Determination of acceptable sequence number ranges in a communications protocol

A method for determining acceptable ranges of received sequence numbers in a wireless communications protocol, the wireless communications protocol utilizing:

• protocol data units (PDUs) for transmitting service data units (SDUs), each PDU comprising a sequence number of n bits for indicating a relative sequential
• ordering of the PDU in a transmitted or received stream of PDUs;
• and
• a transmission time interval (TTI) in which a predetermined number of PDUs are transmitted or received;
• the method comprising:
• receiving a stream of PDUs within a TTI;
• determining a starting sequence number and an ending sequence number for received PDUs within the TTI;
• and
• discarding any received PDU within the TTI that has a sequence number that is sequentially before the starting sequence number or that is sequentially after the ending sequence number.

A wireless communications system comprising:

• a first station capable of transmitting a stream of protocol data units (PDUs) comprising a predetermined number of PDUs in a transmission time interval (TTI), each PDU comprising a sequence number of n bits for indicating a relative sequential ordering of the PDU in the stream of PDUs;
• and
• a second station capable of receiving the stream of PDUs in the TTI, the second station utilizing:
• a starting sequence number;
• an ending sequence number;
• and
• an interface for generating the starting sequence number and the ending sequence number, and for discarding any received PDU within the TTI that has a sequence number that is sequentially before the starting sequence number or that is sequentially after the ending sequence number.