Patent ID: 8254874
Filing Date: 2012-08-28
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. In an access terminal configured to operate in a wireless communication system that includes a base station, a method comprising: at the access terminal, receiving a particular response-expected message from the base station, wherein a response-expected message is a message to which any given access terminal responds by transmitting an access attempt message, an access attempt message being a request by the any given access terminal for wireless access; at the access terminal, making a determination that the particular response-expected message is one of a plurality of response-expected messages in a single, compound message transmitted to a corresponding plurality of access terminals, the access terminal being one of the plurality of access terminals; at the access terminal, responsive to the determination: selecting a maximum delay, randomly selecting a first backoff delay between a minimum delay and the maximum delay, and selecting a particular threshold number between a minimum number and a maximum number; at the access terminal, after waiting for a time equal to at least the first backoff delay, repeatedly making a random selection of a number between the minimum number and the maximum number until an occurrence of a random selection that yields a value smaller than the particular threshold number, while also waiting for a time equal to a test delay between making each repeated, random selection; and at the access terminal, transmitting a particular access attempt message on an air interface communication link to the base station after the occurrence.