Patent ID: 8520559

Claim:
In a wireless communication system including an access terminal and first and second base stations, a method for the access terminal comprising: providing the access terminal with an air interface protocol, the air interface protocol including a first mode supporting personal area network-based functions and a second mode supporting radio access network-based functions complimentary with an air interface protocol of the first and second base stations; providing the access terminal with a capability to operate in an access mode wherein the access terminal is operable to receive a message transmitted by at least one of the base stations and in turn transmit a response message to the transmitting base station; providing the access terminal with a capability to operate in a backhaul mode wherein the access terminal is operable to receive a message transmitted by the first base station and in turn retransmit the message to the second base station; triggering the access terminal to switch between access mode and the backhaul mode upon receipt of a signaling message from one of the at least two base stations; and providing the access terminal with a capability to determine allocation of air interface resources in either access mode or backhaul mode based on a combination of the signaling message and a resource constraint of the access terminal, wherein the resource constraint includes at least one of a pilot signal strength and a channel quality of service to one of the at least two base stations, and wherein determining the allocation of air interface resources includes estimating at least one air interface resource setting in either access mode or backhaul mode.