Patent ID: 8620363

Claim:
A method comprising: storing, at a data storage device of an access terminal, data indicating a first maximum number of text message characters and data indicating a second maximum number of text message characters, wherein the first maximum number of text message characters is greater than the second maximum number of text message characters; receiving, using the access terminal, text message characters for a new text message being input at the access terminal; determining, using the access terminal, whether an occupancy level of an access channel, selected from among one or more access channels associated with a paging channel being monitored by the access terminal, exceeds a first occupancy threshold or does not exceed the first occupancy threshold, in response to determining the occupancy level of the selected access channel exceeds the first occupancy threshold, transmitting, using the access terminal and via the selected access channel, at least two messages that include a respective portion of the received text message characters that does not exceed the second maximum number of text message characters; and in response to determining the occupancy level of the selected access channel does not exceed the first occupancy threshold, transmitting, using the access terminal and via the selected access channel, a message that includes a number of the received text message characters that does not exceed the first maximum number of text message characters.