Method and Arrangement for Resolving a Temporary Block Flow

A method for resolving a Temporary Block Flow (TBF) in a wireless network including one or more mobile stations exchanging data with a base stations system (BSS) by means of one or more RLC/MAC blocks each associated with the TBF and wherein the TBF is associated to a mobile station and identified by means of a Temporary Flow Identity (TFI), the method comprising:

• receiving a RLC/MAC block including an RLC/MAC header and an RLC data block;
• retrieving a first TFI from a first group of TFIs in the RLC/MAC header;
• comparing the first TFI with an assigned TFI;
• determining capability in the mobile station to retrieve an extended TFI, eTFI, field in a transmitted downlink RLC/MAC block;
• decoding the payload of the RLC/MAC block when the first TFI matches the assigned TFI and represents a comprehensive TFI for the associated mobile station;
• decoding at least a predetermined field of the RLC data block and retrieving an extended TFI (eTFI) from a second group of TFIs when the first TFI matches the assigned TFI value and is identified as a code point to an eTFI;
• comparing the eTFI with an assigned eTFI;
• decoding the payload of the RLC data block when the eTFI matches the assigned eTFI;
• disregarding the RLC/MAC block if the first TFI does not match the assigned TFI or the eTFI does not match the assigned eTFI;
• receiving a new RLC/MAC block and repeating the steps for said RLC/MAC block.

A base station subsystem (BSS) comprising:

• an antenna unit;
• a transceiver unit for transmitting and receiving signals over a wireless communication channel;
• and
• a processing circuit to receive data packets from a mobile station, wherein the processing circuit is configured to receive information from the mobile station that the mobile station is capable of recognizing extended TFIs encoded in a predetermined field of a RLC data block.