Method and system for fast access to an uplink channel in a mobile communication network

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention comprises a method and system for obtaining fast access to a multiplexed uplink channel in a mobile telecommunications network.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a first uplink block of an uplink channel is assigned to a first mobile station.
During the first uplink block, however, a transmission from a second mobile station is received on the first uplink block of the uplink channel.
In response to the transmission from the second mobile station, a subsequent uplink block of the uplink channel is assigned to the second mobile station.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a mobile telecommunications system includes a packet data network and a radio network.
The packet data network includes a packet data support node for routing data communications to and receiving data communications from a plurality of mobile stations located in an area served by the packet data support node.
The radio network serves to transmit data packets between the mobile stations and the packet data support node and operates to assign to a first mobile station a first radio resource associated with an uplink channel.
The radio network further operates to detect a transmission from a second mobile station on the first radio resource and, in response to the detected transmission, to assign a second radio resource associated with the uplink channel to the second mobile station.
In another embodiment, a plurality of mobile stations are assigned to an uplink channel, wherein at least one of the mobile stations is operating in accordance with a real time application.
Simultaneous transmissions from multiple ones of the mobile stations are subsequently detected on a first block of the uplink channel.
In response to this detection of simultaneous transmissions on the first block, a second block of the uplink channel is assigned to a particular real time mobile station.