Dynamic transmission of DCD and UCD messages in a WiMAX network

1. In a communications network providing WiMAX service, a method for transmitting coding descriptor information, wherein the coding descriptor information comprises downlink coding descriptor (DCD) information and uplink coding descriptor (UCD) information, the method comprising:

dividing the coding descriptor information into a first set and a second set of coding descriptor information, wherein the first set comprises coding descriptor information that is used in initial ranging;

determining a repetition frequency at which to periodically transmit the first set of coding descriptor information;

periodically transmitting the first set of coding descriptor information at the determined repetition frequency;

detecting a triggering event, wherein the triggering event comprises receipt of a message from an access terminal, and wherein the message comprises a ranging request, a handoff request, or a paging message; and

in response to detecting the triggering event, transmitting the second set of coding descriptor information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein dividing the coding descriptor information into a first set and a second set of coding descriptor information comprises:

dividing the coding descriptor information into critical coding descriptor information that is used in initial ranging and non-critical coding descriptor information;

wherein the first set of coding descriptor information comprises the critical coding descriptor information and the second set of coding descriptor information comprises the non-critical coding descriptor information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein dividing the coding descriptor information into critical coding descriptor information that is critical to initial ranging and non-critical coding descriptor information comprises:

dividing the DCD information into critical DCD information that is critical to initial ranging and non-critical DCD information that is not critical to initial ranging; and

dividing the UCD information into critical UCD information that is critical to initial ranging and non-critical UCD information that is not critical to initial ranging.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the critical DCD information comprises a downlink region definition, PHY Type, TTG, and/or RTG.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the critical UCD information comprises ranging information, bandwidth request information, and/or CDMA allocation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a repetition frequency at which to periodically transmit the first set of coding descriptor information comprises:

using one or more network usage characteristics as a basis for determining the repetition frequency at which to periodically transmit the first set of coding descriptor information.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more network usage characteristics comprise a rate of new connections, a rate of handoffs, and/or a rate of paging messages.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising periodically repeating the step of determining a repetition frequency at which to periodically transmit the first set of coding descriptor information comprises, thereby updating the repetition frequency as the network usage characteristics change over time.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing the determined repetition frequency to a maximum repetition frequency; and

if the determined repetition frequency is greater than the maximum repetition frequency, setting the determined repetition frequency to be to the maximum repetition frequency.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an elapsed period of time since a previous transmission of the second set of coding descriptor information; and

comparing the elapsed period of time to a minimum period of time, and if the elapsed period of time is less than the minimum period of time, waiting until the elapsed period of time since the previous transmission of the second set of coding descriptor information is equal to or greater than the minimum period of time, and then transmitting the second set of coding descriptor information.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a coding descriptor indicator, wherein the coding descriptor indicator indicates whether or not a given frame includes coding descriptor information.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the coding descriptor indicator further indicates whether or not whether or not a given frame includes critical coding descriptor information and/or non-critical coding descriptor information.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the coding descriptor indicator separately indicates whether or not whether or not a given frame includes critical coding descriptor information and/or non-critical coding descriptor information for downlink coding descriptor information and for uplink coding descriptor information.

14. In a WiMAX communication network, wherein at least a portion of the network is characterized by one or more network usage characteristics, a method for transmitting coding descriptor information, the method comprising:

dividing the coding descriptor information into a first set and a second set of coding descriptor information, wherein the coding descriptor information comprises downlink coding descriptor (DCD) information and uplink coding descriptor (UCD) information, and wherein the first set comprises coding descriptor information that is used in initial ranging;

using one or more of the network usage characteristics as a basis for determining a first repetition frequency at which to periodically transmit the first set of coding descriptor information;

transmitting the first set of coding descriptor information at the first repetition frequency;

determining a second repetition frequency at which to periodically transmit the second set of coding descriptor information, wherein the second repetition frequency is less than the first repetition frequency;

comparing the second repetition frequency to a maximum repetition frequency, and if the second repetition frequency is greater than the maximum repetition frequency, setting the determined repetition frequency to be to the repetition frequency interval; and

transmitting the second set of coding descriptor information at the second repetition frequency.

15. A system configured to transmit coding descriptor information in a WiMAX communication network, the system comprising:

a processor for executing program code;

program code stored on data storage and executable by the processor to:

divide the coding descriptor information into a first set and a second set of coding descriptor information, wherein the coding descriptor information comprises downlink coding descriptor (DCD) information and uplink coding descriptor (UCD) information, and wherein the first set comprises coding descriptor information that is used in initial ranging;

determine a repetition frequency at which to periodically transmit the first set of coding descriptor information; and

a receiver configured to detect at least one triggering event, wherein the triggering event comprises a ranging request, a handoff, or a paging message; and

a transmitter configured to:

periodically transmit the first set of coding descriptor information at the determined repetition frequency; and

transmit the second set of coding descriptor information in response to the detection of the triggering event.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein program code stored on data storage and executable by the processor to divide the coding descriptor information into a first set and a second set of coding descriptor information comprises:

program code stored on data storage and executable by the processor to divide the coding descriptor information into critical coding descriptor information that is critical to initial ranging and non-critical coding descriptor information that is not critical to initial ranging, wherein the first set of coding descriptor information comprises the critical coding descriptor information and the second set of coding descriptor information comprises the non-critical coding descriptor information.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the critical coding descriptor information comprises ranging information, bandwidth request information, and/or a CDMA allocation.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the program code stored on data storage and executable by the processor determine a repetition frequency at which to periodically transmit the first set of coding descriptor information comprises:

program code stored on data storage and executable by the processor to use one or more network usage parameters as a basis to determine the repetition frequency at which to periodically transmit the critical coding descriptor information.