Method and apparatus for allocating ACKCH resources in a wireless communication system

A method for allocating physical resources to an Acknowledgement (ACK)/Negative Acknowledgement (NACK) signal channel in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

• decoding a data channel and a control channel received through a plurality of uplink resource blocks;
• generating a downlink ACK/NACK symbol according to success/failure in the decoding;
• grouping ACK/NACK signal channels corresponding to the resource blocks into a plurality of groups based on a number of and indexes of the uplink resource blocks so that ACK/NACK signal channels of consecutive uplink resource blocks do not belong to the same group;
• allocating same frequency resources to ACK/NACK signal channels belonging to the same ACK/NACK signal channel group and allocating orthogonal sequences so ACK/NACK signal channels in each ACK/NACK signal channel group are distinguished in a code domain;
• and
• multiplying the generated downlink ACK/NACK symbol by a sequence allocated to an ACK/NACK signal channel for transmitting the generated downlink ACK/NACK symbol, to spread the generated downlink ACK/NACK symbol.

An apparatus for allocating physical resources to an Acknowledgement (ACK)/Negative Acknowledgement (NACK) signal channel in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

• a channel decoder for decoding a data channel and a control channel received through a plurality of uplink resource blocks;
• an ACK/NACK symbol generator for generating a downlink ACK/NACK symbol according to success/failure in the decoding by the channel decoder;
• an ACK/NACK signal channel format controller for grouping ACK/NACK signal channels corresponding to the uplink resource blocks into a plurality of groups based on a number of and indexes of the uplink resource blocks so that ACK/NACK signal channels of consecutive uplink resource blocks do not belong to the same group, allocating same frequency resources to ACK/NACK signal channels belonging to the same ACK/NACK signal channel group, and allocating orthogonal sequences so ACK/NACK signal channels in each ACK/NACK signal channel group are distinguished in a code domain;
• and
• a spreader for multiplying the generated downlink ACK/NACK symbol by a sequence allocated to an ACK/NACK signal channel for transmitting the generated downlink ACK/NACK symbol, to spread the generated downlink ACK/NACK symbol.