Mobile station aggregation of acknowledgments and negative acknowledgments in wireless networks

1. A method performed by a base station in a wireless network, the method comprising:

sending, to a mobile station, two or more separate data bursts;

sending, to the mobile station, an acknowledgment/negative acknowledgment (ACK/NAK) aggregation indicator, wherein the ACK/NAK aggregation indicator indicates to the mobile station how many separate data bursts are to be acknowledged or negatively acknowledged by the mobile station in an aggregated ACK/NAK report; and

subsequent to sending the two or more separate data bursts, receiving, from the mobile station, one of:

(a) one aggregated ACK/NAK report comprising a plurality of ACK/NAKs, each ACK/NAK of the plurality of ACK/NAKs corresponding to one data burst of the two or more separate data bursts and indicating whether each data burst of the two or more separate data bursts was successfully received or not,

or

(b) one aggregated ACK/NAK report comprising one ACK/NAK corresponding to the two or more separate data bursts, wherein the one ACK/NAK indicates whether the two or more separate data bursts were successfully received or not.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ACK/NAK aggregation indicator is included in a transmission schedule which includes a schedule of one or more separate data bursts which will be sent by the base station.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending a second ACK/NAK aggregation indicator to a second mobile station, the second ACK/NAK aggregation indicator indicating a number of ACK/NAKs that the second mobile station should aggregate in an aggregated ACK/NAK report sent by the second mobile station;

sending at least two separate data bursts to the second mobile station; and

receiving, subsequent to sending the at least two separate data bursts to the second mobile station, one aggregated ACK/NAK report from the second mobile station.

4. A base station in a wireless network, the base station comprising:

a transmitter configured to send, to a mobile station, two or more separate data bursts;

the transmitter further configured to send, to the mobile station, an acknowledgment/negative acknowledgment (ACK/NAK) aggregation indicator, wherein the ACK/NAK aggregation indicator indicates to the mobile station how many separate data bursts are to be acknowledged or negatively acknowledged by the mobile station in an aggregated ACK/NAK report; and

a receiver configured to, subsequent to the transmitter sending the two or more separate data bursts, receive, from the mobile station, one of:

(a) one aggregated ACK/NAK report comprising a plurality of ACK/NAKs, each ACK/NAK of the plurality of ACK/NAKs corresponding to one data burst of the two or more separate data bursts and indicating whether each data burst of the two or more separate data bursts was successfully received or not,

or

(b) one aggregated ACK/NAK report comprising one ACK/NAK corresponding to the two or more separate data bursts, wherein the one ACK/NAK indicates whether the two or more separate data bursts were successfully received or not.

5. The base station of claim 4 , wherein the ACK/NAK aggregation indicator is included in a transmission schedule which includes a schedule of one or more separate data bursts which will be sent by the base station.

6. The base station of claim 4 , wherein

the transmitter is further configured to:

send a second ACK/NAK aggregation indicator to a second mobile station, the second ACK/NAK aggregation indicator indicating a number of ACK/NAKs that the second mobile station should aggregate in an aggregated ACK/NAK report sent by the second mobile station; and

send at least two separate data bursts to the second mobile station; and

the receiver is further configured to receive, subsequent to sending the at least two separate data bursts to the second mobile station, one aggregated ACK/NAK report from the second mobile station.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising executable code stored thereon, wherein the executable code, when executed by a processor, causes an apparatus to at least:

send, to a mobile station, two or more separate data bursts;

send, to the mobile station, an acknowledgment/negative acknowledgment (ACK/NAK) aggregation indicator, wherein the ACK/NAK aggregation indicator indicates to the mobile station how many separate data bursts are to be acknowledged or negatively acknowledged by the mobile station in an aggregated ACK/NAK report; and

subsequent to sending the two or more separate data bursts, receive, from the mobile station, one of:

(a) one aggregated ACK/NAK report comprising a plurality of ACK/NAKs, each ACK/NAK of the plurality of ACK/NAKs corresponding to one data burst of the two or more separate data bursts and indicating whether each data burst of the two or more separate data bursts was successfully received or not,

or

(b) one aggregated ACK/NAK report comprising one ACK/NAK corresponding to the two or more separate data bursts, wherein the one ACK/NAK indicates whether the two or more separate data bursts were successfully received or not.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the ACK/NAK aggregation indicator is included in a transmission schedule which includes a schedule of one or more separate data bursts which will be sent by the apparatus.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the executable code, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to:

send a second ACK/NAK aggregation indicator to a second mobile station, the second ACK/NAK aggregation indicator indicating a number of ACK/NAKs that the second mobile station should aggregate in an aggregated ACK/NAK report sent by the second mobile station;

send at least two separate data bursts to the second mobile station; and

receive, subsequent to sending the at least two separate data bursts to the second mobile station, one aggregated ACK/NAK report from the second mobile station.