Patent ID: 8175031

Claim:
A method of providing packet data service to a mobile station comprising: serving the mobile station in a first service area of a wireless communication network using a shared packet data channel, wherein the shared packet data channel carries high-rate packet data traffic for a plurality of mobile stations according to time-multiplexed transmissions of individual user data on a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) carrier signal; and selectively switching packet data traffic for the mobile station from the shared packet data channel to a dedicated packet data channel in the first service area, responsive to detecting that the mobile station is in a boundary region of the first service area that corresponds to a base station controller service boundary and that is a boundary region with respect to a second service area that supports shared packet data channel service but does not support handoff of the shared packet data channel service; wherein said selective switching comprises: ending transmission of packet data traffic for the mobile station on the shared packet data channel; beginning transmission of packet data traffic for the mobile station on the dedicated packet data channel; and initiating soft handoff of the mobile station on the dedicated packet data channel by transmitting packet data traffic for the mobile station on the dedicated packet data channel in the first service area and sending the packet data traffic from a first base station controller in the first service area to another base station controller in the second service area via a sidehaul connection between the base station controllers, for transmission to the mobile station on another dedicated packet data channel in the second service area.