Patent ID: 8913566

Claim:
A method comprising: an access node transmitting a standard pilot signal over a pilot channel; the access node initially operating in a standard transmission mode, wherein operating in the standard transmission mode comprises transmitting a standard traffic signal over a traffic channel at a first power level; while operating in the standard transmission mode, the access node making a determination to operate in an alternative transmission mode, wherein the determination to operate in the alternative transmission mode includes a determination that a wireless-communication device has requested a traffic-channel power greater than a threshold traffic-channel power; and responsive to making the determination to operate in the alternative transmission mode, the access node operating in the alternative transmission mode while transmitting the standard pilot signal over the pilot channel, wherein operating in the alternative transmission mode comprises: (A) generating a modified traffic signal comprising (i) the standard traffic signal and (ii) a modified pilot signal, and (B) transmitting the modified traffic signal over the traffic channel at a second power level, wherein the second power level is greater than the first power level.