Power for uplink acknowledgment transmission

1. A method, comprising:

receiving two transport blocks of information by a user equipment from a network element;

defining by the user equipment a power of a dual acknowledgement signal for acknowledging said two transport blocks according to a predetermined criterion, wherein said power has an offset relative to a base power of a single acknowledgement signal for acknowledging one transport block of information when received by said user equipment from said network element; and

transmitting said dual acknowledgement signal using said power by the user equipment to the network element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said base power is an ACK power if, after being received, both said two transport blocks are successfully decoded by the user equipment, wherein said ACK power for said single acknowledgement signal corresponds to successfully decoding, when received, said one block by the user equipment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said base power is a NACK power if, after being received, one or two of said two transport blocks are unsuccessfully decoded by the user equipment, wherein said NACK power for said single acknowledgement signal corresponds to unsuccessfully decoding, when received, said one block by the user equipment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein bit-field lengths of said dual acknowledgement signal and said single acknowledgement signal are equal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said offset or said base power is received by the user equipment from the network element or defined by a specification.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said dual acknowledgement signal and said single acknowledgement signal are provided within a hybrid automatic request process.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said dual acknowledgement signal and said single acknowledgement signal are transmitted on a high speed dedicated physical transport channel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said user equipment and said network element are configured to support at least one of: a multiple input-multiple output mode and a high speed downlink packet access.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one transmission timing interval of said downlink signal comprises said two transport blocks.

10. A computer program product comprising: a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor with said computer program code, wherein said computer program code comprises instructions for performing the method of claim 1 , indicated as being performed by a component or a combination of components of said network element or said user equipment.

11. A user equipment, comprising:

a receiving/transmitting/processing module, configured to receive from a network element and further forwarding a downlink signal comprising two transport blocks of information, configured to transmit a dual acknowledgement signal for acknowledging said two transport blocks to the network element; and

an uplink scheduling and signal generating module, responsive to said two transport blocks of information comprised in said downlink signal, configured to define a power of said dual acknowledgement signal for acknowledging said two transport blocks according to a predetermined criterion, wherein said power has an offset relative to a base power of a single acknowledgement signal for acknowledging one transport block of information when received by said user equipment from said network element.

12. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein said base power is an ACK power if, after being received, both said two transport blocks are successfully decoded by the user equipment, wherein said ACK power for said single acknowledgement signal corresponds to successfully decoding, when received, said one block by the user equipment.

13. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein said base power is a NACK power if, after being received, one or two of said two transport blocks are unsuccessfully decoded by the user equipment, wherein said NACK power for said single acknowledgement signal corresponds to unsuccessfully decoding, when received, said one block by the user equipment.

14. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein bit-field lengths of said dual acknowledgement signal and said single acknowledgement signal are equal.

15. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein said receiving/transmitting/processing module is configured to receive said offset or said base power from the network element.

16. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein said offset is defined by a specification.

17. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein said dual acknowledgement signal and said single acknowledgement signal are provided within a hybrid automatic request process.

18. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein said dual acknowledgement signal and said single acknowledgement signal are transmitted on a high speed dedicated physical transport channel.

19. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein said user equipment is configured to support at least one of: a multiple input-multiple output mode and a high speed downlink packet access.

20. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein at least one transmission timing interval of said downlink signal comprises said two transport blocks.

21. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein said power is two times the base power.

22. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein an integrated circuit comprises the uplink scheduling and signal generating module and the receiving/transmitting/processing module.

23. A communication system, comprising:

a network element, configured to provide a downlink signal comprising two transport blocks of information, configured to receive a dual acknowledgement signal for acknowledging said two transport blocks; and

a user equipment, configured to receive and further forward a downlink signal comprising said transport blocks of information, configured to provide said dual acknowledgement signal for acknowledging said two transport blocks, configured to define a power of said dual acknowledgement signal for acknowledging said two transport blocks according to a predetermined criterion, wherein said power has an offset relative to a base power of a single acknowledgement signal for acknowledging one transport block of information when received by said user equipment from said network element.

24. The communication system of claim 23 , wherein said base power is an ACK power if, after being received, both said two transport blocks are successfully decoded by the user equipment, wherein said ACK power for said single acknowledgement signal corresponds to successfully decoding, when received, said one block by the user equipment.

25. The communication system of claim 23 , wherein said base power is a NACK power if, after being received, one or two of said two transport blocks are unsuccessfully decoded by the user equipment, wherein said NACK power for said single acknowledgement signal corresponds to unsuccessfully decoding, when received, said one block by the user equipment.

26. A method, comprising:

sending two transport blocks of information by a network element to a user equipment;

defining by the network element a power of a dual acknowledgement signal for acknowledging said two transport blocks according to a predetermined criterion, wherein said power has an offset relative to a base power of a single acknowledgement signal for acknowledging one transport block of information when received by said user equipment from said network element; and

receiving by the network element said dual acknowledgement signal using said power sent by the user equipment.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein said network element is a Node B configured for wireless communications.

28. A computer program product comprising: a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor with said computer program code, wherein said computer program code comprises instructions for performing the method of claim 26 , indicated as being performed by a component or a combination of components of said network element or said user equipment.

29. A network element, comprising:

an uplink power and scheduling module, configured to provide a downlink signal comprising two transport blocks of information, configured to define a power of a dual acknowledgement signal for acknowledging said two transport blocks by a user equipment according to a predetermined criterion, wherein said power has an offset relative to a base power of a single acknowledgement signal for acknowledging one transport block of information when received by said user equipment from said network element; and

a receiver, configured to receive said dual acknowledgement signal for acknowledging said two transport blocks.

30. The network element of claim 29 , further comprising:

a transmitter, configured to transmit a downlink signal comprising two transport blocks of information, and for transmitting a power instruction signal comprising said power offset to the user equipment.

31. A user equipment, comprising:

means for transmitting and receiving, for receiving from a network element and further forwarding a downlink signal comprising two transport blocks of information, for transmitting a dual acknowledgement signal for acknowledging said two transport blocks to the network element; and

means for signal managing, responsive to said two transport blocks of information comprised in said downlink signal, for defining a power of said dual acknowledgement signal for acknowledging said two transport blocks according to a predetermined criterion, wherein said power has an offset relative to a base power of a single acknowledgement signal for acknowledging one transport block of information when received by said user equipment from said network element.

32. The user equipment of claim 31 , wherein said managing means is an uplink scheduling and signal generating module.