Abstract: This disclosure relates to performing uplink cellular communication in unlicensed frequency bands using Wi-Fi preamble information. A wireless device may receive downlink control information from a cellular base station. The downlink control information may indicate an uplink transmit opportunity for licensed assisted access communication for the wireless device. A length of the uplink transmit opportunity may be determined. Licensed assisted access uplink communication may be performed during the uplink transmit opportunity. A Wi-Fi physical layer preamble may be transmitted as part of the licensed assisted access uplink communication. A type of the Wi-Fi physical layer preamble may depend at least in part on the length of the uplink transmit opportunity.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to application dependent channel condition assessment mode selection for reduced power consumption in cellular communications. In one embodiment, a channel condition assessment mode may be selected for assessing a wireless communication channel used for a cellular link. The channel condition assessment mode may be selected from at least two channel condition assessment modes, and may be selected at least in part based on application characteristics of an application using the cellular link. Channel condition assessment may be performed according to the selected channel condition assessment mode. Channel condition assessment results obtained from the channel condition assessment may be transmitted to a cellular base station via the cellular link.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for performing delayed hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) communications in the downlink (DL) to reduce power consumption for a user equipment (UE) during a connected mode discontinuous reception (C-DRX) cycle. An enhanced NodeB can be configured to monitor a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for DL HARQ information to determine when the PUCCH contains a negative acknowledgement (NACK) message, and in response to determining that the PUCCH contains a NACK message, the eNodeB can wait until a next C-DRX ON duration to transmit a HARQ DL retransmission. The eNodeB can also determine whether or not to bundle the HARQ DL retransmission in consecutive transmission time intervals, based on a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) associated with the UE.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to optimizing power consumption for cellular communication based on transport block size in combination with channel condition measurements via power amplifier biasing. According to one embodiment, an indication of a transport block size to be used for uplink communication with a base station may be received. It may be determined that the transport block size provides more robust communication characteristics than required for current channel conditions. A power amplifier (PA) bias current for uplink communication with the cellular base station may be selected based at least in part on determining that the transport block size provides more robust communication characteristics than required for the current channel conditions. In particular, PA bias current selection may be biased to reduce power consumption at a cost of greater non-linearity based on the transport block size providing more robust communication characteristics than required for the current channel conditions.

Abstract: A wireless communication device (UE) includes a cellular processor configured to conduct wireless communications according to a first radio access technology (RAT) in a first frequency band and in a second frequency band, wherein the first RAT is a cellular RAT, the first frequency band is in an unlicensed spectrum, and the second frequency band is in a licensed spectrum. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a wireless local area network (WLAN) processor configured to conduct wireless communications according to a second RAT in the first frequency band. In some embodiments, the cellular processor and the WLAN processor are configured to couple to a common antenna for communications in the first frequency band. In some embodiments, the cellular processor may notify the WLAN processor when it is scanning and/or when it is assigned secondary component carriers in the first frequency band. In some embodiments, the WLAN processor may notify the cellular processor when it is transmitting.

Abstract: A wireless communication system is presented for robust mobility management in a HetNet communication system. A source cell can prepare a macro cell and a target small cell as handover candidates during handover decision making and/or preparation. The mobile device is informed about the prepared macro cell and target small cell using radio resource control (RRC) messaging. After receiving a handover command or detecting radio frequency (RF) loss, the mobile device can try to connect with the target small cell. If the mobile device is unable to connect to the target small cell, the UE can fall back and connect to the macro cell.

Abstract: The disclosure describes procedures for allocating network resources for a mobile device communicating within a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. The mobile device can be configured to decode a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), acquire first and second physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) decode indicators from a payload of the same PDSCH communication, decode a PDCCH for downlink control information (DCI) associated with a first application data type based on the first PDCCH decode indicator a second application data type based on the second PDCCH decode indicator. The first PDCCH decode indicator can identify an upcoming LTE subframe where the mobile device is required to decode the PDCCH for DCI associated VoLTE resource assignments and the second PDCCH decode indicator can identify an upcoming LTE subframe where the mobile device is required to decode the PDCCH for DCI associated with high bandwidth best effort (BE) data resource assignments.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a wireless device such as a user equipment (UE) may communicate with a base station using an advanced form of carrier aggregation. The UE may provide signaling to the network specifying a number P of downlink component carriers to be configured for use by the UE for downlink carrier aggregation and a number Q of uplink component carriers to be configured for use by the UE for uplink carrier aggregation. The UE can only utilize a lesser number M of downlink component carriers at any given time in downlink carrier aggregation and can only utilize a lesser number N of uplink component carriers at any given time in uplink carrier aggregation. Thus the UE may request the network to configure a greater number P and Q of downlink and uplink component carriers, respectively, than the UE can actually use at any instant of time.

Abstract: A user equipment (UE) device may communicate according to a new device category satisfying specified QoS (quality of service) requirements while also satisfying specified link budget requirements, and/or additional optimization requirements. The UE device may communicate with a cellular base station according to a first mode of operation associated with the new device category, and may switch to communicating with the cellular base station according to a second mode of operation associated with a second (pre-existing) device category in response to the link budget requirements exceeding a specified value and the quality of service requirements not being sensitive.

