Dynamic robust header compression

A telecommunications node or terminal comprising:

• a compressor configured to:
• compress a header in a first packet destined to be transmitted over a wireless link in accordance with a first format, wherein the first format is associated with a first number of sequence number bits, and wherein the compressed header of the first packet includes the first number of sequence number bits;
• decide, based on a characteristic of the wireless link, whether to adjust a packet format used by the compressor;
• and
• in response to deciding to adjust the first packet format:
• determine an enhancement factor;
• determine a second number of sequence number bits based on the first number of sequence number bits and the enhancement factor;
• signal information to a decompressor indicating the enhancement factor;
• and
• compress a header in a second packet, wherein a sequence number of the compressed header of the second packet includes the second number of compressed bits;
• and
• a transceiver configured to transmit the packets over the wireless link, the packets being susceptible to reordering during transmission over the wireless link,
• wherein the dynamically adjusting of the tradeoff occurs during transmission of a flow of header-compressed packets including the first packet and the second packet over the wireless link from the compressor to the decompressor.

A telecommunications node or terminal comprising:

• a transceiver configured to receive, over a wireless link:
• signal information from a compressor indicating an enhancement factor;
• a flow of packets comprising compressed headers, the packets having been susceptible to reordering during transmission over the wireless link;
• a decompressor configured to perform a decompression operation with respect to the compressed headers of the packets which were compressed based on a number of compressed bits wherein a sequence number of the compressed headers includes the number of compressed bits and to adjust, in accordance with a characteristic of the link, an interpretation interval utilized for the decompression operation by changing at least one of a number of compressed bits of a sequence number of the headers and an interpretation interval offset;
• wherein the dynamically adjusting of the tradeoff occurs during transmission of the flow of packets over the wireless link from the compressor to the decompressor.