Patent ID: 7301921

Claim:
A method of reducing access time to a UTRAN (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) in a UMTS(Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) when a UE (User Equipment) attempts an access to the UTRAN via an RACH (Random Access Channel) in the UMTS system having at least one UTRAN and at least one UE to which at least one RACH is available, comprising the steps of: determining whether a preamble signature is in current use upon receipt of the preamble signature from the UE; transmitting a positive AICH (Access Indicator Channel) to the UE if the preamble signature corresponds to an available RACH; determining whether there is a signature corresponding to an available RACH if the preamble signature corresponds to an RACH in current use; and transmitting a negative AICH to the UE if all signatures are in use, wherein if there is an available signature neither the positive AICH nor the negative AICH is transmitted to the UE.