Methods for informing mobile stations of control channel architectures

A method for informing mobile stations of a control channel architecture for a wireless communications system, the method comprising the step of:

• at a controller in the wireless communications system:
• acquiring knowledge of the wireless communications system;
• determining a control channel architecture based upon the acquired knowledge;
• and
• sending a short Link Control (LC) message on a Common Announcement Channel (CACH) wherein the short LC message informs the mobile station of the control channel architecture for the wireless communications system.

A method for informing mobile stations of a control channel architecture for a wireless communications system, the method comprising the step of:

• at a mobile station in the wireless communications system:
• receiving a control channel architecture message on a broadcast channel wherein the control channel architecture message informs the mobile station of a control channel architecture for the wireless communications system;
• retrieving information relating to the control channel architecture from the received control channel architecture message;
• and
• performing control channel processing using the retrieved information.