Assignment messages acknowledging access attempt without assigning resources

1. A mobile station configured to interact with a base station subsystem (BSS), the mobile station enabled for extended coverage (EC) operation and capable of performing a multilateration timing advance (MTA) procedure, the mobile station comprising:

a processor; and,

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor interfaces with the memory to execute the processor-executable instructions, whereby the mobile station is operable to:

receive an MTA request message for the mobile station to perform a radio access part of the MTA procedure;

transmit, to the BSS, a multilateration request message that indicates an Access Burst method for performing the MTA procedure;

receive, from the BSS, an assignment message acknowledging that the BSS received the multilateration request message without assigning radio resources for the mobile station;

determine that the assignment message indicates that no Temporary Block Flow (TBF) resources are assigned to the mobile station; and

in response to determining that the assignment message indicates that no TBF resources are assigned to the mobile station, determine if the assignment message matches the multilateration request message transmitted to the BSS.

2. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the assignment message is an EC Immediate Assignment Type 3 message indicating that no TBF resources are assigned to the mobile station.

3. The mobile station of claim 1 , wherein the mobile station is further operable to determine if the assignment message matches the multilateration request message by determining if a Short ID field value included in the assignment message matches a Short ID field value included in the multilateration request message.

4. The mobile station of claim 3 , wherein the assignment message includes a plurality of short ID field values allowing the BSS to address, within the assignment message, a plurality of mobile stations performing the MTA procedure using the Access Burst method.

5. A method in a mobile station configured to interact with a base station subsystem (BSS), the mobile station enabled for extended coverage (EC) operation and capable of performing a multilateration timing advance (MTA) procedure, the method comprising:

receiving an MTA request message for the mobile station to perform a radio access part of the MTA procedure;

transmitting, to the BSS, a multilateration request message that indicates an Access Burst method for performing the MTA procedure;

receiving, from the BSS, an assignment message acknowledging that the BSS received the multilateration request message without assigning radio resources for the mobile station;

determining that the assignment message indicates that no Temporary Block Flow (TBF) resources are assigned to the mobile station; and

in response to determining that the assignment message indicates that no TBF resources are assigned to the mobile station, determining if the assignment message matches the multilateration request message transmitted to the BSS.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the assignment message is an EC Immediate Assignment Type 3 message indicating that no TBF resources are assigned to the mobile station.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining if the assignment message matches the multilateration request message comprises determining if a Short ID field value included in the assignment message matches a Short ID field value included in the multilateration request message.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the assignment message includes a plurality of short ID field values allowing the BSS to address, within the assignment message, a plurality of mobile stations performing the MTA procedure using the Access Burst method.

9. A Base Station Subsystem (BSS) configured to interact with a mobile station, the mobile station enabled for extended coverage (EC) operation and capable of performing a multilateration timing advance (MTA) procedure, the BSS comprising:

a processor; and,

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor interfaces with the memory to execute the processor-executable instructions, whereby the BSS is operable to:

receive, from the mobile station, a multilateration request message that indicates an Access Burst method for performing the MTA procedure;

set a Short ID field value included in an assignment message to a Short ID field value included in the multilateration request message; and

transmit, to the mobile station, the assignment message acknowledging that the BSS received the multilateration request message without assigning radio resources for the mobile station, wherein the assignment message indicates that no Temporary Block Flow (TBF) resources are assigned to the mobile station.

10. The BSS of claim 9 , wherein the assignment message is an EC Immediate Assignment Type 3 message.

11. The BSS of claim 9 , wherein the assignment message includes a plurality of short ID field values allowing the BSS to address, within the assignment message, a plurality of mobile stations performing the MTA procedure using the Access Burst method.

12. A method in a Base Station Subsystem (BSS) configured to interact with a mobile station, the mobile station enabled for extended coverage (EC) operation and capable of performing a multilateration timing advance (MTA) procedure, the method comprising:

receiving, from the mobile station, a multilateration request message that indicates an Access Burst method for performing the MTA procedure;

setting a Short ID field value included in an assignment message to a Short ID field value included in the multilateration request message; and

transmitting, to the mobile station, the assignment message acknowledging that the BSS received the multilateration request message without assigning radio resources for the mobile station, wherein the assignment message indicates that no Temporary Block Flow (TBF) resources are assigned to the mobile station.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the assignment message is an EC Immediate Assignment Type 3 message.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the assignment message includes a plurality of short ID field values allowing the BSS to address, within the assignment message, a plurality of mobile stations performing the MTA procedure using the Access Burst method.