Patent ID: 8644178

Claim:
A method comprising: a radio access network (RAN) determining that a wireless communication device (WCD) is to be assigned a traffic channel, wherein the RAN defines a first wireless coverage area, a second wireless coverage area, and a third wireless coverage area; in response to determining that the WCD is to be assigned the traffic channel, the RAN obtaining a first quality measurement of the first wireless coverage area, a second quality measurement of the second wireless coverage area, and a third quality measurement of the third wireless coverage area, wherein the first wireless coverage area, the second wireless coverage area, and the third wireless coverage area are candidates for the RAN to transmit channel assignment messages to the WCD for assignment of the traffic channel; the RAN determining that (i) the first quality measurement meets a given threshold, (ii) the second quality measurement does not meet the given threshold, and (iii) the third quality measurement does not meet the given threshold; and based on determining that the first quality measurement meets the given threshold, the second quality measurement does not meet the given threshold, and that the third quality measurement does not meet the given threshold, the RAN (i) assigning the traffic channel to the WCD by transmitting channel assignment messages to the WCD via the second wireless coverage area and the third wireless coverage area, and (ii) determining to not transmit a channel assignment message to the WCD via the first wireless coverage area for assignment of the traffic channel.