Acknowledgment and/or receiver recovery mechanisms for scheduled responses within multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications

A method for operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

• transmitting a signal to a plurality of wireless communication devices, the first signal including scheduling information by which the plurality of wireless communication devices providing a plurality of responses to the wireless communication device such that each of the plurality of wireless communication devices providing a respective one of the plurality of responses;
• receiving at least one of the plurality of responses respectively from at least one of the plurality of wireless communication devices;
• and
• determining a failure to receive at least one of the plurality of responses from at least one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, and based thereon, performing a communication medium recovery mechanism.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a baseband processing module for generating a signal including scheduling information by which a plurality of wireless communication devices providing a plurality of responses to the apparatus such that each of the plurality of wireless communication devices providing a respective one of the plurality of responses;
• and
• at least one radio for:
• transmitting the signal to the plurality of wireless communication devices;
• receiving at least one of the plurality of responses respectively from at least one of the plurality of wireless communication devices;
• and wherein:
• the baseband processing module for determining a failure to receive at least one of the plurality of responses from at least one of the plurality of wireless communication devices;
• and
• based on a determination of failure to receive at least one of the plurality of responses from at least one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the baseband processing module for performing a communication medium recovery mechanism.