System and method for dynamically adjusting hybrid ARQ transmissions

1. A method comprising:

generating a plurality of hybrid ARQ sub-packets associated with a packet, wherein a transmitter is configured to transmit up to a maximum number of the hybrid ARQ sub-packets;

detecting a degradation in transmission quality; and

in response to detecting the degradation, reducing the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets associated with the packet that can be transmitted by the transmitter.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein reducing the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets comprises reducing the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets associated with a packet generated by a first application but not the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets associated with a packet generated by a second application, wherein the first application has different quality of service parameters than the second application.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein reducing the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets comprises reducing the maximum number of hybrid ARQ packets associated with an interactive video application.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein reducing the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets comprises reducing the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets from a first level to a second level, wherein the second level is less than or equal to a packet generation time divided by a sub-packet transmission time.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises detecting a degradation in radio frequency condition.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises determining that a total transmission time for the sub-packets associated the packet is longer than a packet generation time.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises detecting degraded performance of a link in a direction of a feedback channel.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises detecting an overload of a signaling channel resulting in omission of resource allocation for an acknowledgement/non-acknowledgement feedback channel.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises detecting an increase in redundant sub-packet transmissions to a receiver.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein reducing the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets comprises sending an instruction to the transmitter directing the transmitter to reduce the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 1 , comprising:

detecting an improvement in the transmission quality; and

in response to detecting the improvement, increasing the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets associated with the packet that can be transmitted by the transmitter.

12. A method comprising:

detecting a degradation in transmission quality;

receiving a sub-packet transmission from a transmitter, wherein the sub-packet is one of a plurality of sub-packets associated with a packet; and

sending an acknowledgement to the transmitter if at least a predetermined number of sub-packets associated with the packet have been received, wherein the acknowledgement is sent regardless of whether the packet was successfully decoded.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 12 , wherein detecting the degradation in transmission quality comprises detecting an increase in the number of sub-packets received that are associated with packets that have already been successfully decoded.

14. The method, as set forth in claim 12 , comprising sending an instruction to the transmitter directing the transmitter to reduce the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets that can transmitted for each packet.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 12 , wherein sending the acknowledgement to the transmitter comprises sending an ACK over a feedback channel to the transmitter after a number of received hybrid ARQ sub-packets equals approximately a packet generation time divided by a sub-packet transmission time.

16. A hybrid ARQ enabled device configured to:

generate a plurality of hybrid ARQ sub-packets associated with a packet, wherein a transmitter is configured to transmit up to a maximum number of the hybrid ARQ sub-packets;

detect a degradation in transmission quality that affects the transmitter; and

reduce the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets associated with the packet that can be transmitted by the transmitter in response to detecting the degradation.

17. The device, as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the device is configured to reduce the maximum number of hybrid ARQ packets associated with packets transmitted with a voice-over-P application.

18. The device, as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the device is configured to reduce the maximum number of hybrid ARQ sub-packets from a first level to a second level, wherein the second level is less than or equal to a packet generation time divided by a sub-packet transmission time.

19. The device, as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the device comprises a wireless base station.

20. The device, as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the device comprises a wireless data device.

21. A method comprising:

detecting a degradation in transmission quality; and

adjusting a resource allocation priority of acknowledgement/non-acknowledgement feedback from a receiver in response to detecting the degradation, wherein adjusting the resource allocation priority comprises allocating a transmission resource for transmission of the acknowledgement/non-acknowledgement feedback subsequent to the allocation of the transmission resource for a signaling channel.

22. A method comprising:

detecting a degradation in transmission quality; and

adjusting a resource allocation priority of acknowledgement/non-acknowledgement feedback from a receiver in response to detecting the degradation, wherein adjusting the resource allocation priority comprises disabling the transmission of acknowledgements and non-acknowledgements from the receiver in response to detecting the degradation.