Method and apparatus related to packet fragmentation and reconstruction

A communications device comprising:

• at least one processor configured to:
• generate a first sequence of M bits communicating a first packet header and a packet payload corresponding to said first packet header, said first packet header indicating a full length of said packet payload;
• determine, after generation of a portion of said sequence of M bits communicating the first packet header, a rate option and a number N of bits to be transmitted in a first transmission segment based on a channel quality;
• transmit N of said M bits and a rate indictor, said N bits communicating said first packet header and including a portion of said packet payload;
• and
• form a second sequence of X bits communicating a second packet header and at least some of a remainder portion of said packet payload when the portion of said packet payload is less than the indicated full length of said packet payload, said second packet header indicating a length of the remainder portion of said packet payload, said remainder portion being an untransmitted portion of said packet payload, X, M and N being positive integers;
• and memory coupled to said at least one processor.

A communications device comprising:

• means for generating a first sequence of M bits communicating a first packet header and a packet payload corresponding to said first packet header, said first packet header indicating a full length of said packet payload;
• means for determining, after generation of a portion of said sequence of M bits communicating the first packet header, a rate option and a number N of bits to be transmitted in a first transmission segment based on a channel quality;
• means for transmitting N of said M bits and a rate indicator, said N bits communicating said first packet header and including a portion of said packet payload;
• and
• means for forming a second sequence of X bits communicating a second packet header and at least some of a remainder portion of said packet payload when the portion of said packet payload is less than the indicated full length of said packet payload, said second packet header indicating a length of the remainder portion of said packet payload, said remainder portion being an untransmitted portion of said packet payload, X, M and N being positive integers.

A computer program product for use in a communications device, the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:
• code for causing at least one computer to generate a first sequence of M bits communicating a first packet header and a packet payload corresponding to said first packet header, said first packet header indicating a full length of said packet payload;
• code for causing at least one computer to determine, after generation of a portion of said sequence of M bits communicating the first packet header, a rate option and a number N of bits to be transmitted in a first transmission segment based on a channel quality;
• code for causing said at least one computer to transmit N of said M bits and a rate indicator, said N bits communicating said first packet header and including a portion of said packet payload;
• and
• code for causing said at least one computer to forming a second sequence of X bits communicating a second packet header and at least some of a remainder portion of said packet payload when the portion of said packet payload is less than the indicated full length of said packet payload, said second packet header indicating a length of the remainder portion of said packet payload, said remainder portion being an untransmitted portion of said packet payload, X, M and N being positive integers.

A communications method, the method comprising:

• receiving in a first transmission segment a first packet header and a corresponding first packet payload portion, said first packet header identifying a first packet and indicating a first packet payload length;
• determining if a length of the first packet payload portion is less than the indicated first packet payload length;
• determining a number of information bits communicated in said first transmission segment from a rate indicator communicated in said first transmission segment;
• when it is determined that the length of the first packet payload portion is less than the indicated first packet payload length, storing the received first packet payload portion;
• receiving in a second transmission segment a second packet header and a second packet payload portion, said second packet header identifying the first packet identified by said first packet header;
• and
• combining the stored first packet payload portion with the second packet payload portion received in the second transmission segment.

A communications device comprising:

• at least one processor configured to:
• receive in a first transmission segment a first packet header and a corresponding first packet payload portion, said first packet header identifying a first packet and indicating a first packet payload length;
• determine if a length of the first packet payload portion is less than the indicated first packet payload length;
• determine a number of information bits communicated in said first transmission segment from a rate indicator communicated in said first transmission segment;
• store the received first packet payload portion when it is determined that the length of the first packet payload portion is less than the indicated first packet payload length;
• receive in a second transmission segment a second packet header and a second packet payload portion, said second packet header identifying the first packet identified by said first packet header;
• and
• combine the stored first packet payload portion with the second packet payload portion received in the second transmission segment;
• and memory coupled to said at least one processor.

A communications device comprising:

• means for receiving in a first transmission segment a first packet header and a corresponding first packet payload portion, said first packet header identifying a first packet and indicating a first packet payload length;
• means for determining if a length of the first packet payload portion is less than the indicated first packet payload length;
• means for determining a number of information bits communicated in said first transmission segment from a rate indicator communicated in said first transmission segment;
• means for storing the received first packet payload portion when it is determined that the length of the first packet payload portion is less than the indicated first packet payload length;
• means for receiving in a second transmission segment a second packet header and a second packet payload portion, said second packet header identifying the first packet identified by said first packet header;
• and
• means for combining the stored first packet payload portion with the second packet payload portion received in the second transmission segment.

A computer program product for use in a communications device, the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:
• code for causing at least one computer to receive in a first transmission segment a first packet header and a corresponding first packet payload portion, said first packet header identifying a first packet and indicating a first packet payload length;
• code for causing said at least one computer to determine if a length of the first packet payload portion is less than the indicated first packet payload length;
• code for causing said at least one computer to determine a number of information bits communicated in said first transmission segment from a rate indicator communicated in said first transmission segment;
• code for causing said at least one computer to store the received first packet payload portion when it is determined that the length of the first packet payload portion is less than the indicated first packet payload length;
• code for causing said at least one computer to receive in a second transmission segment a second packet header and a second packet payload portion, said second packet header identifying the first packet identified by said first packet header;
• and
• code for causing said at least one computer to combine the stored first packet payload portion with the second packet payload portion received in the second transmission segment.