# US 12,003,331 B2 · Wireless data transmission apparatus, wireless data reception apparatus and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,331 B2 - Document ID: US12003331B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/281,254 - Filed: 2019-10-29 - Published: 2022-01-06 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-01 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Martin Warwick Beale; Shin Horng Wong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003331B2 ## CPC - H04L 1/1819: {with retransmission of additional or different redundancy} - H04L 1/1845: {Combining techniques, e.g. code combining} - H04L 1/1861: {Physical mapping arrangements (for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053)} - H04L 1/1893: {Physical mapping arrangements (physical resource mapping in general H04L5/00)} - H04L 1/1896: {ARQ related signaling} - H04W 28/04: Error control - H04W 72/20: Control channels or signalling for resource management - H04L 1/1858: {Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of acknowledgement message} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method for a receiver, the method comprising receiving a first plurality of blocks transmitted by a transmitter using first communications resources, determining that at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, in response to determining that at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, transmitting to the transmitter a first negative acknowledgement (NACK) indication that at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, the NACK indication not indicating which of the first plurality blocks was not received correctly, receiving a subset of the first plurality of blocks retransmitted by the transmitter in response to the NACK indication using second communications resources, and after receiving the subset of the first plurality of blocks, determining whether all of the first plurality of blocks have been received correctly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for a receiver, the method comprising: receiving a first plurality of blocks transmitted by a transmitter using first communications resources, determining that at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, in response to determining that at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, transmitting to the transmitter a first negative acknowledgement (NACK) indication indicating that at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, the NACK indication not indicating which of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, receiving a subset of the first plurality of blocks retransmitted by the transmitter in response to the NACK indication using second communications resources, and after receiving the subset of the first plurality of blocks, determining whether all of the first plurality of blocks have been received correctly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, the method comprising: in response to determining whether all of the first plurality of blocks have been received correctly after receiving the subset of the first plurality of blocks, if all of the first plurality of blocks have been received correctly, transmitting a positive acknowledgement (ACK) indication to the transmitter, the ACK indication indicating that all of the first plurality of blocks have been received correctly, and if not all of the first plurality of blocks have been received correctly, transmitting a second NACK indication to the transmitter which does not indicate which of the first plurality of blocks have not been received correctly. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein determining that at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly comprises determining which of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, and the method comprises: for each block which was not received correctly, transmitting a corresponding block-specific negative acknowledgement indication, the block-specific negative acknowledgement indication indicating that the corresponding block of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3, the method comprising: for each block which was received correctly, transmitting a corresponding block-specific positive acknowledgement indication, the block-specific positive acknowledgement indication indicating that the corresponding block of the first plurality of blocks was received correctly. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein each block in the first plurality of blocks comprises error detection bits for detecting, by the receiver, whether the block after decoding by the receiver contains one or more errors, and the determining that the at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly comprises determining based on the error detection bits of the decoded block that the at least one of the decoded blocks contains one or more errors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, the method comprising: before receiving the first plurality of blocks, receiving control information indicating the first communications resources. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method according to claim 6, wherein the control information indicates third communications resources, the method comprising: receiving a second plurality of blocks transmitted by the transmitter using the third communications resources, determining that at least one of the second plurality of blocks was not received correctly, in response to determining that at least one of the second plurality of blocks was not received correctly, transmitting to the transmitter a third negative acknowledgement (NACK) indication indicating that at least one of the second plurality of blocks was not received correctly, the third NACK indication not indicating which of the second plurality of blocks was not received correctly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, the method comprising: receiving second control information transmitted by the transmitter in response to the NACK indication, the second control information comprising one or more of an indication of which of the first plurality of blocks are within the subset of the first plurality of blocks and an indication of the second communications resources. ### Claim 9 A method for a transmitter, the method comprising: transmitting a first plurality of blocks to a receiver using first communications resources, receiving from the receiver a first negative acknowledgement (NACK) indication indicating that at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, the NACK indication not indicating which of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, and in response to receiving the NACK indication, retransmitting a subset of the first plurality of blocks to the receiver using second communications resources. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, the method comprising after retransmitting the subset of the first plurality of blocks to the receiver using the second communications resources, receiving a second NACK indication from the receiver which does not indicate which of the first plurality of blocks have not been received correctly. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, the method comprising: after retransmitting the subset of the first plurality of blocks to the receiver using the second communications resources, receiving a positive acknowledgement (ACK) indication to the transmitter, the ACK indication indicating that all of the first plurality of blocks have been received correctly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, the method comprising for each block which was not received correctly by the receiver, receiving a corresponding block-specific negative acknowledgement indication. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, the method comprising: for each block which was received correctly by the receiver, receiving a corresponding block-specific positive acknowledgement indication. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, wherein each block in the first plurality of blocks comprises error detection bits for detecting, by the receiver, whether the block after decoding by the receiver contains one or more errors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, the method comprising: transmitting control information, the control information indicating the first communications resources. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method according to claim 15, wherein the control information indicates third communications resources, the method comprising transmitting a second plurality of blocks to the receiver using the third communications resources, and receiving from the receiver a third negative acknowledgement (NACK) indication indicating that at least one of the second plurality of blocks was not received correctly, the NACK indication not indicating which of the second plurality of blocks was not received correctly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) A method according to claim 9, the method comprising: in response to receiving the first negative acknowledgement (NACK) indication, transmitting second control information to the receiver, the second control information comprising one or more of an indication of which of the first plurality of blocks are within the subset of the first plurality of blocks and an indication of the second communications resources. ### Claim 18 A data receiving device, the data receiving device comprising a receiver configured to receive a first plurality of blocks transmitted by a data transmitting device using first communications resources of a wireless access interface, a transmitter configured to transmit signals representing acknowledgement indications, and a controller, configured to control the transmitter and the receiver so that the data receiving device is operable: to determine that at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, in response to determining that at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, to transmit to the data transmitting device a first negative acknowledgement (NACK) indication indicating that at least one of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, the NACK indication not indicating which of the first plurality of blocks was not received correctly, to receive a subset of the first plurality of blocks retransmitted by the data transmitting device in response to the NACK indication using second communications resources, and after receiving the subset of the first plurality of blocks, to determine whether all of the first plurality of blocks have been received correctly.