Method and apparatus for reducing HARQ feedback latency

1. A method for use in a wireless communication device for controlling hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process, comprising:

determining a prediction of decoding result of a received data block based on at least signal strength of at least one of the received data block, a received control block, and a received reference signal, comprising:

computing a received signal power to noise power ration (SNR) regarding the received data block, the received control block, or the received reference signal;

estimating a cutoff value for the received SNR, comprising:

computing a minimum required SNR according to the spectral efficiency; and

determining the cutoff value according to the minimum SNR and a size of the received data block;

determining the prediction of decoding result by comparing the received SNR with the cutoff value, wherein the cutoff value is estimated for the received SNR based on at least a spectral efficiency; and

sending a HARQ feedback message to another wireless communication device from which the received data block is transmitted according to the prediction of the decoding result.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of sending the HARQ feedback message according to the prediction of decoding result comprises:

sending a HARQ negative acknowledgment message if the prediction of decoding result indicates the received data block is not decodable.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prediction of decoding result indicates the received data block is decodable if the received SNR is higher than the cutoff value, and the prediction of decoding result indicates the received data block is not decodable if the received SNR is lower than the cutoff value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received block will not be decoded if the received SNR is lower than a predetermined threshold, where the predetermined threshold is further lower than the cutoff value.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

computing a plurality of individual values of the received SNR, each determined with respect to one of a plurality of physical resource blocks, respectively; and

computing the effective value of the received SNR according to the plurality of individual values.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the effective value of the received SNR is computed according to an average value of the plurality of individual values.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

computing a first value of the received SNR regarding a first transmission of the received data block, the received control block, or the received reference signal;

computing a second value of the received SNR regarding a second transmission of the received data block, the received control block, or the received reference signal; and

computing the effective value of the received SNR at least according to the first value and the second value of the received SNR;

wherein at least one of the first and the second transmissions of the received data block, the received control block, or the received reference signal is retransmission of the received data block, the received control block, or the received reference signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining an effective overall spectral efficiency based at least on spectral efficiencies signaled in the first transmission and the second transmission; and

estimating the cutoff value at least according to the effective overall spectral efficiency.