Abstract: A wireless communication system is presented for robust mobility management in a HetNet communication system. A source cell can prepare a macro cell and a target small cell as handover candidates during handover decision making and/or preparation. The mobile device is informed about the prepared macro cell and target small cell using radio resource control (RRC) messaging. After receiving a handover command or detecting radio frequency (RF) loss, the mobile device can try to connect with the target small cell. If the mobile device is unable to connect to the target small cell, the UE can fall back and connect to the macro cell.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for the design and dynamic tuning of antenna circuitry for use across multiple radio frequency bands in wireless communication devices is disclosed herein. An antenna apparatus includes antenna tuning control, antenna tuning circuitry, and a set of one or more physical antennas. The antenna tuning controller includes a combination of baseband and front-end hardware and software. The antenna circuitry collectively includes antenna tuning circuitry and the set of one or more physical antennas. Based on a set of radio frequency bands and on communication channel conditions, the antenna tuning controller determines an optimal antenna tuning configuration and provides appropriate parameters to the antenna tuning circuitry. The antenna apparatus configures and optimizes the tuning of the antenna circuitry for a future time period, which can be a next time slot. The antenna tuning controller utilizes a cost/gain function to calculate the optimal antenna tuning configuration.

Abstract: Systems and methods that enhance radio link performance in a multi-carrier environment. A method may be performed by a UE that includes scanning a plurality of carrier components for a primary cell, determining a first bandwidth of the primary cell, scanning for a secondary cell, determining a second bandwidth of the secondary cell, determining a maximum aggregated bandwidth by combining the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth and when the maximum aggregated bandwidth exceeds a bandwidth capability of the UE, performing a cell selection procedure to select one of the primary cell or the secondary cell based on a higher of the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for performing delayed hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) communications in the downlink (DL) to reduce power consumption for a user equipment (UE) during a connected mode discontinuous reception (C-DRX) cycle. An enhanced NodeB can be configured to monitor a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for DL HARQ information to determine when the PUCCH contains a negative acknowledgement (NACK) message, and in response to determining that the PUCCH contains a NACK message, the eNodeB can wait until a next C-DRX ON duration to transmit a HARQ DL retransmission. The eNodeB can also determine whether or not to bundle the HARQ DL retransmission in consecutive transmission time intervals, based on a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) associated with the UE.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to reducing power consumption for cellular communication based on transport block size in combination with channel condition measurements for applications with certain application characteristics. In one embodiment, a transport block size for use for uplink communication with a base station by a wireless device may be selected. The transport block size may provide more robust communication characteristics than required for current channel conditions. The transport block size may be selected based on application characteristics of an application performing the uplink communication. A transmit power for the wireless device to use for the uplink communication may be selected based on the transport block size providing more robust communication characteristics than required for the current channel conditions.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for performing delayed hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) communications in the downlink (DL) to reduce power consumption for a user equipment (UE) during a connected mode discontinuous reception (C-DRX) cycle. An enhanced NodeB can be configured to monitor a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for DL HARQ information to determine when the PUCCH contains a negative acknowledgement (NACK) message, and in response to determining that the PUCCH contains a NACK message, the eNodeB can wait until a next C-DRX ON duration to transmit a HARQ DL retransmission. The eNodeB can also determine whether or not to bundle the HARQ DL retransmission in consecutive transmission time intervals, based on a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) associated with the UE.

Abstract: A method for determining whether an acknowledgement received by a user equipment from an external device is a forced acknowledgement. The method including transmitting a set of data stored in an uplink buffer to an external device, receiving an acknowledgement from the external device, determining if the acknowledgement received from the external device was a forced acknowledgement and flushing out an uplink buffer if determined that the acknowledgement was not a forced acknowledgement. The determining the acknowledgement is a forced acknowledgment being based on whether an uplink retransmission collides with one or more scheduled transmission times, a Physical Hybrid-ARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH) falls between gap measurements and an uplink retransmission collides with one of the gap measurements or a TTI bundling retransmission collides with a gap measurement. If the acknowledgement is not a forced acknowledgment, a set of data stored in the uplink buffer is retransmitted to the external device.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for dynamically adjusting radio frequency circuitry in a wireless communication device are disclosed. The wireless communication device can receive downlink communication using carrier aggregation through a primary component carrier and a secondary component carrier. When carrier aggregation is not enabled, the wireless communication device adjusts the radio frequency circuitry based on default values. When carrier aggregation is enabled, the wireless communication device evaluates radio frequency conditions for the primary and secondary component carriers and adjusts the radio frequency circuitry based on whether uplink and/or downlink communication is power constrained.

Abstract: The disclosure describes apparatus and methods for including downlink control information (DCI) normally associated with the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) within a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) to reduce power consumption for a user equipment (UE) operating in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio resource control (RRC) connected mode. An enhanced NodeB base station can be configured to generate DCI associated with a future downlink resource assignment or uplink grant for the UE on the PDSCH or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), and then include this DCI within the payload of a current PDSCH communication, such that the PDCCH does not need to be decoded by the UE during a time when DCI for future PDSCH communication is included within a current PDSCH.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to aligning semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) uplink and downlink communications. In one embodiment, a cellular base station may select SPS parameters for a wireless device. The SPS parameters may include a subframe offset, a downlink SPS interval, and an uplink SPS interval. The subframe offset may indicate a subframe at which both an initial downlink subframe and an initial uplink subframe are scheduled. An indication of the SPS parameters may be transmitted to the UE. The wireless device and the cellular base station may perform uplink and downlink communication according to the SPS parameters.

Abstract: The disclosure describes procedures for including downlink control information (DCI) within a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) communication to reduce power consumption for a user equipment (UE) operating in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. A network apparatus can be configured to identify an expected DCI change for the UE, determine whether an LTE subframe location for the DCI change is known, generate either a general or a specific DCI change indicator, and send the corresponding DCI change indicator to the UE on the PDSCH. The specific DCI change indicator can include a bitmap identifying a particular upcoming LTE subframe where the UE is required to decode the PDCCH for DCI, and the general DCI change indicator can include a bit flag identifying a time associated with one or more upcoming LTE subframes when the UE should decode the PDCCH for DCI.