Minimizing slot wastage using overlapping HARQ regions in OFDMA WiMAX system

1. In a wireless communication system, a method comprising:

defining a plurality of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) regions for a transmission of control data, said HARQ regions being defined utilizing one or more definition factors;

expanding a downlink (DL) MAP based on a group of definition factors within the definition factors used to define the HARQ region; and

overlapping a first group of slots of a region defined as a first individual HARQ region allocation in the DL MAP by a second group of slots of a region defined as a second individual HARQ region allocation in the DL MAP while preventing a data conflict between the overlapping slots.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overlapping further comprises:

when a subset of the first group of slots in the first individual HARQ region is given a data sub-burst allocation in the DL MAP, allocating a subset of the second group of slots in the second individual HARQ region overlapping with the subset of the first group of slots with a dummy sub-burst allocation in the DL MAP, wherein the dummy sub-burst allocation prevents a data conflict;

wherein the subset in the first individual HARQ region represents an allocated bandwidth and the subset in the second individual HARQ region represents an unallocated bandwidth.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the dummy sub-burst allocation is made on padding connection identifier (CID), and the method further comprises instructing a physical layer to prevent a transmission of a data sub-burst for a group of slots given the dummy sub-burst allocation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overlapping further comprises:

when a subset of the first group of slots in the first individual HARQ region are not allocated sub-burst data, enabling in the DL MAP a sub-burst allocation for a subset of the second group of slots in the second individual HARQ region overlapping with the subset of the first group of slots;

wherein a data sub-burst allocation represents an allocated bandwidth and a collection of slots which are not allocated for data sub-burst represents an unallocated bandwidth.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling a communication between an access point and a mobile station of one or more of a group of sub-frames, which include one or more of a HARQ region, a non-HARQ region, and a MAP overhead region.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a HARQ region is defined by one or more definition factors from among: a starting symbol; a starting sub-channel number for the HARQ region; a first number of symbols to define a first dimension of the region; a second number of sub-channels to define a second dimension of the region; a starting sub-channel number for a major sub-channel group within the HARQ region, corresponding to an allocated sub-burst; an ending sub-channel number for the major sub-channel group within the HARQ region, corresponding to the allocated sub-burst; a sequence number pertaining to an order in which a sub-burst is allocated within the HARQ region; a slot duration for the sub-burst allocated within the region; and a maximum number of sub-bursts.

7. A base station controller for facilitation wireless communication, the controller comprising:

a processor;

a memory component having stored thereon a utility which when executed by the processor provides the functions of:

defining a plurality of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) regions for a transmission of control data, the HARQ regions being defined utilizing one or more definition factors;

expanding a downlink (DL) MAP based on a group of definition factors within the definition factors used to define the HARQ region; and

overlapping a first group of slots of a region defined as a first individual HARQ region allocation in the DL MAP by a second group of slots of a region defined as a second individual HARQ region allocation in the DL MAP while preventing a data conflict between the overlapping slots.

8. The base station controller of claim 7 , wherein the overlapping further comprises the functions of:

when a subset of the first group of slots in the first individual HARQ region is given a data sub-burst allocation in the DL MAP, allocating a subset of the second group of slots in the second individual HARQ region overlapping with the subset of the first group of slots with a dummy sub-burst allocation in the DL MAP, wherein the dummy sub-burst allocation prevents a data conflict;

wherein the subset in the first individual HARQ region represents an allocated bandwidth and the subset in the second individual HARQ region represents an unallocated bandwidth.

9. The base station controller of claim 8 , wherein the dummy sub-burst allocation is made on padding connection identifier (CID), and wherein the utility further executes to provide the function of instructing a PHY to prevent a transmission of a data sub-burst for a group of slots given the dummy sub-burst allocation.

10. The base station controller of claim 7 , wherein the overlapping further comprises the functions of:

when a subset of the first group of slots in the first individual HARQ region are not allocated sub-burst data, enabling in the DL MAP a sub-burst allocation for a subset of the second group of slots in the second individual HARQ region overlapping with the subset of the first group of slots;

wherein a data sub-burst allocation represents an allocated bandwidth and a collection of slots which are not allocated for data sub-burst represents a second unallocated bandwidth.

11. The base station controller of claim 7 , wherein the utility further executes to provide the function of enabling a communication between an access point and a mobile station of one or more of a group of sub-frames, which include one or more of a HARQ region, a non-HARQ region, and a MAP overhead region.

12. The base station controller of claim 7 , wherein a HARQ region is defined by one or more definition factors, from among: a starting symbol; a starting sub-channel number for the HARQ region; a first number of symbols to define a first dimension of the region; a second number of sub-channels to define a second dimension of the region; a starting sub-channel number for a major sub-channel group within the HARQ region, corresponding to an allocated sub-burst; an ending sub-channel number for the major sub-channel group within the HARQ region, corresponding to the allocated sub-burst; a sequence number pertaining to an order in which a sub-burst is allocated within the HARQ region; a slot duration for the sub-burst allocated within the region; and a maximum number of sub-bursts.

13. A system for enabling efficient transmission of control data within a wireless communication system, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory component having stored thereon a utility which when executed by the processor provides the functions of:

defining a plurality of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) regions for a transmission of control data, the HARQ regions being defined utilizing one or more definition factors;

expanding a downlink (DL) MAP based on a group of definition factors within the definition factors used to define the HARQ region; and

overlapping a first group of slots of a region defined as a first individual HARQ region allocation in the DL MAP by a second group of slots of a region defined as a second individual HARQ region allocation in the DL MAP while preventing a data conflict between the overlapping slots.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the overlapping further comprises the functions of:

when a subset of the first group of slots in the first individual HARQ region is given a data sub-burst allocation in the DL MAP, allocating a subset of the second group of slots in the second individual HARQ region overlapping with the subset of the first group of slots with a dummy sub-burst allocation in the DL MAP, wherein the dummy sub-burst allocation prevents a data conflict;

wherein the subset in the first individual HARQ region represents an allocated bandwidth and the subset in the second individual HARQ region represents an unallocated bandwidth.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the dummy sub-burst allocation is made on padding connection identifier (CID), and wherein the utility further executes to provide the function of instructing a PHY to prevent a transmission of a data sub-burst for a group of slots given the dummy sub-burst allocation.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the overlapping further comprises the functions of:

when a subset of the first group of slots in the first individual HARQ region are not allocated sub-burst data, enabling in the DL MAP a sub-burst allocation for a subset of the second group of slots in the second individual HARQ region overlapping with the subset of the first group of slots;

wherein a data sub-burst allocation represents an allocated bandwidth and a collection of slots which are not allocated for data sub-burst represents a second unallocated bandwidth.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the utility further executes to provide the function of enabling a communication between an access point and a mobile station of one or more of a group of sub-frames, which include one or more of a HARQ region, a non-HARQ region, and a MAP overhead region.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein a HARQ region is defined by one or more definition factors, from among: a starting symbol; a starting sub-channel number for the HARQ region; a first number of symbols to define a first dimension of the region; a second number of sub-channels to define a second dimension of the region; a starting sub-channel number for a major sub-channel group within the HARQ region, corresponding to an allocated sub-burst; an ending sub-channel number for the major sub-channel group within the HARQ region, corresponding to the allocated sub-burst; a sequence number pertaining to an order in which a sub-burst is allocated within the HARQ region; a slot duration for the sub-burst allocated within the region; and a maximum number of sub-bursts.