Patent ID: 8402336

Claim:
A method for use with a mobile user agent configured to be able to communicate via N carriers, the method for managing Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) processes in a communication system that uses R HARQ process indicators (HPIs) so that the system can support a maximum of (R)(N) HARQ processes, the method comprising the steps of, within the mobile user agent: using a processor running a program to perform the steps of: identifying less than (R)(N) unique HPI/carrier combinations; instantiating HARQ process buffers; associating each of the identified HPI/carrier combinations with at least one of the instantiated HARQ process buffers; receiving data; identifying HPI/carrier combinations associated with the received data; and where the HPI/carrier combination associated with received data is one of the identified combinations, delivering the data to the buffer associated with the HPI/carrier combination.