Coded reverse link messages for closed-loop power control of forward link control messages

1. A field unit comprising:

circuitry configured to receive a signal and determine whether the received signal has a predetermined quality;

circuitry configured to select a signal from a plurality of signals; wherein the plurality of signals includes a first signal indicating that the field unit is requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was received with the predetermined quality, a second signal indicating that the field unit is requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was not received with the predetermined quality; a third signal indicating that the field unit is not requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was received with the predetermined quality, and a fourth signal indicating that the field unit is not requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was not received with the predetermined quality; and

circuitry configured to transmit the selected signal over a control channel in a time interval that includes at least one time slot.

2. The field unit of claim 1 wherein the signal is derived from a PN sequence and an orthogonal sequence.

3. The field unit of claim 2 wherein at least two of the plurality of signals are associated with different sequences.

4. The field unit of claim 3 wherein the different sequences are orthogonal sequences.

5. The field unit of claim 1 wherein the transmitted signal does not include message data and does not include payload data.

6. The field unit of claim 1 further comprising:

circuitry configured to receive an assignment of resources in response to the signal being a first or second signal; and

circuitry configured to transmit packet data in a second time interval in response to the assignment of resources.

7. A method implemented in a field unit, the method comprising:

receiving a signal and determining whether a received signal has a predetermined quality;

selecting a signal from a plurality of signals; wherein the plurality of signals includes a first signal indicating that the field unit is requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was received with the predetermined quality, a second signal indicating that the field unit is requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was not received with the predetermined quality; a third signal indicating that the field unit is not requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was received with the predetermined quality, and a fourth signal indicating that the field unit is not requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was not received with the predetermined quality; and

transmitting the selected signal over a control channel in a time interval that at least one time slot.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the signal is derived from a PN sequence and an orthogonal sequence.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least two of the plurality of signals are associated with different sequences.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the different sequences are orthogonal sequences.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the transmitted signal does not include message data and does not include payload data.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving an assignment of resources in response to the signal being a first or second signal; and

transmitting packet data in a second time interval in response to the assignment of resources.

13. A wireless network device comprising:

circuitry configured to detect a signal over a control channel from a field unit over a time interval that includes at least one time slot; wherein the signal is selected from one of a plurality of signals; wherein the plurality of signals includes a first signal indicating that the field unit is requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was received with the predetermined quality, a second signal indicating that the field unit is requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was not received with the predetermined quality; a third signal indicating that the field unit is not requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was received with the predetermined quality, and a fourth signal indicating that the field unit is not requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was not received with the predetermined quality.

14. The wireless network device of claim 13 wherein the detecting the signal includes comparing a received energy level of the signal with a threshold.

15. The wireless network device of claim 13 wherein the signal was derived from a PN sequence and an orthogonal sequence.

16. The wireless network device claim 13 wherein the at least two of the plurality of signals are associated with different sequences.

17. The wireless network device of claim 16 wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the selected signal for the received signal by comparing energy levels of the difference sequences.

18. The wireless network device of claim 13 wherein the different sequences are orthogonal sequences.

19. The wireless network device of claim 13 wherein the detected signal does not include message data and does not include payload data.

20. The wireless network device of claim 13 wherein the circuitry is further configured in response to the signal being a first or second signal, to transmit an assignment of resources to the field unit; wherein the circuitry is further configured in response to the assignment of resources, to receive packet data in a second time interval from the field unit.