Patent ID: 8654664

Claim:
A subscriber radio unit for a wireless communication system comprising: a radio configured to: transmit bandwidth requests; receive uplink bandwidth grants; and transmit uplink data to a base station; and a Media Access Control (MAC) module configured to: generate a first bandwidth request with an indication of uplink bandwidth required for accommodating data of a first priority awaiting transmission on a first connection and provide the uplink data to the radio for transmission within an uplink bandwidth grant; determine that additional bandwidth is necessary for transmission of uplink data of a second priority received at the subscriber radio unit on a second connection; determine that the uplink bandwidth grant can accommodate a second bandwidth request; insert, within the uplink bandwidth grant, the second bandwidth request with an indication of uplink bandwidth required for accommodating the data of the second priority; and on receipt of a subsequent uplink bandwidth grant, allocate a first part of the subsequent uplink bandwidth grant to the uplink data awaiting transmission on the first connection and a second part of the subsequent uplink bandwidth to the uplink data awaiting transmission on the second connection, based on the first and second priorities and provide the UL data to the radio for transmission within the subsequent uplink bandwidth grant, whereby, if the uplink bandwidth grant cannot accommodate the second bandwidth request, the MAC module provides a poll-me bit for requesting an allocation of uplink UL bandwidth for enabling the subscriber radio unit to transmit the second bandwidth request.