Patent ID: 8532681

Claim:
A method for implementing Short Message Service (SMS), the method being implemented by a mobile station in idle mode in a WiMAX network, the method comprising: participating in an initial ranging procedure in response to determining that the mobile station has mobile-originated SMS data to send; participating in a bandwidth request ranging procedure in order to request that the base station allocate unicast bandwidth, the bandwidth request ranging procedure comprising: receiving allocation of a first unicast data grant via a Unicast Data Grant Information Element (IE) in a first uplink MAP (UL-MAP); and sending a bandwidth request header to the base station to indicate the bandwidth needed to transmit the mobile-originated SMS data, the bandwidth request header being sent via the first unicast data grant to request allocation of unicast bandwidth; sending a mobile station SMS request message to a base station, wherein the mobile station SMS request message is sent using the allocated unicast bandwidth and comprises the mobile-originated SMS data; and receiving a base station SMS response message from the base station in response to sending the mobile station SMS request message.