Methods and apparatus for making handoff decisions in access terminals capable of operating at different times in best effort and QoS modes of traffic operation

A base station comprising:

• a indicator of resource fraction generation module for generating an indicator for an individual attachment point included in said base station, said indicator indicating a fraction of communications resources available at said attachment point not utilized for QoS service;
• a wireless transmitter module for transmitting signals over the air;
• an indicator of resource fraction signal transmission control module for controlling transmission of a signal conveying said generated indicator over the air;
• wherein the communications resources are for communicating traffic data;
• and
• wherein at least some communications resources are used at the attachment point to provide bandwidth for QoS service and at least some communications resources are used to provide bandwidth for best effort service.

A base station comprising:

• indicator of resource fraction generation means for generating an indicator for an individual attachment point included in said base station, said indicator indicating a fraction of communications resources available at said attachment point not utilized for QoS service;
• wireless transmitter means for transmitting signals over the air;
• indicator of resource fraction signal transmission control means for controlling transmission of a signal conveying said generated indicator over the air;
• wherein the communications resources are for communicating traffic data;
• and
• wherein at least some communications resources are used at the attachment point to provide bandwidth for QoS service and at least some communications resources are used to provide bandwidth for best effort service.

A computer program product, comprising:

• non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
• code for causing a computer to generate an indicator for an individual attachment point included in said base station, said indicator indicating a fraction of communications resources available at said attachment point not utilized for QoS service;
• code for causing a computer to transmit a signal conveying said generated indicator over the air;
• wherein the communications resources are for communicating traffic data;
• and
• wherein at least some communications resources are used at the attachment point to provide bandwidth for QoS service and at least some communications resources are used to provide bandwidth for best effort service.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• generate an indicator for an individual attachment point included in said base station, said indicator indicating a fraction of communications resources available at said attachment point not utilized for QoS service;
• transmit a signal conveying said generated indicator over the air;
• wherein the communications resources are for communicating traffic data;
• and
• wherein at least some communications resources are used at the attachment point to provide bandwidth for QoS service and at least some communications resources are used to provide bandwidth for best effort service.