Abstract: A radio access network (RAN) receives a request to route a call from a caller to a mobile station, assigns a wireless traffic channel to the mobile station for the call, and detects a no-answer condition for the call (because a user of the mobile station does not answer the call within a predetermined time period or has chosen to ignore the call). In response to the no-answer condition, the RAN redirects the call to a voice mail system and keeps the wireless traffic channel assigned to the mobile station while the caller interacts with the voice mail system. The RAN determines that the caller has left a voice mail message on the voice mail system and transmits an indication of the voice mail message to the mobile station over the wireless traffic channel.

Abstract: Disclosed in this document is an improved mechanism for notifying mobile stations that they should not seek to initiate a communication in a given wireless coverage area. The solution is to use a specially designated PN-offset as the indicator that a problem situation exists in the coverage area and that a mobile station should not seek to initiate communication in the coverage area. When a RAN detects a problem condition in a coverage area, the RAN changes the PN-offset of the coverage area to be a reserved PN-offset, and mobile stations are programmed to not seek service on any reserved PN-offset. Advantageously, the process helps stop mobile stations from operating in a problem coverage area without requiring the mobile stations to first lock onto the PN-offset of the coverage area and to then receive some sort of overhead message directing the mobile stations to not operate in the coverage area.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for sending and/or acknowledging an access probe in a radio access network. In one aspect, a method for transmitting an access probe to a radio access network, wherein time slots available to receive communications from the radio access network are defined in control-channel periods, wherein each control-channel period comprises one or more control-channel cycles, is disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for selectively releasing air interface traffic channels in a wireless coverage area, based on a delta between the signal quality of a traffic channel assigned to a wireless communication device and the aggregate signal quality of all the traffic channels assigned to the wireless communication device.

Abstract: A wireless communication link (a forward link or a reverse link) between a base station and a mobile station may be power-controlled to reduce a difference between an observed error rate in communications received over the link and a target error rate. The target error rate may be dependent upon the radio frequency (RF) conditions at the mobile station, which may be determined by measuring a signal strength of a pilot signal transmitted by the base station. Thus, a pilot signal strength at the mobile station may be determined, a target error rate may be selected based on the pilot signal strength, and the target error rate may be used to control a transmit power level of the wireless communication link. A mobile station may power-control a forward link and/or a base station may power-control a reverse link using a target error rate selected in this way.

Abstract: Exemplary methods and systems are disclosed that may help a mobile station to conserve power by reducing the number of active sectors being scanned in certain scenarios. An exemplary method involves a mobile station (a) initially operating in a first scanning mode, wherein operation in the first scanning mode comprises the mobile station scanning all sectors in an active set comprising a plurality of sectors; (b) determining signal strength of each sector in the active set; (c) selecting, from the active set, one or more transparent sectors having the lowest signal strengths relative to the other sectors in the active set; and (d) operating in a second scanning mode, wherein operation in the second scanning mode comprises the mobile station scanning a subset of the sectors in the active set, wherein the subset excludes the one or more transparent sectors.

