managing complexity through structured segmentation of status reporting
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and separately processes ARQ block status information from the overall MAC PDU reception status. By taking out the ARQ-specific status bits and handling them separately from general MAC layer processing, the system improves reliability of ARQ retransmission while reducing the complexity of integrated processing
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple headers are added in MAC PDUs during initial transmission and retransmission, then fragmentation control is improved, but throughput decreases due to increased overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ARQ block status information with the MAC PDU header structure by embedding status bits directly into the MAC PDU format. This consolidation maintains fragmentation control capability while reducing overall overhead by combining multiple control functions into a unified header structure
Solution Approach 2:
The MAC PDU header is designed with multi-functional fields that serve both fragmentation control and ARQ status reporting purposes. By making the header structure universal and multi-functional, the system maintains adaptability for fragmentation while reducing the need for separate dedicated control headers, thereby improving throughput
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method and system for transmitting and receiving Fragmentable Data Units (FDUs) in a wireless communication environment. In one embodiment, a method of transmitting FDUs in a wireless communication environment includes fragmenting a FDU into a fixed number of fragments by a transmitting device. The method further includes packing the fragments of said FDU in payloads of Medium Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Units (PDUs). Additionally, the method includes encoding control information of each fragment of said FDU in a fragmentation control (FC) field and a sequence number field of the respective MAC PDU. Moreover, the method includes transmitting the MAC PDUs containing the fragments of said FDU and control information associated with the fragments to a receiving device.