Adaptive triggering set for relaxed deterministic back-off method

1. A method, said method comprising:

retrieving a sparseness indication;

retrieving an indication of a number of failed transmissions;

comparing said sparseness indication to an optimal sparseness;

comparing said number of failed transmissions to a first threshold;

adjusting a size of a set of triggering events responsive to both said first and said second comparison;

comparing a data buffer push rate to a data buffer arrival rate;

further adjusting said size of said triggering set responsive to said third comparison;

determining system fairness;

comparing said size of said triggering set to a second threshold; and

further adjusting said size of said triggering set responsive to one of said determination and a combination of said determination and said fourth comparison.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first threshold is 0.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said optimal sparseness is between 0.75 and 0.98.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first adjustment is one of an increase and a decrease.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said increase is one of additive, multiplicative and exponential and wherein said decrease is one of additive, multiplicative and exponential.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said second adjustment is one of an increase and a decrease.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said increase is additive by a factor greater than 0 and wherein said decrease is multiplicative by a factor less than 1.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said fairness is determined by calculating a quantity of a number of busy time slots minus said size of said triggering set.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said third adjustment is one of an increase and a decrease.

10. An apparatus comprising:

means for retrieving a sparseness indication;

means for retrieving an indication of a number of failed transmissions;

means for comparing said sparseness indication to an optimal sparseness;

means for comparing said number of failed transmissions to a first threshold;

means for adjusting a size of a set of triggering events responsive to both said first and said second comparison;

means for comparing a data buffer push rate to a data buffer arrival rate;

means for further adjusting said size of said triggering set responsive to said third comparison;

means for determining system fairness;

means for comparing said size of said triggering set to a second threshold; and

means for further adjusting said size of said triggering set responsive to one of said determination and a combination of said determination and said fourth comparison.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said first threshold is 0.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said optimal sparseness is between 0.75 and 0.98.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said first adjustment is one of an increase and a decrease.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said increase is one of additive, multiplicative and exponential and wherein said decrease is one of additive, multiplicative and exponential.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said second adjustment is one of an increase and a decrease.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein said increase is additive by a factor greater than 0 and wherein said decrease is multiplicative by a factor less than 1.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said fairness is determined by calculating a quantity of a number of busy time slots minus said size of said triggering set.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said third adjustment is one of an increase and a decrease.