Patent ID: 8305991

Claim:
In a wireless communication system where an access network has a first allowed number of timeslots in which to complete transmission of a packet over an air interface in a first sector to an access terminal, a method comprising: the access terminal determining a remaining number of the first allowed number of timeslots in which the access network is to complete transmission of the packet in the first sector; the access terminal determining a signal to noise ratio (C/I) value for a second sector; the access terminal using correlation data that correlates signal to noise ratio (C/I) values with allowed numbers of timeslots as a basis for mapping the determined signal to noise ratio (C/I) value to a second allowed number of timeslots in which the access network is to complete transmission of the packet in a second sector, the access terminal determining that the second allowed number of timeslots is less than the remaining number of the first allowed number of timeslots; and the access terminal responsively abandoning the packet transmission in the first sector and handing off to the second sector.