Patent ID: 7701921

Claim:
A method for receiving scheduling signals for an uplink packet data service by a user equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a radio resource control (RRC) signaling message including cell group information from a radio network controller (RNC); acquiring the cell group information identifying scheduling cell groups transmitting independent scheduling signals for controlling a data rate of the uplink packet data service, wherein cells of a scheduling cell group transmit the same scheduling signals and the scheduling cell group is controlled by a Node B; receiving and demodulating scheduling signals received from a plurality of cells, and soft-combining scheduling signals received from cells belonging to at least one identified scheduling cell group and not soft-combining scheduling signals received from cells not belonging to the at least one identified scheduling cell group, according to the cell group information; and determining the data rate for the uplink packet data service according to the soft-combined signals, wherein the UE is located in a soft and/or softer handover region.