Patent ID: 7936741

Claim:
A method, comprising: scheduling, using a predetermined criterion, a discontinuous control signal for an uplink control channel depending on instructions and on a transmission gap length in a discontinuous data signal on a data channel; and transmitting said discontinuous control signal to a network element by a user equipment, wherein said instructions comprise at least one of: a maximum limit for a gap period or a gap length for a control channel transmission, a minimum limit for a gap period or a gap length for a control channel transmission, timing of a control channel transmission, a duration of a control channel transmission, a maximum transmission gap in the discontinuous data signal on the data channel still requiring an uplink control channel transmission, a minimum transmission gap in the discontinuous data signal requiring a continuous control channel transmission, and an algorithm, according to which said discontinuous control signal for the uplink control channel depends on said discontinuous data signal on the data channel.