Generalized spare extension field usage in frame protocol data frame

A method, comprising:

• receiving a frame containing information from a sending node of a communication system, and
• identifying in the frame a Spare Extension section conveying values for one or more information element fields,
• wherein a receiving node treats an information element field value occurring in the Spare Extension section as spare bits if the information element field was introduced for any version of a later release of a specification than the release of the specification according to which the receiving node was implemented, and
• wherein a bit of each New Information Element Flaas Information Elements indicates whether a next pair of New Information Element Flags Information Element and one or more respective information elements is included in the frame.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a frame containing information from a sending node of a communication system, and
• a processor configured to identify in the frame a Spare Extension section conveying values for one or more information element fields,
• wherein a receiving node treats an information element field value occurring in the Spare Extension section as spare bits if the information element field was introduced for any version of a later release of a specification than the release of the specification according to which the receiving node was implemented, and
• wherein a bit of each New Information Element Flags Information Elements indicates whether a next pair of New Information Element Flags Information Element and one or more respective information elements is included in the frame.

A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for execution by a computer processor in a telecommunication terminal or node for performing a method comprising:

• receiving a frame containing information from a sending node of a communication system, and
• identifying in the frame a Spare Extension section conveying values for one or more information element fields,
• wherein a receiving node treats an information element field value occurring in the Spare Extension section as spare bits if the information element field was introduced for any version of a later release of a specification than the release of the specification according to which the receiving node was implemented, and
• wherein a bit of each New Information Element Flags Information Elements indicates whether a next pair of New Information Element Flags Information Element and one or more respective information elements is included in the frame.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processor configured for transmitting a frame containing information to a receiving node, and
• wherein the processor is configured to include in the frame a Spare Extension section conveying values for one or more information element fields,
• wherein the frame includes a New Information Element Flags Information Element for indicating to the receiving node via individual flags of the New Information Element Flags Information Element whether the Spare Extension section includes valid data for one or more respective information elements in the Spare Extension section on the basis of a predetermined correspondence between positions of the bits of the New Information Element Flags Information Element and positions of the one or more respective information elements occurring in the Spare Extension section, and
• wherein a bit of each New Information Element Flags Information Elements indicates whether a next pair of New Information Element Flags Information Element and one or more respective information elements is included in the frame.