Patent ID: 8233460

Claim:
A node comprising: at least one processor; a memory; and at least one interface configured to: transmit first upstream signaling information from the node, said first upstream signaling information comprising a reserve request which is transmitted within a first slot allocated to the node; receive first downstream signaling information, said first downstream signaling information being received subsequent to transmission of the reserve request, said first downstream signaling information comprising an allocation of resources to the node for transmitting a packetized message; transmit the packetized message subsequent to receiving the first downstream signaling information; receive second downstream signaling information comprising information describing a new cell and determining that the node is authorized to perform a handoff procedure, said handoff procedure comprising the following steps: transmit second upstream signaling information, said second upstream signaling information comprising a random access request in a second slot; receive third downstream signaling information, said third downstream signaling information being received subsequent to transmission of the second upstream signaling information, said third downstream signaling information acknowledging receipt of said second upstream signaling information, said third downstream signaling information comprising information referencing a second slot number wherein the node transmitted said random access request in order for the node to identify that the node is an intended recipient of the third downstream signaling information; transmit third upstream signaling information from the node, said third upstream signaling information being transmitted subsequent to receiving said third downstream signaling information, said third upstream signaling information from the node comprising identifier information for the node; and receive fourth downstream signaling information, said fourth downstream signaling information being received subsequent to transmission of the third upstream signaling information, said fourth downstream signaling information comprising an allocation of a third slot to the node for transmitting a subsequent reserve request; wherein the availability of the third slot by the node recurs until use of the third slot by the node is disabled.