Patent ID: 8300597

Claim:
A method of operation of an access terminal in an access network, the method comprising: sending to the access network, on a first reverse-link channel, transmissions for indicating a coverage area of the access network in which the access terminal is currently requesting data; operating in a first mode in which the access terminal sends to the access network, on a second reverse-link channel, a first type of transmissions for indicating a coverage area of the access network in which the access terminal will be requesting data wherein the transmissions of the first type each occupies a first number of timeslots and each indicates a coverage area in which the access terminal will be requesting data after sending the transmission; detecting that the access terminal is located at a boundary between a first coverage area and a second coverage area; in response to detecting that the access terminal is located at the boundary, the access terminal switching from operating in the first mode to operating in a second mode in which the access terminal sends to the access network, on the second reverse-link channel, a second type of transmissions for indicating that the access terminal is located at the boundary between the first coverage area and the second coverage area, wherein the transmissions of the second type each occupies a reduced second number of timeslots and alternate between a transmission that indicates the first coverage area and a transmission that indicates the second coverage area; and while operating in the second mode, the access terminal sending the second type of transmissions.