Patent ID: 8718150

Claim:
A wireless mobile station, comprising: a transmitter; a receiver; a controller coupled to the receiver for responding to signals received via the receiver and coupled for controlling the transmitter, such that in operation the controller causes the mobile station to perform functions, including functions to: (a) generate a first coded signal which does not include any message data; (b) transmit the first coded signal to a base station, at a first separate and distinct power level; (c) transmit a second coded signal to the base station, without any message data, at a second separate and distinct power level higher than the first separate and distinct power level, upon expiration of a predetermined interval following the transmission of the first coded signal at the first separate and distinct power level, provided that no L1 acknowledgment corresponding to the first coded signal is received at the mobile station, each of the first and second coded signals comprising one or more codes that are used to distinguish the wireless mobile station from one or more other mobile stations; (d) cease coded signal transmission to the base station upon receiving a L1 acknowledgment corresponding to a transmitted coded signal; and (e) transmit message data after ceasing coded signal transmission, and wherein the wireless mobile station further comprises: an acknowledgment detector, coupled to the receiver, for detecting the L1 acknowledgment; an encoder for encoding said message data; a generator for generating said first coded signal and second coded signal; and a formatter, coupled to the encoder, for formatting the encoded message data.