Apparatus and methods for multi-cell random access channel

A computerized user device configured to communicate with a wireless network having a plurality of access nodes, the computerized user device comprising:

• processor apparatus;
• wireless interface apparatus in data communication with the processor apparatus and configured to transmit and receive wireless signals in one or more radio frequency (RF) bands;
• and
• computerized logic in data communication with the processor apparatus and configured to, when executed, cause the computerized user device to:
• transmit at least one random access data element to at least two of the plurality of access nodes;
• receive at least one response sent from each of the at least two access nodes in response to the transmitted random access data element;
• select at least one of the received responses;
• and
• transmit a message to a one of the at least two access nodes associated with the selected received response to further enable connection of the computerized client device to the one access node.

A computerized access node configured for use within a wireless network and configured for wireless communication with a plurality of computerized user devices, the computerized access node comprising:

• processor apparatus;
• wireless interface apparatus in data communication with the processor apparatus and configured to transmit and receive wireless signals in one or more radio frequency (RF) bands;
• and
• computerized logic in data communication with the processor apparatus and configured to, when executed, cause the computerized access node to:
• receive at least one random access data element from one of the plurality of computerized user devices;
• transmit at least one response to the transmitted random access data element, the at least one response comprising multi-cell mapping data indicative of one or more random access occasions which may be utilized by at least the one computerized user device;
• and
• receive a message from the one computerized user device to further enable connection of the one computerized user device to the computerized access node.