Patent ID: 8250423

Claim:
A method, at an access node, for acknowledging information in a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a first plurality of client nodes communicatively coupled to the access node, wherein the access node transmits subpackets on a first broadcast/multicast channel to the first plurality of client nodes according to hybrid ARQ, wherein the client nodes transmit feedback to the access node on a feedback channel, and wherein the feedback channel contains a plurality of sub-channels, the method comprising: transmitting a first subpacket on the first broadcast/multicast channel to the first plurality of client nodes; receiving feedback on at least one of the plurality of sub-channels, from at least one of the plurality of client nodes, wherein at least one sub-channel of the plurality of sub-channels carries a feedback signal from exactly one client node of the first plurality of client nodes; in response to receiving the feedback, making a determination that an extent of sub-channels containing feedback signals from exactly one client node exceeds a pre-determined threshold; and in response to the determination, transmitting a second subpacket on the first broadcast/multicast channel to the first plurality of client nodes.