Method of performing handover in a broadband wireless access system

A method for performing a handover in a wireless access system, the method comprising:

• broadcasting, by a target base station (TBS), a SFH (super frame header) including a ranging opportunity;
• receiving, by the TBS from a mobile station (MS), a ranging code on or after the frame indicated by an action time field indicating a number of a frame in which the MS starts to perform network reentry, the action time field included in a handover command message received by the MS from a serving base station (SBS),
• wherein, when the handover command message includes a dedicated ranging code and a dedicated ranging information, the dedicated ranging code is received in a subframe indicated by the dedicated ranging information, the dedicated ranging code and the dedicated ranging information being a ranging code and a ranging opportunity dedicated to the MS, respectively,
• wherein the dedicated ranging information indicates a subframe index of a ranging opportunity allocated by the TBS, and
• wherein a randomly selected ranging code is transmitted through the ranging opportunity indicated by the SFH the dedicated ranging code and the dedicated ranging information are not included in the handover command message;
• and
• performing, by the TBS, a handover of the MS from the SBS to the TBS based on the ranging code.

A mobile station (MS) operated in a wireless access system, the MS comprising:

• a radio frequency (RF) module for transmitting and receiving an RF signal to and from an external part;
• and
• a processor operatively connected to the RF module and configured to
• receive, from a serving base station (SBS), a handover command message including an action time field indicating a number of a frame in which the MS starts to perform network reentry,
• receive, from a target base station (TBS), a SFH (super frame header) including a ranging opportunity, and
• transmit a ranging code to the TBS on or after the frame indicated by the action time field for the network reentry,
• wherein, when a dedicated ranging code and a dedicated ranging information are included in the handover command message, the dedicated ranging code is transmitted in a subframe indicated by the dedicated ranging information, the dedicated ranging code and the dedicated ranging information being a ranging code and a ranging opportunity dedicated to the MS, respectively,
• wherein the dedicated ranging information indicates a subframe index of a ranging opportunity allocated by the TBS, and
• wherein, when the dedicated ranging code and the dedicated ranging information are not included in the handover command message, a randomly selected ranging code is transmitted through the ranging opportunity indicated by the SFH.