Patent ID: 7346020

Claim:
A method of transmitting packet data control information having a variable length in a transmitting apparatus of a base station (BS), which has an orthogonal code space arranged with a plurality of orthogonal codes, and transmits packet data spread with the orthogonal codes to a single mobile station (MS) or simultaneously transmits to two or more MSs packet data spread with different orthogonal codes in the orthogonal code space, the method comprising the steps of: determining if a packet data is transmitted simultaneously to at least two MSs rather than a single MS; generating packet data control information; delivering different amount of control information to a single MS than if the packet data is transmitted simultaneously to at least two MSs; converting the packet data control information to a format suitable for transmission on a packet data control channel (PDCCH) by differently applying at least one of the number of error detection bits, the number of tail bits, code rate, the number of reception and amount of puncturing according to the amount of control information; wherein the packet data control information includes orthogonal code allocation information indicating orthogonal code used for packet data directed to the MS and information necessary for decoding the packet data, when the packet data is transmitted to the single MS; and the packet data control information includes orthogonal code allocation information indicating orthogonal codes used for packet data directed to at least two MSs and information necessary for decoding the packet data when the packet data is transmitted simultaneously to the at least two MSs.