Patent ID: 8064401

Claim:
A method of handing off from a first sector to a second sector, comprising: detecting a signal emanating from the second sector; deriving a connection identifier associated with the second sector based upon the detected signal; sending a handoff request that is received by the second sector, wherein the handoff request is sent via a first link with the first sector, wherein the handoff request comprises the derived connection identifier, and wherein the derived connection identifier identifies the second sector to the first sector; receiving a handoff response from the second sector through the first link and the first sector, wherein the handoff response includes identified information, wherein the identified information includes an index of an allocated access slot, wherein the allocated access slot is a portion of an access channel that is reserved for handoff, and wherein the handoff response indicates whether access request, access grant, and access exchange operations should be performed; and establishing a second link with the second sector utilizing the identified information.