Patent ID: 7630339

Claim:
A communications method for use in a communications system including a first cell including a first base station and at least a first wireless terminal, the method comprising: operating the first base station to transmit signals on a plurality of different communications channels, each individual one of the plurality of different communications channels each having a physical characteristic which is detectable by said first wireless terminal, transmitting the signals on the plurality of different communications channels including periodically changing at least one signal transmission characteristic of a first communications channel in said plurality of communications channels to introduce an intentional variation into said first communications channel which results in a change in said physical characteristic corresponding to the first communications channel; and selecting between said plurality of different communications channels for purposes of transmitting the signals to said first wireless terminal in response to feedback information received from said first wireless terminal indicating the one of the plurality of different communications channels which provides the best transmission channel conditions for transmissions to the first wireless terminal at a particular point in time, wherein said different communications channels consist of different portions of air link resource that is partitioned in at least one of time and frequency dimension.