System and methods for reducing power consumed by a base station

A method at a radio network controller (RNC) in communication with a set of base stations, the method comprising:

• receiving, from each one of a base stations, a control message sent by the base station in response to the base station receiving an access request message from a mobile station, wherein the receiver at the base station is activated on a discontinuous basis and wherein, for each control message, the control message comprises:
• information indicating the quality of the access request message received by the base station;
• and information indicating the position of the mobile station;
• selecting a base station from the set of base stations, wherein the selection is based on, at least in part, a location of the base stations, the location of the mobile station, and/or a quality of the access request messages received by the base stations;
• and
• transmitting a command message to the selected base station, wherein the command message causes the base station to transmit to the mobile station a response message comprising control information.

A base station, comprising:

• a transmitter configured such that it transmits control information on a discontinuous basis;
• an access message receiver, wherein
• the base station is configured such that the access message receiver is activated on a discontinuous basis, and
• the access message receiver is operable to detect an access request message transmitted from a mobile station on an access frequency;
• further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured such that, in response to the access message receiver detecting the access request message, the controller (a) determines a quality of the access request message;
• (b) determines whether the determined quality of the access request message exceeds a threshold, and (c) in response to determining that the quality exceeds the threshold, causes the transmitter to transmit to the mobile station a response message comprising control information, wherein the control information contains information that is needed by the mobile station to further communicate with the base station.

A radio network controller (RNC), comprising:

• a transmit and receive circuit operable to receive, from each one of a set of base stations, a control message sent by a base station in response to the base station receiving an access request message from a mobile station wherein a receiver in the base station is activated on a discontinuous basis;
• and wherein, for each control message, the control message comprises:
• information indicating the quality of the access request message received by the base station;
• and information indicating the position of the mobile station;
• a data processing system configured to select a base station from the set of base stations in response to receiving the control messages, wherein the selection is based on, at least in part, a location of the base stations, the location of the mobile station, and/or the quality of the access request messages received by the base stations, wherein the data processing system is further configured to use the transmit and receive circuit to transmit a command message to the selected base station, wherein the command message is configured to cause the base station to transmit to the mobile station a response message comprising control information.