Patent ID: 8526514

Claim:
A method of allocating a plurality of data symbols for uplink transmission from a mobile station using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), the method comprising: allocating each of the plurality of data symbols to a subcarrier of one of a plurality of subcarrier groups; and transmitting the allocated plurality of data symbols to a base station, wherein each of the plurality of subcarrier groups is formed by grouping only a single plurality of adjacent subcarriers, wherein each of the plurality of subcarrier groups is spaced apart a certain distance from neighboring subcarrier groups such that the plurality of subcarrier groups are not contiguous in frequency, and wherein at least two consecutive data symbols of the plurality of data symbols are allocated in sequence to at least two subcarriers of a subcarrier group of the plurality of subcarrier groups in order of increasing subcarrier number in an OFDM symbol.