System and method for combined mac level message with cqi channel control message for channel feedback report

A system for wireless packet-based communications, the system comprising:

• a base station (BS) and a subscriber station (SS) arranged to communicate over a wireless network,
• wherein the BS is configured to:
• allocate an available channel quality information channel (CQICH) to the SS during a first data frame and,
• if a threshold network CQICH capacity is reached during a subsequent data frame such that a CQICH is not available to the SS, or if a CQICH is not available during the first data frame, generate a first Medium Access Control (MAC) level message to the SS to trigger reporting of signal quality information to the BS by the SS using a second MAC level message, and
• determine whether a different CQICH is available during a next CQICH cycle;
• wherein the SS is configured to:
• if a CQICH is available during the first data frame, report a channel quality measurement to the BS over the allocated CQICH, or
• responsive to the first MAC level message, report the signal quality information to the BS using the second MAC level message at least until the next CQICH cycle commences, and
• continue to report the signal quality information via the second MAC level messages if the different CQICH is not available during the next CQICH cycle.

A network node in a wireless packet-based communications system, the network node comprising:

• a processor and memory operatively coupled to each other and to a network connection, wherein the processor is configured to:
• selectively transition channel signal quality reporting information related to a particular user back and forth between an available channel quality information channel (CQICH) and one or more Medium Access Control (MAC) level messages over the network connection in response to a CQICH being available during one or more data frames;
• either process the channel signal quality reporting information received via the MAC level message if a CQICH is unavailable, or process the channel signal quality reporting information received over the available CQICH;
• and
• implement a modulation coding scheme (MCS) for the particular user based, at least in part, upon the channel signal quality reporting information.

A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

• a transceiver configured to selectively transmit and receive data over a wireless network;
• a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to:
• report channel signal quality information related to a particular user of the communications apparatus to a base station (BS) in response to an allocation of an available channel quality information channel (CQICH) to the particular user by the BS;
• report the channel signal quality information for the particular user to the BS over a Medium Access Control (MAC) level message in response to a CQICH being unavailable during one or more data frames;
• implement a modulation coding scheme (MCS) in the transceiver based upon a decision made by the BS in consideration of the reported channel signal quality information provided to the BS by the apparatus,
• wherein the processor is further configured to transition reporting of the channel signal quality information back and forth between the available CQICH and the MAC level message in response to instructions received from the BS over the wireless network.

A computer-readable medium comprising computer readable code physically embodied thereon which, when executed by a processor arranged in fourth generation (4G) network node associated with a particular user causes the processor to carry out the functions of:

• selectively transitioning channel signal quality reporting information related to the particular user back and forth between an available channel quality information channel (CQICH) and one or more Medium Access Control (MAC) level messages over a network connection in response to a CQICH being available during one or more data frames;
• either processing the channel signal quality reporting information received via the MAC level message if a CQICH is unavailable, or processing the channel signal quality reporting information received over the available CQICH;
• and
• implementing a modulation coding scheme (MCS) for the particular user based, at least in part, upon the channel signal quality reporting information.