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The invention relates to a radio communication system in which secondary stations (110) can request services from a primary station (100) using a random access channel employing a time division multiple access protocol, An access request comprises an access packet (200) having a predetermined maximu

The invention relates to a radio communication system in which secondary stations (110) can request services from a primary station (100) using a random access channel employing a time division multiple access protocol, An access request comprises an access packet (200) having a predetermined maximum data capacity. If a secondary station requires to transmit an access request including more payload data (202,206) than can be accommodated in a single access packet the data is subdivided into a plurality of parts each of which is transmitted in a separate access packet. The primary station combines the data from the plurality of access packets (200) forming the access request, and issues an acknowledgement to the secondary station.

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1. A method of operating a radio communication system having a first random access channel, comprising: determining that a mobile station needs to communicate with a base station; determining an amount of payload data that is required to be communicated to the base station in an initial access requ

1. A method of operating a radio communication system having a first random access channel, comprising: determining that a mobile station needs to communicate with a base station; determining an amount of payload data that is required to be communicated to the base station in an initial access request, the access request comprising one or more access packets and configured to initiate access by the mobile station to the base station; determining a number of access packets required to communicate the amount of payload data in the access request based on the amount of payload data and a predetermined maximum length of the access packets; generating the number of access packets; selecting at least one spreading code and encoding the access packets with the at least one spreading code; transmitting the encoded access packets on the first random access channel; and determining whether an acknowledgement has been received from the base station within a predetermined time period, the acknowledgement indicating that the access packets have been successfully received by the base station; wherein if the number of access packets in the access request is greater than one, including indicia in at least one of the access packets to indicate to the base station that the access request comprises a plurality of access packets; and wherein the access packets are transmitted in a predetermined timing relationship with respect to each other, at least one of the access packets containing integrity check data, and each access packet comprises a first data section, a mid-amble section, and second data section. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein each access packet is encoded with the same spreading code. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one spreading code is randomly selected from a set of predetermined spreading codes. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein each access packet is encoded with a different spreading code. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement is a single packet indicating that all the access packets, which include the payload data transmitted, have been received successfully by the base station. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined timing relationship requires that the access packets be transmitted in successive time slots. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined timing relationship requires that the access packets be transmitted with a predetermined number of time slots between each access packet. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the access packets are transmitted simultaneously, each access packet having been spread with a different spreading code. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mid-amble is configured such that the base station is enabled to jointly detect the access packets that have been transmitted simultaneously, each access packet having been spread with a different spreading code. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mid-amble is configured to enable the base station to obtain an accurate channel estimation, such that the payload contained in the first data section and the second data section of each access packet can be received without errors. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: retransmitting the access packets if the acknowledgement is not received within the predetermined time period. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling information is included in only one of the number of access packets, the signaling information indicating whether the access request comprises a single access packet or a plurality of access packets. 13. A mobile station for use in a radio communication system having a random access channel, comprising: means for determining that the mobile station needs to communicate with a base station; means for determining an amount of payload data that is required to be communicated to the base station in an initial access request, the access request comprising one or more access packets and configured to enable access by the mobile station to the base station; means for determining a number of access packets required to communicate the amount of payload data in the access request based on the amount of payload data and a predetermined maximum length of the access packets; means for generating the number of access packets; means for selecting at least one spreading code and encoding the access packets with the at least one spreading code; means for transmitting the encoded access packets on the first random access channel; and means for determining whether an acknowledgement has been received from the base station within a predetermined time period, the acknowledgement indicating that the access packets have been successfully received by the base station; wherein the means for generating the access packets includes means for including indicia in at least one of the access packets to indicate to the base station that the access request comprises a plurality of access packets, if the number of access packets is greater than one; and wherein the access packets are transmitted in a predetermined timing relationship with respect to each other, at least one of the access packets containing integrity check data, and each access packet comprises a first data section, a mid-amble section, and second data section. 14. The mobile station of claim 13, further comprising means for transmitting the access packets if the acknowledgement is not received with the predetermined time period. 15. The mobile station of claim 13, wherein the means for selecting at least one spreading code comprises means for randomly selecting the at least one spreading code from a predetermined set of spreading codes. 16. The mobile station of claim 14, further comprising means for transmitting the access packets in successive time slots. 17. The mobile station of claim 14, further comprising means for transmitting the access packets with a predetermined number of time slots between each access packet. 18. The mobile station of claim 14, further comprising means for including a data integrity check in only one of the number of access packets.