Method and System for Assigning Slot Reservations to Subscriber Radios in a Telecommunications System

1. A method of assigning slot reservations to subscriber radios in a time division multiple access (TDMA) communications system, wherein transmission of data is arranged into a series of superframes, said method comprising: providing an inbound signaling protocol transported in a plurality of inbound transmission slots; providing an outbound signaling protocol having an inbound reservation scheduling message, the inbound reservation scheduling message including a plurality of subscriber access code fields, each subscriber access code field corresponding to a particular one of the plurality of inbound transmission slots, and each subscriber access code field able to store a subscriber access code associated with a subscriber radio; and transmitting the inbound reservation scheduling message within an inbound reservation scheduling slot including a particular subscriber access code in one or more of the subscriber access code fields such that the subscriber radio associated with the particular subscriber access code may transmit data during the one or more inbound transmission slots corresponding to the one or more subscriber access code fields in which the particular subscriber access code is stored; wherein the outbound signaling protocol further includes an adjacent slot bit associated with each subscriber access code field indicating whether the subscriber radio may also transmit data during the inbound transmission slot adjacent to the inbound transmission slot corresponding with the subscriber access code field.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the subscriber access code fields correspond to inbound transmission slots in a current superframe and at least one of the subscriber access code fields correspond to inbound transmission slots in a next superframe, to be transmitted after the current superframe.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising associating the subscriber access code fields of the inbound reservation scheduling message with inbound transmission slots of a first logical channel, the method further comprising transmitting a second inbound reservation scheduling message within a second inbound reservation schedule slot, the second inbound reservation scheduling message associating second subscriber access code fields of the second inbound reservation scheduling message with inbound transmission slots of a second logical channel.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the second inbound reservation scheduling message includes a plurality of second subscriber access code fields, each second subscriber access code field corresponding to a particular one of the plurality of inbound transmission slots of the second logical channel, and each second subscriber access code field able to store a subscriber access code associated with a subscriber radio.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the outbound signaling protocol further includes a superframes field associated with each subscriber access code field indicating a number of superframes for which the inbound transmission slot may be utilized by the subscriber radio associated with the subscriber access code field.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a reservation delay value prior to transmitting the inbound reservation scheduling message, the reservation delay value indicating an amount of time that will pass before the inbound reservation scheduling message is transmitted.

7. A method of operating a time division multiple access (TDMA) communications system having a base station and at least one subscriber radio, wherein encoded data is arranged into a series of superframes, said method comprising: receiving data in accordance with an inbound signaling protocol transported in a plurality of inbound transmission slots; transmitting data in accordance with an outbound signaling protocol having an inbound reservation scheduling message, the inbound reservation scheduling message including a plurality of subscriber access code fields, each subscriber access code field corresponding to a particular one of the plurality of inbound transmission slots, and each subscriber access code field able to store a subscriber access code associated with a subscriber radio; and transmitting the inbound reservation scheduling message during an inbound reservation scheduling slot including a particular subscriber access code in one or more of the subscriber access code fields such that the subscriber radio associated with the particular subscriber access code may transmit data during the one or more inbound transmission slots corresponding to the one or more subscriber access code fields in which the particular subscriber access code is stored; wherein the outbound signaling protocol further includes an adjacent slot bit associated with each subscriber access code field indicating whether the subscriber radio may also transmit data during the inbound transmission slot adjacent to the inbound transmission slot corresponding with the subscriber access code field.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 , wherein at least one of the subscriber access code fields correspond to inbound transmission slots in a first superframe and at least one of the subscriber access code fields correspond to inbound transmission slots in a second superframe, to be transmitted after the first superframe.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7 , further comprising associating the subscriber access code fields of the inbound reservation scheduling message with inbound transmission slots of a first logical channel, the method further comprising transmitting a second inbound reservation scheduling message within a second inbound reservation schedule slot, the second inbound reservation scheduling message associating second subscriber access code fields of the second inbound reservation scheduling message with inbound transmission slots of a second logical channel.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the second inbound reservation scheduling message includes a plurality of second subscriber access code fields, each second subscriber access code field corresponding to a particular one of the plurality of inbound transmission slots of the second logical channel, and each second subscriber access code field able to store a subscriber access code associated with a subscriber radio.

11. A time division multiple access (TDMA) communications system wherein transmission of data is arranged into a series of superframes, said system comprising: a controller capable of receiving an inbound signaling protocol transported in a plurality of inbound transmission slots and providing an outbound signaling protocol having an inbound reservation scheduling message, the inbound reservation scheduling message including a plurality of subscriber access code fields, each subscriber access code field corresponding to a particular one of the plurality of inbound transmission slots, and each subscriber access code field able to store a subscriber access code associated with a subscriber radio; and a transmitter in communication with said controller for transmitting the inbound reservation scheduling message during an inbound reservation scheduling slot including a particular subscriber access code in one or more of the subscriber access code fields such that the subscriber radio associated with the particular subscriber access code may transmit data during the one or more inbound transmission slots corresponding to the one or more subscriber access code fields in which the particular subscriber access code is stored; wherein the subscriber access code Melds of the inbound reservation scheduling message are associated with inbound transmission slots of a first logical channel, the controller further capable of receiving a second inbound reservation scheduling message within a second inbound reservation schedule slot, the second inbound reservation scheduling message associating second subscriber access code fields of the second inbound reservation scheduling message with inbound transmission slots of a second logical channel; wherein the outbound signaling protocol further includes an adjacent slot bit associated with each subscriber access code field indicating whether the subscriber radio may also transmit data during the inbound transmission slot adjacent to the inbound transmission slot corresponding with the subscriber access code field.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11 , wherein at least one of the subscriber access code fields correspond to inbound transmission slots in a current superframe and at least one of the subscriber access code fields correspond to inbound transmission slots in a next superframe, to be transmitted after the current superframe.

13. The system as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the second inbound reservation scheduling message includes a plurality of second subscriber access code fields, each second subscriber access code field corresponding to a particular one of the plurality of inbound transmission slots of the second logical channel, and each second subscriber access code field able to store a subscriber access code associated with the subscriber radio.