Apparatus and method for supporting automatic repeat request in a high-speed wireless packet data communication system

An automatic repeat request (ARQ) method for generating an encoder packet by receiving control information including a subpacket identifier (SP_ID) representing the sequence of a subpacket, a size of an encoder packet (EP_SIZE), and a sequence identifier (AI_SN) that is toggled each time a new encoder packet is transmitted, while receiving one of a plurality of subpackets generated by segmenting a bit stream acquired by encoding a encoder packet, in a wireless packet data communication system, the method comprising:

• determining whether the SP_ID is set to a value representing initial transmission;
• generating the encoder packet by performing a decoding process caused by initial transmission on the received subpacket, if the SP_ID is set to the value representing initial transmission and the AI_SN and the EP_SIZE are both not identical to previously received AI_SN and EP_SIZE;
• and
• generating the encoder packet by performing a decoding process caused by retransmission on the received subpacket, if the SP_ID is not set to the value representing initial transmission and the AI_SN and the EP_SIZE are both identical to previously received AI_SN and EP_SIZE.

An apparatus for receiving an encoder packet in a wireless packet data communication system, comprising:

• a data channel receiver for receiving, over a data channel, one of a plurality of subpackets generated by segmenting a bit stream acquired by encoding a transmission encoder packet, and generating an encoder packet by performing a decoding process caused by initial transmission or a decoding process caused by retransmission on the received subpacket;
• a control channel receiver for receiving control information including a subpacket identifier (SP_ID) representing the sequence of the subpacket, a size of the encoder packet (EP_SIZE), and a sequence identifier (AI_SN) that is toggled each time a new encoder packet is transmitted;
• an acknowledge channel (ACKCH) transmitter for transmitting an acknowledge signal (ACK) if no error has occurred in the encoder packet, and transmitting a negative acknowledge signal (NAK) if an error has occurred in the encoder packet;
• and
• a hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) controller for determining whether it will perform the decoding process caused by initial transmission or the decoding process caused by retransmission on the received subpacket, based on the control information, such that the H-ARQ controller performs the following operations:
• determining to perform the decoding process caused by initial transmission on the received subpacket, if the AI_SN and the EP_SIZE are both not identical to previously received AI_SN and EP_SIZE;
• and
• determining to perform the decoding process caused by retransmission on the received subpacket, if the AI_SN and the EP_SIZE are both identical to previously received AI_SN and EP_SIZE and ACK is not transmitted in response to a previously received subpacket.

An apparatus receiving an encoder packet in a wireless packet data communication system, comprising:

• a data channel receiver for receiving, over a data channel, one of a plurality of subpackets generated by segmenting a bit stream acquired by encoding a transmission encoder packet, and generating an encoder packet by performing a decoding process caused by initial transmission or a decoding process caused by retransmission on the received subpacket;
• a control channel receiver for receiving control information including a subpacket identifier (SP_ID) representing the sequence of the subpacket, a size of the encoder packet (EP_SIZE), and a sequence identifier (AI_SN) that is toggled each time a new encoder packet is transmitted;
• an acknowledge channel (ACKCH) transmitter for transmitting an acknowledge signal (ACK) if no error has occurred in the encoder packet, and transmitting a negative acknowledge signal (NAK) if an error has occurred in the encoder packet;
• and
• a hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) controller for determining whether it will perform the decoding process caused by initial transmission or the decoding process caused by retransmission on the received subpacket, based on the control information, the H-ARQ controller performing the following operations:
• determining whether the SP_ID is set to a value representing initial transmission;
• determining to perform the decoding process caused by initial transmission on the received subpacket if the SP_ID is set to the value representing initial transmission and the AI_SN and the EP_SIZE are both not identical to previously received AI_SN and EP_SIZE;
• and
• determining to perform the decoding process caused by retransmission on the received subpacket if the SP_ID is not set to a value representing initial transmission and the AI_SN and the EP_SIZE are both identical to previously received AI_SN and EP_SIZE.