Patent ID: 8116804

Claim:
A method for use in a base station for biasing a binary decision in downlink communication, the method comprising: receiving a communication in a given channel; obtaining a signal to interference ratio (SIR) of the communication channel; comparing the SIR against a threshold, the threshold being adjusted based on criteria including at least a noise component and being selected to bias the binary decision toward a determination that a received data communication is interpreted as having an error; and generating one of a non-acknowledgement (NACK) or an acknowledgement (ACK) based only on the result of the comparison of the SIR with the threshold; wherein criteria for biasing the binary decision comprises: combining, with noise, each of a plurality of test signals having signal strengths extending over a given range; determining correctness of each combined signal; determining instances of correct signals and incorrect signals at each signal strength; and selecting a threshold which provides an acceptable number of false declarations of an ACK condition.