Method, apparatus and system for handling unreliable feedback information in a wireless network

1. A method of adjusting one or more communications with a receiving unit in a wireless communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving feedback information relating to the receiving unit, the feedback information relating to radio conditions between the wireless communication network and the receiving unit;

determining a feedback information offset for the receiving unit by a feedback information processor located separately from the receiving unit, wherein the step of determining the feedback information offset comprises the further steps of:

increasing the feedback information offset whenever the feedback information includes a negative acknowledgement (“NACK”); and

decreasing the feedback information offset whenever the feedback information includes an acknowledgement (“ACK”), wherein the step of decreasing the feedback information offset comprises the further steps of:

leaving the feedback information offset unchanged whenever the feedback information includes an acknowledgement (“ACK”) and the feedback information is not related to an initial transmission;

leaving the feedback information offset unchanged whenever the feedback information includes an acknowledgment (“ACK”), the feedback information is related to an initial transmission and a BLER is not greater than a desired value; and

decreasing the feedback information offset whenever the feedback information includes and acknowledgement (“ACK”) and the BLER is greater than the desired values; and

adjusting the one or more communications providing a downlink with the receiving unit based on the feedback information and the feedback information offset.

2. A method of adjusting one or more communications with a receiving unit in a wireless communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving feedback information relating to the receiving unit, the feedback information relating to radio conditions between the wireless communication network and the receiving unit;

determining a feedback information offset for the receiving unit by a feedback information processor located separately from the receiving unit;

adjusting the one or more communications providing a downlink with the receiving unit based on the feedback information and the feedback information offset, wherein the step of adjusting one or more communications comprises the further steps of:

determining whether adjust the scheduling of the one or more communications with the receiving unit using the feedback information offset;

scheduling the one or more communications with the receiving unit using the feedback information and the feedback information offset whenever the scheduling of the one or more communications with the receiving unit is to be adjusted using the feedback information offset;

scheduling the one or more communications with the receiving unit using the feedback information whenever the scheduling of the one or more communications with the receiving unit is not to be adjusted using the feedback information offset;

determining whether to adapt one or more communication links with the receiving unit using the feedback information offset;

adapting one or more communication links with the receiving unit using the feedback information and the feedback information offset whenever the one or more communication links with the receiving unit are to be adapted using the feedback information offset; and

adapting one or more communication links with the receiving unit using the feedback information whenever the one or more communication links with the receiving unit are not to be adapted using the feedback information offset.

3. A method of adjusting one or more communications with a receiving unit in a wireless communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving feedback information relating to the receiving unit, the feedback information relating to radio conditions between the wireless communication network and the receiving unit;

determining a feedback information offset for the receiving unit by a feedback information processor located separately from the receiving unit;

adjusting the one or more communications providing a downlink with the receiving unit based on the feedback information and the feedback information offset; wherein the step of adjusting one or more communications comprises the further steps of:

determining whether to use the feedback information offset or a previous feedback information offset;

adjusting the one or more communications with the receiving unit based on the feedback information whenever the feedback information offset is not to be used;

adjusting the one or more communications with the receiving unit based on the feedback information and the feedback information offset whenever the feedback information offset is to be used; and

adjusting the one or more communications with the receiving unit based on the feedback information and the previous feedback information offset whenever the previous feedback information offset is to be used.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein a modified feedback information offset is used instead of the feedback information offset.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the modified feedback information offset has a value of zero, an absolute value of the feedback information offset or a negative of the absolute value of the feedback information offset.

6. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for adjusting one or more communications with a receiving unit in a wireless communication network, the computer program comprising:

a code segment adapted to receive feedback information relating to the receiving unit, the feedback information relating to radio conditions between the wireless communication network and the receiving unit;

a code segment adapted to determine a feedback information offset for the receiving unit by a feedback information processor located separately from the receiving unit, wherein the code segment adapted to determinine the feedback information offset further comprises:

a code segment adapted to increase the feedback information offset whenever the feedback information includes a negative acknowledgement (“NACK”); and

a code segment adapted to decrease the feedback information offset whenever the feedback information includes an acknowledgement (“ACK”), wherein the code segment adapted to decrease the feedback information offset further comprises:

a code segment adapted to leave the feedback information offset unchanged whenever the feedback information includes an acknowledgement (“ACK”) and the feedback information is not related to an initial transmission;

a code segment adapted to leave the feedback information offset unchanged whenever the feedback information includes an acknowledgment (“ACK”), the feedback information is related to an initial transmission and a BLER is not greater than a desired value; and

a code segment adapted to decrease the feedback information offset whenever the feedback information includes and acknowledgement (“ACK”) and the BLER is greater than the desired value; and

a code segment adapted to adjust the one or more communications providing a downlink with the receiving unit based on the feedback information and the feedback information offset.

7. An apparatus for adjusting one or more communications with a receiving unit in a wireless communication network comprising:

a means to receive feedback information relating to the receiving unit, the feedback information relating to radio conditions between the wireless communication network and the receiving unit;

a means to determine a feedback information offset for the receiving unit by a feedback information processor located separately from the receiving unit, wherein the means to determine the feedback information offset further comprises:

a means for increasing the feedback information offset whenever the feedback information includes a negative acknowledgement (“NACK”); and

a means for decreasing the feedback information offset whenever the feedback information includes an acknowledgement (“ACK”), wherein the step of decreasing the feedback information offset further comprises:

a means for leaving the feedback information offset unchanged whenever the feedback information includes an acknowledgement (“ACK”) and the feedback information is not related to an initial transmission;

a means for leaving the feedback information offset unchanged whenever the feedback information includes an acknowledgment (“ACK”), the feedback information is related to an initial transmission and a BLER is not greater than a desired value; and

a means for decreasing the feedback information offset whenever the feedback information includes and acknowledgement (“ACK”) and the BLER is greater than the desired value; and

a means for adjusting the one or more communications providing a downlink with the receiving unit based on the feedback information and the feedback information offset.