Patent ID: 7990921

Claim:
In a wireless communication network that provides wireless service in a coverage area, wherein the coverage area comprises a plurality of sectors, wherein a control channel is provided in each sector, and wherein the wireless communication network is configured to transmit synchronous capsules and asynchronous capsules in each control channel, a method for selecting one or more capsules in which to include a traffic channel assignment message, the method comprising: receiving a request from an access terminal to engage in a communication session; making a determination of whether or not the requested communication session is of a type that is designated for priority service; using the determination of whether or not the requested communication session is of a type that is designated for priority service as a basis for selecting one or more capsules in which to include the traffic channel assignment message, wherein the traffic channel assignment message assigns a traffic channel to the access terminal for the communication session, and wherein selecting the one or more capsules comprises selecting from between: (a) one or more synchronous capsules, (b) one or more asynchronous capsules, and (c) one or more synchronous capsules and one or more asynchronous capsules; and transmitting each of the selected capsules, wherein each of the selected capsules comprises the traffic channel assignment message.