Method and apparatus for improved channel maintenance signaling

1. A method for improved channel maintenance signaling comprising:

entering a high-rate-channel-maintenance mode by a processor of a remote unit in which a transceiver of the remote unit transmits channel maintenance signaling, wherein channel maintenance signaling comprises signaling of at least one type from the group consisting of channel quality indication (CQI) signaling, power control signaling, reverse dedicated pilot signaling, forward dedicated pilot signaling, and ACK/NACK signaling;

when a low-rate condition is met, the processor of the remote unit entering a low- rate- channel- maintenance mode in which the transceiver of the remote unit transmits channel maintenance signaling at one of a lower rate or a lower transmit power than when in the high- rate-channel-maintenance mode;

when a high-rate condition is met, the processor of the remote unit reentering the high- rate-channel-maintenance mode from the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode, wherein the high- rate condition comprises a condition from the group consisting of

the remote unit detects that handoff conditions are present,

the remote unit begins receiving data via a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling, and

the time remaining until a next periodic, high-rate initiation point after the remote unit enters the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode has elapsed,

and further comprising

receiving an indication from an access network (AN) that the remote unit enter the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode from the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode

wherein the indication that the remote unit enter the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode further indicates configuration information from the group consisting of

the low-rate condition that the remote unit to enter the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode,

a period of time between high-rate initiation points, and

a frame offset for CQI signaling.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the low-rate condition comprises a condition from the group consisting of:

a pre-established period of time has elapsed since entering the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode,

a pre-established period of time has elapsed since entering the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode without detecting activity on a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling,

a pre-established number of packets have been received via a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling,

a pre-established number of bytes have been received via a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling,

a cumulative number of packets have been received, via a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling, totaling the sum of a pre-established number for each high-rate initiation point that has passed,

a cumulative number of bytes have been received via a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling, totaling the sum of a pre-established number for each high-rate initiation point that has passed,

a pre-established number of packets have been successfully transmitted via a reverse link, and

a pre-established number of bytes have been successfully transmitted via a reverse link.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting channel maintenance signaling at one of a lower rate or a lower transmit power than when in the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode comprises suspending channel maintenance signaling.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein CQI signaling comprises data rate control (DRC) signaling.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channel maintenance signaling comprises channel quality indication signaling but not reverse dedicated pilot signaling.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting CQI signaling comprises transmitting CQI signaling in accordance with one of a gated transmit pattern or a continuous transmit pattern.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

sending an indication to an access network (AN) that the remote unit is entering the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

sending an indication to an access network (AN) that the remote unit is entering the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode.

9. A method for improved channel maintenance signaling comprising:

sending, by an access network (AN) to a remote unit, an indication that the remote unit to transition from a high-rate-channel-maintenance mode to a low-rate-channel-maintenance mode when a low-rate condition is met and that the remote unit to transition from the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode to the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode when a high-rate condition is met, wherein the high-rate condition comprises a condition from the group consisting of: the remote unit detects that handoff conditions are present, the remote unit begins receiving data via a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling, and the time remaining until a next periodic, high-rate initiation point after the remote unit enters the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode has elapsed,

wherein the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode comprises a mode in which a remote unit transmits channel maintenance signaling, wherein channel maintenance signaling comprises signaling of at least one type from the group consisting of channel quality indication (CQI) signaling, power control signaling, reverse dedicated pilot signaling, forward dedicated pilot signaling, and ACK/NACK signaling, and wherein the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode comprises a mode in which the remote unit transmits channel maintenance signaling at one of a lower rate or a lower transmit power than when in the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode,

and further comprising receiving an indication from the remote unit entering the low-rate- channel-maintenance mode or the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode

wherein the indication further indicates configuration information from the group consisting of

the low-rate condition that the remote unit to enter the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode

the high-rate condition that the remote unit to enter the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode,

a period of time between high-rate initiation points, and

a frame offset for CQI signaling.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the low-rate condition comprises a condition from the group consisting of:

a pre-established period of time has elapsed since entering the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode,

a pre-established period of time has elapsed since entering the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode without detecting activity on a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling,

a pre-established number of packets have been received via a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling,

a pre-established number of bytes have been received via a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling,

a cumulative number of packets have been received, via a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling, totaling the sum of a pre-established number for each high-rate initiation point that has passed,

a cumulative number of bytes have been received via a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling, totaling the sum of a pre-established number for each high-rate initiation point that has passed,

a pre-established number of packets have been successfully transmitted via a reverse link, and

a pre-established number of bytes have been successfully transmitted via a reverse link.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising

buffering, by the AN, data for delivery to the remote unit until the remote unit is expected to reenter the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising

allocating a reverse link resource, used by the remote unit while in the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode, to a second remote unit for at least a portion of the interval in which the remote unit is expected to be in the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising

sending a reverse link assignment message that assigns a reverse link resource to the second remote unit for a periodically reoccurring interval of time, thereby enabling the reverse link resource to be shared by a plurality of remote units.

14. A remote unit comprising:

a transceiver;

a processing unit, communicatively coupled to the transceiver,

adapted to enter a high-rate-channel-maintenance mode in which channel maintenance signaling is transmitted via the transceiver, wherein channel maintenance signaling comprises signaling of at least one type from the group consisting of channel quality indication (CQI) signaling, power control signaling, reverse dedicated pilot signaling, forward dedicated pilot signaling, and ACK/NACK signaling,

adapted to enter, when a low-rate condition is met, a low-rate-channel-maintenance mode in which channel maintenance signaling is transmitted via the transceiver at one of a lower rate or a lower transmit power than when in the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode, and

adapted to reenter, when a high-rate condition is met, the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode from the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode, wherein

the high-rate condition comprises a condition from the group consisting of the remote unit detects that handoff conditions are present, the remote unit begins receiving data via a forward link associated

with the channel maintenance signaling, and the time remaining until a next periodic, high-rate initiation point

after the remote unit enters the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode has elapsed,

and further comprising receiving an indication from the remote unit entering the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode or the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode

wherein the indication further indicates configuration information from the group consisting of

the low-rate condition that the remote unit to enter the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode.

the high-rate condition that the remote unit to enter the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode,

a period of time between high-rate initiation points, and

a frame offset for CQI signaling.

15. An access network (AN) comprising:

a transceiver

a network interface;

a processing unit, communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the network interface,

adapted to send, to a remote unit via the transceiver, an indication that the remote unit to transition from a high-rate-channel-maintenance mode to a low-rate-channel-maintenance mode when a low-rate condition is met and that the remote unit to transition from the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode to the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode when a high-rate condition is met, wherein the high-rate condition comprises a condition from the group consisting of: the remote unit detects that handoff conditions are present, the remote unit begins receiving data via a forward link associated with the channel maintenance signaling, and the time remaining until a next periodic, high-rate initiation point after the remote unit enters the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode has elapsed,

wherein the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode comprises a mode in which a remote unit transmits channel maintenance signaling, wherein channel maintenance signaling comprises signaling of at least one type from the group consisting of channel quality indication (CQI) signaling, power control signaling, reverse dedicated pilot signaling, forward dedicated pilot signaling, and ACK/NACK signaling, and

wherein the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode comprises a mode in which the remote unit transmits channel maintenance signaling at one of a lower rate or a lower transmit power than when in the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode,

and further comprising

receiving an indication from the access network that the remote unit enter the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode from the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode

wherein the indication that the remote unit enter the high-rate-channel-maintenance mode further indicates configuration information from the group consisting of

the low-rate condition that the remote unit to enter the low-rate-channel-maintenance mode.

a period of time between high-rate initiation points, and

a frame offset for CQI signaling.