Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating initiation of channel allocation to communicate data in a radio communication system

1. Apparatus for a mobile node configured to send data upon a radio link, said apparatus comprising:

a channel allocation request generator configured to cause generation of channel allocation requests to request allocation of channel capacity for communication of the data by the mobile node;

a selector configured to select when said channel allocation request generator causes the generation of a channel allocation request, selection made by said selector responsive to availability of the data at the mobile node to be communicated pursuant to a communication service and generation of no more than N channel allocation requests subsequent to an initial channel allocation request and, subsequent to the N channel allocation requests, selection made by said selector delaying when said channel allocation request generator causes generation of a subsequent channel allocation request for a selected delay period at least while radio communication conditions measured on the radio link are inadequate; and

a timer configured to set the selected delay period and report to the selector when the selected delay period times out.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a counter adapted to receive indications when said channel allocation request generator causes generation of a channel allocation request, said counter configured to maintain a count value representative of a cumulative count of channel allocation requests caused by said channel allocation request generator to be generated.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said counter is further configured to provide the count value counted thereat to said selector, selection made by said selector responsive, in part, to the count value.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein selection made by said selector subsequent to the initial channel allocation request is further pursuant to a retransmission scheme.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said selector is further configured to receive indication of the radio communication conditions on the radio link.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a radio link indicia measurer coupled to receive indicia associated with the radio link, said radio link indicia measurer configured to measure a value associated with the radio link.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a timer coupled to receive indications of when said channel allocation request generator causes generation of a channel allocation request, said timer configured to time a delay period subsequent to the generation of the channel allocation request.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a radio link indicia measurer adapted to receive indicia associated with the radio link, said radio link indicia measurer configured to measure a value associated with the radio link, and wherein said selector is further coupled to said radio link indicia measurer to receive the value associated with the radio link measured by said radio link indicia measurer, selection made by said selector to cause said channel allocation request generator to generate the subsequent channel allocation request selectably responsive to the value associated with the radio link.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the mobile node is configured to detect broadcast of a broadcast signal upon a broadcast channel defined upon the radio link and wherein the indicia associated with the radio link that said radio link indicia measurer is adapted to receive comprises indicia associated with detection at the mobile node of the broadcast signal upon the broadcast channel.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the value measured by said radio link indicia measurer comprises a signal-strength value representative of at least relative signal strength of the broadcast signal broadcast upon the broadcast channel, detected at the mobile node.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said selector is configured to select said channel allocation request generator to cause generation of the subsequent channel allocation request signal when the value associated with the radio link, measured by said radio link indicia measurer, is beyond a selected threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a timer coupled to receive indications of when said channel allocation request generator causes generation of a channel allocation request, said timer configured to time a selected time period subsequent to the generation of the channel allocation request, and wherein said selector is further adapted to receive indications at least of time-out of the selected time period by said timer, selection made by said selector for said channel allocation request generator to cause generation of the subsequent channel allocation request selectably responsive to time-out of the selected time period by said timer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the channel allocation requests that said channel allocation request generator causes to be generated are generated upon a random access channel.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the channel allocation requests caused to be generated by said channel allocation request generator are for allocation of channel capacity upon which to send GPRS-formatted data.

15. A method for communicating data upon a radio link by a mobile node, said method comprising:

selecting when to cause generation of a channel allocation request to request allocation of channel capacity for communication of the data, selection made responsive to availability the data at the mobile node to be communicated pursuant to a communication service and prior generation of no more than N channel allocation requests subsequent to an initial channel allocation request and subsequent to the N channel allocation requests, delaying causing generation of a subsequent channel allocation request for a selected delay period at least while radio communication conditions measured on the radio link are inadequate;

timing the selected delay period and reporting during said selecting when the selected delay period times out; and

generating a channel allocation request when selected during said selecting.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising counting each generation of a channel allocation request.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said selecting is further pursuant to a retransmission scheme.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising measuring a value associated with the radio link.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the value measured during said measuring comprises a signal strength value of a broadcast signal broadcast upon a broadcast channel of the radio link.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein each channel allocation request is generated upon a random access channel.