Method, apparatus and computer program product providing slow associated control channel (SACCH) repetition

A program product tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by at least one data processor of a mobile node to perform operations comprising:

• receiving from a network node a first block of data over a downlink Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) channel;
• storing the first block of data;
• subsequent to receiving the first block of data, receiving from the network node a second block of data over the downlink SACCH channel;
• attempting to decode the second block of data;
• in response to a failure in the attempt to decode the second block of data, combining into a combination the second block with the stored first block of data;
• and
• attempting to decode the combination.

A mobile node comprising:

• at least one memory comprising a set of instructions;
• and
• at least one data processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to execute the set of instructions, the at least one data processor configured when the set of instructions are executed to perform the operations of:
• receiving from a network node a first block of data over a downlink Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) channel;
• storing the first block of data;
• subsequent to receiving the first block of data, receiving from the network node a second block of data over the downlink SACCH channel;
• attempting to decode the second block of data;
• in response to a failure in the attempt to decode the second block of data, combining into a combination the second block with the stored first block of data;
• and
• attempting to decode the combination.

A method for providing Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) repetition on a downlink SACCH channel, comprising:

• determining whether a block of data to be transmitted over the downlink SACCH channel from a network node to a mobile node is a repetition candidate;
• and
• in response to the block of data being a repetition candidate, scheduling the block as a pair of blocks for transmission over the downlink SACCH channel from the network node to the mobile node, the scheduling comprising:
• in a first SACCH period, transmitting the block from the network node to the mobile node over the downlink SACCH channel;
• and
• in a second SACCH period, retransmitting the block from the network node to the mobile node over the downlink SACCH channel.

A program product tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by at least one data processor of a network node to perform operations comprising:

• determining whether a block of data to be transmitted over a downlink Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) channel from the network node to a mobile node is a repetition candidate;
• and
• in response to the block of data being a repetition candidate, scheduling the block as a pair of blocks for transmission over the downlink SACCH channel from the network node to the mobile node, the scheduling comprising:
• in a first SACCH period, transmitting the block from the network node to the mobile node over the downlink SACCH channel;
• and
• in a second SACCH period, retransmitting the block from the network node to the mobile node over the downlink SACCH channel.

A network node comprising:

• at least one memory comprising a set of instructions;
• and
• at least one data processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to execute the set of instructions, the at least one data processor configured when the set of instructions are executed to perform the operations of:
• determining whether a block of data to be transmitted over the downlink SACCH channel from the network node to a mobile node is a repetition candidate;
• and
• in response to the block of data being a repetition candidate, scheduling the block as a pair of blocks for transmission over the downlink SACCH channel from the network node to the mobile node, the scheduling comprising:
• in a first SACCH period, transmitting the block from the network node to the mobile node over the downlink SACCH channel;
• and
• in a second SACCH period, retransmitting the block from the network node to the mobile node over the downlink SACCH channel.

A method performed by a network node, comprising:

• receiving from a mobile node a first block of data over an uplink Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) channel;
• storing the first block of data;
• subsequent to receiving the first block of data, receiving from the mobile node a second block of data over the uplink SACCH channel;
• attempting to decode the second block of data;
• in response to a failure in the attempt to decode the second block of data, combining into a combination the second block with the stored first block of data;
• and
• attempting to decode the combination.

A program product tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by at least one data processor of a network node to perform operations comprising:

• receiving from a mobile node a first block of data over an uplink Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) channel;
• storing the first block of data;
• subsequent to receiving the first block of data, receiving from the mobile node a second block of data over the uplink SACCH channel;
• attempting to decode the second block of data;
• in response to a failure in the attempt to decode the second block of data, combining into a combination the second block with the stored first block of data;
• and
• attempting to decode the combination.

A network node comprising:

• at least one memory comprising a set of instructions;
• and
• at least one data processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to execute the set of instructions, the at least one data processor configured when the set of instructions are executed to perform the operations of:
• receiving from a mobile node a first block of data over an uplink Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) channel;
• storing the first block of data;
• subsequent to receiving the first block of data, receiving from the mobile node a second block of data over the uplink SACCH channel;
• attempting to decode the second block of data;
• in response to a failure in the attempt to decode the second block of data, combining into a combination the second block with the stored first block of data;
• and
• attempting to decode the combination.

A method for providing Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) repetition on an uplink SACCH channel, comprising:

• determining whether a block of data to be transmitted over the uplink SACCH channel from a mobile node to a network node is a repetition candidate;
• and
• in response to the block of data being a repetition candidate, scheduling the block as a pair of blocks for transmission over the uplink SACCH channel from the mobile node to the network node, the scheduling comprising:
• in a first SACCH period, transmitting the block from the mobile node to the network node over the uplink SACCH channel;
• and
• in a second SACCH period, retransmitting the block from the mobile node to the network node over the uplink SACCH channel.

A program product tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by at least one data processor of a mobile node to perform operations comprising:

• determining whether a block of data to be transmitted over the uplink Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) channel from the mobile node to a network node is a repetition candidate;
• and
• in response to the block of data being a repetition candidate, scheduling the block as a pair of blocks for transmission over the uplink SACCH channel from the mobile node to the network node, the scheduling comprising:
• in a first SACCH period, transmitting the block from the mobile node to the network node over the uplink SACCH channel;
• and
• in a second SACCH period, retransmitting the block from the mobile node to the network node over the uplink SACCH channel.

A mobile node comprising:

• at least one memory comprising a set of instructions;
• and
• at least one data processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to execute the set of instructions, the at least one data processor configured when the set of instructions are executed to perform the operations of:
• determining whether a block of data to be transmitted over the uplink Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) channel from the mobile node to a network node is a repetition candidate;
• and
• in response to the block of data being a repetition candidate, scheduling the block as a pair of blocks for transmission over the uplink SACCH channel from the mobile node to the network node, the scheduling comprising:
• in a first SACCH period, transmitting the block from the mobile node to the network node over the uplink SACCH channel;
• and
• in a second SACCH period, retransmitting the block from the mobile node to the network node over the uplink SACCH channel.