Method and apparatus for allocating and signaling ack/nack resources in a wireless communication system

An apparatus of a Node B for allocating and signaling ACKnowledgment/Negative ACKnowledgment (ACK/NACK) resources in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• a controller for determining to use ACK/NACK resources within a predetermined fixed-size first resource group for ACK/NACK transmission for non-persistently scheduled data channels, the ACK/NACK resources being implicitly mapped to Scheduling Control CHannels (SCCHs) carrying scheduling information about the non-persistently scheduled data channels, and determining to allocate ACK/NACK resources within a predetermined flexible-size second resource group for ACK/NACK transmission for persistently scheduled data channels;
• and
• a generator for generating and transmitting resource indication information explicitly indicating the allocated ACK/NACK resources to at least one User Equipment (UE).

A method for receiving ACKnowledgment/Negative ACKnowledgment (ACK/NACK) resources in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• determining to use ACK/NACK resources within a predetermined fixed-size first resource group for ACK/NACK transmission for a non-persistently scheduled data channel, the ACK/NACK resources being implicitly mapped to a Scheduling Control CHannel (SCCH) carrying scheduling information about the non-persistently scheduled data channel, if the non-persistently scheduled data channel is allocated to a User Equipment (UE);
• and
• receiving resource indication information explicitly indicating allocated ACK/NACK resources for an ACK/NACK CHannel (ACKCH) corresponding to a persistently scheduled data channel within a predetermined flexible-size second resource group, if the persistently scheduled data channel is allocated to the UE.

An apparatus of a User Equipment (UE) for receiving ACKnowledgment/Negative ACKnowledgment (ACK/NACK) resources in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• a controller for determining to use ACK/NACK resources within a predetermined fixed-size first resource group for ACK/NACK transmission for a non-persistently scheduled data channel, the ACK/NACK resources being implicitly mapped to a Scheduling Control CHannel (SCCH) carrying scheduling information about the non-persistently scheduled data channel, if the non-persistently scheduled data channel is allocated to the UE, and determining to receive resource indication information explicitly indicating allocated ACK/NACK resources for an ACK/NACK CHannel (ACKCH) corresponding to a persistently scheduled data channel within a predetermined flexible-size second resource group, if the persistently scheduled data channel is allocated to the UE;
• and
• a receiver for receiving the resource indication information under control of the controller.