Data unit sending means and control method

A method for controlling a data unit sender, said data unit sender having a send buffer for holding data units to be sent and said data unit sender being arranged to

• send data units of a first protocol to another peer of said first protocol, and
• embed data units of a second protocol belonging to a higher layer than said first protocol into data units of said first protocol,
• said method comprising the steps:
• discriminating said data units of said second protocol,
• associating data units of said first protocol with data units of said second protocol,
• managing the contents of said send buffer in accordance with the association between the data units of said first protocol and said second protocols,
• wherein said first protocol provides at least one acknowledgment mode in which the acknowledgment of the correct receipt of data units sent to said other peer is provided, and said managing comprises deleting a given data unit of said first protocol that belongs to said acknowledgment mode from said send buffer only if acknowledgments for all data units of said first protocol associated with the same data unit of said second protocol as said given data unit of said first protocol, have been received,
• wherein said data unit sender is arranged to also be able to embed said data units of said second protocol in data units of a third protocol different from said first protocol, and said data unit sender is also arranged to be able to perform a transition of a communication from said first protocol to said third protocol, where for performing such a transition said method further comprises:
• terminating the sending of data units of said first protocol,
• generating data units of said third protocol on the basis of data units of said second protocol, where the data units of said third protocol are associated with those remaining data units of said second protocol for which the associated data units of said first protocol (L2 ARQ) were not all acknowledged prior to the termination of the sending of data units of said first protocol.

A method for performing a handover of a communication between a first data unit sender and a destination receiver to a second data unit sender and said destination receiver, said first data unit sender having a send buffer for holding data units to be sent and said first data unit sender being arranged to

• send data units of a first protocol to another peer of said first protocol, and
• embed data units of a second protocol belonging to a higher layer than said first protocol into data units of said first protocol,
• said method comprising the steps:
• discriminating said data units of said second protocol,
• associating data units of said first protocol with data units of said second protocol,
• managing the contents of said send buffer in accordance with the association between the data units of said first protocol and said second protocol,
• wherein said first protocol provide at least one acknowledgment mode in which the acknowledgment of the correct receipt of data units sent to said other peer is provided, and said managing comprises deleting a given data unit of said first protocol that belongs to said acknowledgment mode from said send buffer only if acknowledgments for all data units of said first protocol associated with the same data unit of said second protocol as said given data unit of said first protocol, have been received,
• terminating the sending of data units from said first data unit sender,
• controlling the second data unit sender to send to said destination receiver all those data units of said second protocol remaining in said send buffer of said first data unit sender at the time of termination, for which the associated data units of said first protocol were not all acknowledged prior to the termination of the sending of data units from said first data unit sender.

A method for controlling a data unit sender, said data unit sender having a send buffer for holding data units to be sent and said data unit sender being arranged to

• send data units of a first protocol to another peer of said first protocol, and
• embed data units of a second protocol belonging to a higher layer than said first protocol into data units of said first protocol,
• said method comprising the steps:
• discriminating said data units of said second protocol,
• associating data units of said first protocol with data units of said second protocol,
• managing the contents of said send buffer in accordance with the association between the data units of said first protocol and said second protocol,
• wherein said first protocol provides at least one non-acknowledgment mode in which no acknowledgment of the correct receipt of data units sent to said other peer is provided, and said managing comprises deleting a given data unit of said first protocol that belongs to said non-acknowledgment mode from said send buffer after said given data unit was sent, and if a link reset or handover occurs, all remaining data units of said first protocol that are associated with a data unit of said third protocol for which only a part of the associated data units of said first protocol was sent, are deleted prior to recommencing sending after reset or prior to handing over the send buffer contents.

A data unit sender having a send buffer for holding data units to be sent and said data unit sender being arranged to send data units of a first protocol to another peer of said first protocol, and having

• an embedder for embedding data units of a second protocol belonging to a higher layer than said first protocol into data units of said first protocol,
• a discriminator for discriminating said data units of said second protocol,
• an associator for associating data units of said first protocol with data units of said second protocol,
• a controller for managing the contents of said send buffer in accordance with the association between the data units of said first protocol and said second protocol (U),
• wherein said first protocol provides at least one acknowledgment mode in which the acknowledgment of the correct receipt of data units sent to said other peer is provided, and said controller for managing the buffer is arranged to delete a given data unit of said first protocol that belongs to said acknowledgment mode from said send buffer only if acknowledgments for all data units of said first protocol associated with the same data unit of said second protocol as said given data unit of said first protocol, have been received,
• wherein said acknowledgment mode of said first protocol comprises arranging said data units of said first protocol stored in said send buffer in a sequence, each data unit being associated with a sequence number that identifies the place of said each data unit in said sequence, said data unit sender further being arranged to:
• if a condition occurs that leads to the sequence numbering having to be reset, retain the sequence of data units of said first protocol remaining in said send buffer and renumber said sequence such that the first data unit of said first protocol associated with the last data unit of said second protocol for which no acknowledgment for all associated data units of said first protocol was received, becomes the first data unit of said first protocol of the reset sequence.

A data unit sender having a send buffer for holding data units to be sent and said data unit sender being arranged to send data units of a first protocol to another peer of said first protocol, and having

• an embedder for embedding data units of a second protocol belonging to a higher layer than said first protocol into data units of said first protocol,
• a discriminator for discriminating said data units of said second protocol,
• an associator for associating data units of said first protocol with data units of said second protocol,
• a controller for managing the contents of said send buffer in accordance with the association between the data units of said first Protocol and said second protocol (U),
• wherein said first protocol provides at least one acknowledgment mode in which the acknowledgment of the correct receipt of data units sent to said other peer is provided, and said controller for managing the buffer is arranged to delete a given data unit of said first protocol that belongs to said acknowledgment mode from said send buffer only if acknowledgments for all data units of said first protocol associated with the same data unit of said second protocol as said given data unit of said fist protocol, have been received,
• wherein said data unit sender is arranged to also be able to embed said data units of said second protocol in data units of a third protocol different from said first protocol, and said data unit sender is also arranged to be able to perform a transition of a communication from said first protocol (L2 ARQ) to said third protocol, where for performing such a transition said data unit sender is further arranged to:
• terminate the sending of data units of said first protocol,
• generate data units of said third protocol on the basis of data units of said second protocol, where the data units of said third protocol are associated with those remaining data units of said second protocol for which the associated data units of said first protocol were not all acknowledged prior to the termination of the sending of data units of said first protocol.