Patent ID: 7787883

Claim:
A data network having a plurality of nodes including a first node, the first node comprising: at least one processor; a memory providing code to the at least one processor; and an interface controlled by the at least one processor to: transmit a first upstream signal from the first node, said first upstream signal comprising a reserve request which is transmitted within a first slot allocated to the first node; receive first downstream signaling information, said first downstream signaling information being received subsequent to transmission of the reserve request, said first downstream signaling information comprising an allocation of resources to the first node for transmitting a packetized message; transmit the packetized message subsequent to receiving the first downstream signaling information; receive second downstream signaling information comprising information describing a new cell and determining that the first node must perform a handoff procedure, said handoff procedure comprising the following steps: transmit a second upstream signal, said second upstream signal comprising a random access request in a second slot; receive third downstream signaling information, said third downstream signaling information being received subsequent to transmission of the second upstream signal, said third downstream signaling information acknowledging receipt of said second upstream signal, said third downstream signaling information comprising information referencing a second slot number wherein the first node transmitted said random access request in order for the first node to identify that the first node is a desired recipient of the third downstream signaling information; transmit a third upstream signal from the first node, said third upstream signal being transmitted subsequent to receiving said third downstream signaling information, said third upstream signal from the first node comprising identifier information for the first node; and receive fourth downstream signaling information, said fourth downstream signaling information being received subsequent to transmission of the third upstream signal, said fourth downstream signaling information comprising an allocation of a third slot to the first node for transmitting a subsequent reserve request; wherein the availability of the third slot by the first node recurs in repeated transmissions until use of the third slot by the first node is disabled.