Communication node and packet transfer method

Abstract

A communication node which can reliably transfer a packet with a payload including data having error resistance in radio environments is disclosed. A packet to be transmitted is divided into segments to form a plurality of packet segments. From among a plurality of error correction schemes that have been prepared in advance, the scheme to be employed is selected for each of the packet segments in accordance with predetermined criteria, and the selected error correction scheme is applied to each packet segment. Subsequently, the processed packet segment is transmitted to the network. Packet segments are received from the network. From among a plurality of error correction schemes prepared in advance, the scheme to be employed is selected for each of the received packet segments based on predetermined information contained in each received packet segment, and the selected error correction scheme is applied to the received packet segment. An original packet is formed from the plurality of processed packet segments.

1 - 15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . A method for transferring packet segments in a radio network, comprising: 
 dividing a packet to be transmitted, including a header and a data part, into a plurality of packet segments, each packet segment including a segment header and data, being either one of a first packet segment which includes at leas a portion of the header of the packet to be transmitted or a second packet segment which includes the data part of the packet to be transmitted;    negotiating with a destination device which receives the packet segments, for selecting error correction schemes for the first and second packet segments;    carrying out an error correction process on each packet segment with the selected error correction scheme; and    transmitting each error corrected packet segment including an information on the selected error correction schemes in the segment header to the destination device through the radio network,    wherein an information of the selected error correction scheme for the first packet segment is given a higher error correction ability than that is given to the second packet segment.    
   
   
       17 . A method for receiving packet segments from a radio network, comprising: 
 negotiating in advance, with a source device which transmits packet segments, for selecting error correction schemes for packet segments;    receiving error corrected packet segments from a radio network, each packet segment including an information on selected one of the error correction schemes in a segment header and transmitted from the source device, the packet segment being either one of a first packet segment having a higher error correction ability or a second packet segment having a lower error correction ability;    carrying out an error correction process on the packet segment with the selected error correction schemes depending upon the information of the segment header; and    reconstructing a packet from the plurality of packet segments after the error correction process, wherein the packet including a header reconstructed from the first packet segments and a data part mostly reconstructed from the second packet segments.