Method for eliminating a receiving data unit as a source of excessive resend requests

A method comprising the steps of:

• a) receiving a plurality of data blocks to produce received data blocks;
• b) determining, for each received data block, a corruption metric to produce a plurality of corruption metrics;
• c) determining, using at least one corruption metric of the plurality of corruption metrics, that a portion of received data blocks has been inadequately received;
• and
• d) when the portion of received data blocks has been inadequately received, disabling transmission of a resend request for a predetermined period of time.

In a broadcast data communication system, a method for communicating a data message from a transmitting data unit to at least one receiving data unit, the method comprising the steps of:

• at the transmitting data unit:
• a) transmitting the data message, wherein the data message comprises a plurality of error detection coded data blocks;
• at the at least one receiving data unit:
• b) receiving, from the transmitting data unit, the data message to provide received data blocks;
• c) determining, for each received data block, a corruption metric to produce a plurality of corruption metrics;
• d) determining, using at least one corruption metric of the plurality of corruption metrics, that a portion of received data blocks has been inadequately received;
• e) when the portion of received data blocks has been inadequately received, incrementing a resend counter;
• f) when the portion of received data blocks has been inadequately received and the resend counter does not exceed a counter limit value, transmitting, to the transmitting data unit, a resend request;
• at the transmitting data unit:
• g) upon receipt of the resend request, re-transmitting at least one error detection coded data block of the plurality of error detection coded data blocks as corresponds to the portion of received data blocks to produce re-transmitted data blocks;
• at the at least one receiving data unit:
• h) receiving the re-transmitted data blocks to produce re-received data blocks;
• i) determining at least one second corruption metric based on the re-received data blocks;
• j) determining, using the at least one second corruption metric, that a portion of re-received data blocks has been inadequately received;
• k) when the portion of re-received data blocks has been inadequately received, incrementing the resend counter;
• and
• l) when the resend counter exceeds a counter limit value, disabling transmission of subsequent resend requests corresponding to data blocks received after the step of disabling.