Patent ID: 8498645

Claim:
A method for allocating a random access identifier from a plurality of available random access identifiers to a wireless communication device for transmitting to a target base station of a cellular wireless communication support infrastructure in one of a plurality of communication time intervals, the method comprising: identifying a random access identifier associated with the target base station for transmission by a plurality of wireless communication devices requesting resources from the target base station, wherein an assignment of the random access identifier to a particular wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices at a particular time is rotated between the plurality of wireless communication devices; detecting a desire for resources from the target base station for one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices; allocating the random access identifier to the particular wireless communication device, where the allocation includes a limitation of usage corresponding to particular communication time intervals of the plurality of communication time intervals during which the random access identifier can be transmitted to the target base station by the particular communication device, wherein the limitation of usage defines a subset of the plurality of communication time intervals during which the random access identifier can be used by any one of the plurality of wireless communication devices; and transmitting, by the particular wireless communication device, the random access identifier on a random access channel of the target base station, in accordance with the limitation of usage.