Patent ID: 7239870

Claim:
In a multi-cell wireless communication system including at least one radio network controller (RNC) which includes a first medium access control (MAC) entity that handles enhanced uplink dedicated channel (EU-DCH) functionalities, a method for supporting an enhanced uplink soft handover (EU-SHO) operation associated with a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and at least two EU-SHO Node-Bs which communicate with the RNC, the method comprising: (a) detecting that an EU-SHO operation is about to begin; and (b) in response to step (a), transitioning the multi-cell wireless communication system from a first system configuration that includes 1) an RNC that does not have an uplink scheduler, and 2) at least one Node-B that has an uplink scheduler, to a second system configuration that includes an RNC having a first MAC entity which includes: (i) a first generator which generates signals indicating whether or not an EU transmission originating from the WTRU has been successfully received by the RNC; and (ii) a first uplink scheduler for scheduling an EU transmission for the WTRU.