Apparatus and method for transmitting digital data over a radio communications channel

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for reliably and quickly exchanging bursts of digital data packets between a first site and a second site, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a plurality N digital data packets from said first site to said second site;

(b) checking for the correct receipt of all N packets at said second site;

(c) transmitting a binary coded N-bit map of digital data from said second site back to said first site identifying any data packets not yet correctly received at said second site;

(d) retransmitting at least such identified data packets, if any, from said first site to said second site; and

(e) repeating said steps (b)-(d) until all N-packets have been correctly received at said second site.

2. A method of transmitting digital signals from a data originating digital radio transceiver over a RF communication channel to a destination digital radio transceiver, said method comprising:

(a) transmitting, from said data originating transceiver to said destination transceiver over said RF channel, a plurality N of successive data packets in a first data burst;

(b) receiving said first data burst with said destination transceiver;

(c) determining at said destination transceiver which of said N data packets were correctly received by said destination transceiver and which of said data packets were incorrectly received by said destination transceiver and transmitting a bit map from said destination transceiver to said source transceiver specifying at least said incorrectly received, packets; and

(d) retransmitting, from said data originating transceiver to said destination transceiver, a further data burst including N successive data packets, said further data burst data packets including said incorrectly received data packets and no correctly received ones of said data packets of said first data burst.

3. A method as in claim 2 further including the step of transmitting an acknowledge message from said destination transceiver to said originating transceiver over said communication channel, said acknowledge message indicating which of said data packets within said first data burst were correctly received and which of said data packets within said first data burst were incorrectly received.

4. A method as in claim 2 wherein:

said method further includes the step of transmitting an acknowledge message from said destination transceiver to said originating transceiver over said communication channel in response to receipt of said first data burst by said destination transceiver, said acknowledge message including the results of said determining step; and

said retransmitting step includes the step of selecting data packets for retransmission in response to said acknowledge message.

5. A method of transmitting digital signals from a data originating digital radio transceiver over a RF communication channel to a destination digital radio transceiver, said method comprising:

(a) transmitting, from said data originating transceiver to said destination transceiver over said RF channel, a plurality N of successive data packets in a first data burst;

(b) receiving said first data burst with said destination transceiver;

(c) determining at said destination transceiver which of said N data packets were correctly received by said destination transceiver and which of said data packets were incorrectly received by said destination transceiver and transmitting a bit map from said destination transceiver to said source transceiver specifying at least said incorrectly received packets; and

(d) retransmitting from said data originating transceiver to said destination transceiver, a further data burst including N successive data packets, said further data burst data packets including said incorrectly received data packets and no correctly received ones of said first data burst data packets,

wherein said retransmitting step includes retransmitting each of said incorrectly received data packets plural times, none of said incorrectly received data packets being retransmitted more than one time more than any other of said incorrectly received data packets is retransmitted.

6. A method of transmitting digital signals from a data originating digital radio transceiver over a RF communication channel to a destination digital radio transceiver, said method comprising:

(a) transmitting, from said data originating transceiver to said destination transceiver over said RF channel, a plurality N of successive data packets in a first data burst;

(b) receiving said first data burst with said destination transceiver;

(c) determining at said destination transceiver which of said N data packets were correctly received by said destination transceiver and which of said data packets were incorrectly received by said destination transceiver and transmitting a bit map from said destination transceiver to said source transceiver specifying at least said incorrectly received packets; and

(d) retransmitting, from said data originating transceiver to said destination transceiver, a further data burst including N successive data packets, said further data burst data packets including said incorrectly received data packets and no correctly received ones of said first data burst data packets,

wherein:

said method further includes the step of transmitting an acknowledge message from said destination transceiver t aid originating transceiver over said communication channel in response to receipt of said first data burst by said destination transceiver, said acknowledge message including signals indicating the results of said determining step; and

said retransmitting step includes the step of selecting data packets for retransmission in response to said acknowledge message and retransmitting each of said selected data packets multiple times x until N data packets have been transmitted in said further data burst, none of said selected data packets being transmitted more than x+1 times.

7. A method of transmitting digital signals from a data originating digital radio transceiver over a RF communication channel to a destination digital radio transceiver, said method comprising:

(a) transmitting, from said data originating transceiver to said destination transceiver over said RF channel, a plurality N of successive data packets P(1)-P(N) in a first data burst;

(b) receiving said first data burst with said destination transceiver;

(c) determining which of said data packets P(1)-P(N) were correctly received by said destination transceiver and which of said data packets were incorrectly received by said destination transceiver;

(d) storing said correctly received data packets into a buffer capable of storing a maximum of Q data packets;

(e) calculating the number X of new packets P(N+1) - P(Q) which can be stored in said buffer while reserving space in said buffer for said incorrectly received data packets;

(f) transmitting an acknowledge message from said destination transceiver to said data originating transceiver, said acknowledge message indicating the data packets which were incorrectly received by said destination transceiver and the number of new packets said buffer can store in addition to said incorrectly received data packets; and

(g) retransmitting, from said data originating transceiver to said destination transceiver, a further data burst including said incorrectly received data packets and said number X of new data packets, said incorrectly received data packets being repeated in sequence until the number of data packets in said further data burst totals N, none of said data packets within said further data burst being repeated more than one time more than any other data packet within said further data burst.

8. A transceiver for sending and receiving digital control and digital data signals over a communication channel, said transceiver comprising:

transmitter and receiver means for transmitting and/or receiving a succession of digital signals; and

control means connected to said transmitter and receiver means and including a digital data microprocessor system programmed so as to control said transmitter and receiver means to process said digital signals occurring in substantially the following time sequence:

(a) a preamble portion having:

(1)