Method for handling corrupted signals in a wireless network

Abstract

A method is provided for combining corrupted messages received in a wireless network which comprises the following steps: (a) receiving a first message transmitted from one of a plurality of communication devices, wherein that first message is received as a corrupted message; (b) following the receipt of the first corrupted message, receiving a first plurality of messages, wherein the first plurality of messages are received as corrupted messages and wherein at least one of the first plurality of corrupted messages is essentially identical to the first message; (c) combining the first corrupted message with the at least one of the first plurality of corrupted messages that is essentially identical to that first message to form a combined message; and (d) deriving from the combined message information which was transmitted within the first message.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A network entry method in a wireless communication network, where a mobile terminal attempts to establish communication with a base station, comprising, at the base station:
 receiving a first message from the mobile terminal, the message indicating that the mobile terminal attempts to establish a connection with the base station, wherein the first message is received in a corrupted shape;   filtering a plurality of messages received subsequent to the first message using a predetermined selection criterion to identify a second message similar to the first message;   combining the first message with the second message into a combined message; and   deriving from said combined message information transmitted in said first message.   
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein if the information transmitted in said first message message cannot be derived from the combined message,
 identifying, in a plurality of messages received subsequent to the second message, a third message similar to the first message,   combining the first message with the third message into a second combined message; and   deriving from said second combined message the information transmitted in said first message.   
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined selection criterion is a pre-defined number of frames received between the first and the second messages. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined selection criterion is a pre-defined is a minimum time interval between the first message and the second message. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined selection criterion is a pre-defined minimum time interval between the first message and the second message. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined selection criterion is the number of bytes in the first and second messages. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein filtering a plurality of messages comprises selecting a second plurality of messages from the plurality of messages. 
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the second message is selected from the second plurality of messages. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first message is a request for service from the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first message is part of a re-entry procedure used in the wireless communication network, the re-entry procedure occurring prior to the mobile terminal registering with the base station. 
     
     
         11 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first message is part of a handover (HO) procedure used in the wireless communication network, the HO procedure occurring prior to the mobile terminal registering with the base station. 
     
     
         12 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the first message is a RNG-REQ message. 
     
     
         13 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the base station identifies the mobile terminal, but the mobile terminal is not HARQ-enabled for completing the network entry procedure.