Patent ID: 7302265

Claim:
A method of selecting a sector-carrier, from among at least a first sector-carrier and a second sector-carrier, for transmitting a message, said first sector-carrier having first downlink channels, including a first pilot channel and a first paging channel, at a first downlink carrier frequency, and first uplink channels, including a first access channel, at a first uplink carrier frequency, said second sector-carrier having second downlink channels, including a second pilot channel and a second paging channel, at a second downlink carrier frequency, and second uplink channels, including a second access channel, at a second uplink carrier frequency, said method comprising: (a) a mobile station measuring a first total received power at said first downlink carrier frequency and a first pilot signal level of said first pilot channel; (b) said mobile station measuring a second total received power at said second downlink carrier frequency and a second pilot signal level of said second pilot channel; and (c) said mobile station selecting from among at least said first sector-carrier and said second sector-carrier in accordance with a selection algorithm, wherein said selection algorithm specifies a comparison of said first total received power to said second total received power and a comparison of said first pilot signal level to said second pilot signal level.