Transmitting acknowledgement messages using a staggered uplink time slot

Abstract

A downlink communication is transmitted/received in at least one downlink time slot. In response to the received downlink communication, an acknowledgement message is received/transmitted in an uplink time slot a fixed integer number of uplink time slots after transmission/reception of the received downlink communication. The uplink and downlink time slots are staggered by substantially a half of a time slot.

1 . A wireless subscriber access unit comprising:
 a transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of uplink transmissions in a plurality of time intervals to a base station; and   a receiver configured to receive from the base station, a single cumulative acknowledgement message, wherein the single cumulative acknowledgement message corresponds to the plurality of uplink transmissions and indicates whether data of the plurality of uplink transmissions has been received successfully.   
     
     
         2 . The wireless subscriber access unit of  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive the single cumulative acknowledgement message a fixed time period after a last transmission of the plurality of uplink transmissions. 
     
     
         3 . A method performed by a subscriber access unit, the method comprising:
 transmitting a plurality of uplink transmissions in a plurality of time intervals to a base station; and   receiving from the base station, a single cumulative acknowledgement message, wherein the single cumulative acknowledgement message corresponds to the plurality of uplink transmissions and indicates whether data of the plurality of uplink transmissions has been received successfully.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the receiving further includes receiving the single cumulative acknowledgement message a fixed time period after a last transmission of the plurality of uplink transmissions. 
     
     
         5 . A base station comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive a plurality of uplink transmissions in a plurality of time intervals from a wireless subscriber access unit; and   a transmitter configured to transmit, to the wireless subscriber access unit, a single cumulative acknowledgement message, wherein the single cumulative acknowledgement message corresponds to the plurality of uplink transmissions and indicates whether data of the plurality of uplink transmissions has been received successfully.   
     
     
         6 . The base station of  claim 5 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the single cumulative acknowledgement message a fixed time period after a last transmission of the plurality of uplink transmissions. 
     
     
         7 . The wireless subscriber access unit of  claim 2 , wherein the single cumulative acknowledgement message is staggered in time from a last time interval of the plurality of time intervals by a portion of the time interval. 
     
     
         8 . The wireless subscriber access unit of  claim 1  further comprising an antenna operatively coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless subscriber access unit of  claim 1  further comprising a processor operatively coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver, the processor configured to determine, based on the single cumulative acknowledgement message, whether the data of the plurality of uplink transmissions has been received successfully. 
     
     
         10 . The wireless subscriber access unit of  claim 1 , wherein the data is associated with voice communication. 
     
     
         11 . The wireless subscriber access unit of  claim 1 , wherein a time delay associated with the plurality of uplink transmissions and the single cumulative acknowledgement message is reduced. 
     
     
         12 . The wireless subscriber access unit of  claim 1 , wherein the time interval is a time slot. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the single cumulative acknowledgement message is staggered in time from a last time interval of the plurality of time intervals by a portion of the time interval. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the transmitting includes transmitting via an antenna, and wherein the receiving includes receiving via the antenna. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising determining, based on the single cumulative acknowledgement message, whether the data of the plurality of uplink transmissions has been received successfully. 
     
     
         16 . The method unit of  claim 3 , wherein the data is associated with voice communication. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a time delay associated with the plurality of uplink transmissions and the single cumulative acknowledgement message is reduced. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the time interval is a time slot. 
     
     
         19 . The base station of  claim 6 , wherein the single cumulative acknowledgement message is staggered in time from a last time interval of the plurality of time intervals by a portion of the time interval. 
     
     
         20 . The base station of  claim 5  further comprising an antenna operatively coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver. 
     
     
         21 . The base station of  claim 5  further comprising a processor operatively coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver, the processor configured to determine whether the data of the plurality of uplink transmissions has been received successfully. 
     
     
         22 . The base station of  claim 5 , wherein the data is associated with voice communication. 
     
     
         23 . The base station of  claim 5 , wherein a time delay associated with the plurality of uplink transmissions and the single cumulative acknowledgement message is reduced. 
     
     
         24 . The base station of  claim 5 , wherein the time interval is a time slot.