Abstract: An access terminal may be requesting from an access network data in a first coverage area at a first data rate, which is determined based on at least one signal condition of the first coverage area. The access terminal may then decide to switch from requesting data in a first coverage area to requesting data in a second coverage area. In response, the access terminal may (a) request data in the first coverage area at an increased second data rate and (b) send to the access network a notification of the decision to switch from requesting data in a first coverage area to requesting data in a second coverage area. After sending the notification, the access terminal may request data in the second coverage area at a third data rate, which is determined based on at least one signal condition of the second coverage area.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for increasing and decreasing a power level of a forward-link overhead channel. In an embodiment, a BTS (i) receives from at least one mobile station an increase request, each increase request requesting that the BTS increase a power level of a forward-link overhead channel, (ii) makes a first determination that at least a first threshold number of mobile stations have sent an increase request within a first request window, wherein the first request window is a period of time, and (iii) in response to making the first determination, increases the power level of the forward-link overhead channel.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for using femtocells to address macro-network backhaul congestion. In an embodiment, a macro base transceiver station (BTS) that has a backhaul connection to a radio network controller (RNC) detects that a current utilization of the backhaul exceeds a backhaul-congestion threshold, and responsively identifies one or more sector-carriers having a respective current air-interface utilization that is less than a respective sector-carrier-congestion threshold for the respective sector-carrier. The macro BTS further identifies one or more femtocells that are positioned in the coverage area of the one or more identified sector-carriers, and offloads some reverse-link traffic to each identified femtocell over the forward link of an identified sector-carrier in whose coverage area the respective identified femtocell is positioned, for forwarding of the offloaded traffic by the one or more identified femtocells over a packet-data network to an intended destination.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for dynamically varying the amount of time a hybrid access terminal operates on a first air interface protocol between instances of temporarily switching over to scan a second air interface protocol for broadcast information such as network operational parameters or page messages. The hybrid access terminal dynamically sets a minimum interval of operation on the first air interface protocol based on how long the access terminal has tended to be temporarily switched away to scan for broadcast information on the second air interface protocol. For example, as the switch-away time increases, the access terminal may increase the interval on the first air interface protocol, and as the switch-away time decreases, the access terminal may decrease the interval on the first air interface protocol.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for adjusting a forward-link power-control step size. An initial active set of coverage areas for a mobile station is maintained within which a first coverage area in the initial active set has a signal strength that is stronger than that of each of the other coverage areas in the initial active set. The first coverage area is determined to have dropped from the initial active set, resulting in a modified active set. In response, a signal-strength factor is calculated based on (a) a last non-zero signal-strength measurement of the first coverage area and (b) a second value. One or more forward-link power-control step sizes is selected based on at least the calculated factor. The one or more selected step sizes is used to increase the forward-link transmission power of at least one coverage area in the modified active set.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for using packet-transport metrics for call-admission control. In an embodiment, a base station provides packet-data service to mobile stations, which comprises (a) providing wireless service over an air interface in a wireless coverage area and (b) providing transport service over a packet-data network. The base station measures, over at least the packet-data network, each packet-transport metric in a set of one or more packet-transport metrics. The base station conducts call-admission control in the wireless coverage area based at least in part on the one or more measured packet-transport metrics.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided causing a mobile station to, after experiencing a dropped call, originate a subsequent call via a coverage area different than that used for the first call. In an embodiment, a mobile station detects that, when it was engaged in the first call at a first location via a first wireless coverage area, the mobile station experienced the first call being dropped. When the mobile station subsequently attempts to originate a second call, the mobile station determines that its current location is within a threshold distance of the first location, and responsively attempts to originate the second call via a second wireless coverage area different from the first.

Abstract: Methods and systems for adaptive hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) protocols are disclosed. The protocols preferably adapt to changing network conditions between a client node and an access node by omitting the transmission of certain messages when network conditions are determined to be favorable. In doing so, packets are processed faster, thus reducing communication latency as well as the memory requirements of the protocols. One scenario in which the protocols may operate is where the client node is a wireless communication device coupled to the access node via a wireless network. In such a scenario, the access node may, from time to time, measure a quality of the wireless air interface between the client node and the access node, and determine whether to transmit an acknowledgement message based on the outcome of the measurement as compared to a threshold value.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for planning a service-provider network. The service-provider network includes a macro network and a number of low-cost internet base stations (LCIBs), where the macro network includes a number of macro base transceiver stations (BTSs). One or more LCIBs are selected. The selected LCIBs are instructed to operate in an unrestricted mode and then operate in the unrestricted mode for an evaluation period. After the evaluation period ends, an off-loaded-traffic amount is determined for at least a portion of the macro network for the evaluation period. The off-loaded-traffic amount is then associated with the one or more selected LCIBs. Then, the service-provider network is planned based on the off-loaded-traffic amount.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and device for managing handoff of an access terminal in a radio access network (RAN). An access terminal may detect a handoff trigger, determine whether there is an ongoing data transfer in progress, determine an amount remaining in the data transfer, compare the amount remaining to a threshold amount, and delay or cancel the handoff if the amount remaining is below the threshold amount. Additionally, the access terminal may consider signal strength of the current (source) coverage area in determining whether to delay or cancel the handoff.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that support the aggregation of acknowledgement messages and control messages. Advantageously, acknowledgement and negative acknowledgement indications for multiple client nodes are combined into a single aggregated message which is broadcast or multicast to the multiple client nodes. Based on unique identifiers assigned to each client node, client nodes are grouped such that the aggregated acknowledgement messages can be efficiently encoded to conserve both network capacity when they are transmitted, as well as processing capacity when they are parsed by the client nodes. If code division multiple access (CDMA) technology is used, the aggregated acknowledgment message can be transmitted without CDMA spreading to effectively broadcast or multicast it to multiple client nodes. A similar technique can be employed for the efficient broadcast or multicast of aggregated control messages.