Patent ID: 8073454

Claim:
A method for scheduling resources for uplink transmissions in a radio access network comprising a plurality of access points (AP) each one owning pre-assigned resources, and user terminals (UT), including the steps of: each AP placing its resources to the disposition of other APs, each AP transmitting a blocking signal if it does not allow other APs to use any of its resources, each UT listening for blocking signals, and one of the UTs stopping its transmission upon detection of a blocking signal from an AP owning a resource on which the UT is transmitting, an AP serving a UT scheduling the UT on its own resources and/or on resources belonging to one or more other APs, and one of the UTs sending a scheduling request to an AP and including therein an indication of an amount of data to be transmitted and information on APs from which the UT detects blocking signals.