Patent ID: 8305976

Claim:
A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising: when in a first mode of operation, transmitting an access request for initiating wireless access to a wireless access node at a first transmit power, starting a first countdown timer, and awaiting a response to the access request which initiates the wireless access from the wireless access node; when in the first mode of operation, if the response to the access request is received within the first countdown timer, halting the first countdown timer and awaiting a resource assignment message indicating wireless access resource assignment information from the wireless access node, and if the response to the access request is not received within the first countdown timer, retransmitting the access request to the wireless access node at a second transmit power and restarting the first countdown timer; receiving a control message to enter a second mode of operation from the wireless access node; and when in the second mode of operation, transmitting the access request to the wireless access node, starting a second countdown timer, and awaiting the resource assignment message instead of the response to the access request from the wireless access node; and when in the second mode of operation, if the resource assignment message is received within the second countdown timer, halting the second countdown timer, and if the resource assignment message is not received within the second countdown timer, retransmitting the access request to the wireless access node and restarting the second countdown timer.