Abstract: Methods and systems disclosed herein can help to dynamically adjust the degree of or enable/disable concatenation of page messages, depending upon whether a user equipment is operating as a single radio LTE (SRLTE) device. An exemplary method involves a radio access network: (i) determining that a UE is configured to use a single radio system for both (a) data communication under a first air interface protocol, and (b) voice calls under a second air interface protocol that is different from the first air interface protocol, (ii) based at least in part on the determination, selecting a page-concatenation level to be used to page the first UE, and (iii) transmitting at least on page message to the UE according to the selected page-concatenation level.

Abstract: An interference level is determined in an uplink portion of a wireless communication link between a wireless device and an access node. A traffic class of data is identified in a first portion of the uplink portion, and resource blocks in a second portion of the uplink portion are selected based on the determined interference level and the identified traffic class. The wireless device is sent an allocation of the selected resource blocks in the second portion of the uplink portion, and control channel information is received from the wireless device in the uplink portion in the selected resource blocks.

Abstract: An exemplary method involves a user equipment (UE) receiving a communication-origination request to initiate a communication with a given counterpart. In response, the UE: (a) uses historical communication data for one or more previous communications as a basis for evaluating whether the UE is likely to be assigned a particular codec, from a plurality of possible codecs, for communication with the given counterpart; (b) based on results of the evaluation, determines a respective setting for each of one or more access parameters affecting a likelihood of successfully establishing the communication with the given counterpart; and (c) performs the communication-origination process according to the determined settings for the one or more access parameters, to initiate the requested communication with the given counterpart.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for reducing a maximum allowable transmit power of a wireless device. Instructions to reduce a maximum transmit power of wireless devices operating at a carrier band edge of a band channel maybe received at an access node. Power headroom reports may be collected from the wireless devices. The wireless devices may be classified based on the collected power headroom reports. Power reduction may be imposed on wireless devices classified as low power wireless devices and wireless devices classified as high power wireless devices may be handed off to a neighboring band channel.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system that may help control when a network will request (and receive) a remaining battery energy level report from a UE. Per the disclosure, a network that has an established radio-link-layer connection with the UE could track an amount of time in which the UE operates in a radio-link-layer connected mode. The network could then determine whether the amount of time in which the UE has operated in the radio-link-layer connected mode has exceeded a predetermined threshold amount of time. And responsive to determining that the amount of time in which the UE has operated in the radio-link-layer connected mode has exceeded the threshold amount of time, the network could cause the UE to report to the network the remaining battery energy level of the UE.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that can help to select an enhancement mode for uplink coordinated multipoint (CoMP). An exemplary method involves: 9a) determining, from a plurality of possible communication types, a communication type of a communication associated with a first user equipment (UE), wherein the first UE is capable of uplink CoMP communication via an access network; (b) based at least in part on the determined communication type, selecting either a battery-saving mode or a throughput-enhancement mode as an uplink CoMP enhancement mode for the first UE; and (c) providing uplink CoMP service to the first UE according to the selected mode.

Abstract: One or more packets to be transmitted to or from a user equipment (UE) device are determined to have a particular packet length, e.g., based on a vocoder to be used for a voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) call. An initial modulation and coding scheme (MCS) is selected for transmission of the packets based on channel conditions. The initial MCS is replaced by an alternative MCS having a lower efficiency than the initial MCS in response to a determination that the alternative MCS would require the same number of resource blocks to transmit a packet having the particular packet length as the initial MCS. One or more resource blocks are allocated for transmission of the one or more packets having the particular packet length using the alternative MCS. Indications of the allocated one or more resource blocks and the alternative MCS are transmitted to the UE.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for selecting a target base station for handover of a wireless communication device, where the selecting is based at least in part on a consideration of the target base station's typical control-plane signaling latency in a core network, and particularly based on a comparison of control-plane signaling duration of multiple candidate target base stations. For instance, where all of the base stations are configured to engage in a particular control-plane signaling transaction from time to time, at issue could be which of the candidate target base stations typically engages in that control-plane signaling transaction the quickest.

Abstract: In a wireless system in which a base station provides a time division duplex (TDD) air interface having a TDD frame configuration, a method and system for controlling whether a user equipment device (UE) operates in a first mode in which the UE sets up and engages in voice call communication via the base station or rather operates in a second mode in which the UE tunes away from the base station to set up and engage in voice call communication via another base station, such as under a different air interface protocol. The method involves determining whether traffic demand for the air interface exceeds a threshold level, and if so, causing the UE to operate in the second mode rather than in the first mode. Further, the method involves setting the threshold level based on the TDD frame configuration of the air interface.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for managing allocation of air interface resources to a relay user equipment device (relay-UE) that provides wireless backhaul connectivity for a relay base station (relay-BS). In particular, a base station may serve the relay-UE and may make a determination that the relay-UE is positioned within an indoor environment rather than within an outdoor environment. While serving the relay-UE, the base station may manage allocation of air interface resources to the relay-UE and may do so based at least on the determination that the relay-UE is positioned within an indoor environment rather than within an outdoor environment.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for allocating resources from an access node in a wireless network. Power reports may be received from multiple wireless devices at the access node. Based on the received power reports, the access node may classify each wireless device of the multiple wireless devices as a high power wireless device or a low power wireless device. An offset scheduling factor may be selected for wireless devices classified as high power wireless devices at the access node. Resources can be allocated for high power wireless devices using the selected offset scheduling factor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for selection of a coordinated multipoint (CoMP) mode for a relay base station, based on traffic load being experienced between the relay WCD and donor base station that provide the relay tunnel used by the relay base station for backhaul communication. An exemplary method involves the relay base station: (i) determining a load indication for a communication link between a relay wireless communication device (WCD) and a donor base station, (ii) using the load indication for the communication interface between the relay WCD and the donor base station as a basis for selecting a CoMP mode from a plurality of available CoMP modes; and (iii) providing wireless service in at least one coverage area according to the selected CoMP mode.

Abstract: A method and system for a base station to manage air interface communications with a wireless client device (WCD) served by the base station, taking into account whether the WCD is a relay-WCD that provides wireless backhaul connectivity for a relay base station. The base station will determine whether the served WCD is a relay-WCD, and based on a determination that the served WCD is a relay-WCD, the base station will responsively invoke a process to help expedite air interface communications with the served WCD, in an effort to reduce the total delay resulting from the wireless relay arrangement. In particular, based on the served WCD being a relay-WCD, and perhaps based on the relay-WCD facilitating a threshold extent of delay-sensitive communication, the base station will invoke transmission time interval (TTI) bundling, to help expedite the air interface communications between the base station and the relay-WCD.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for segregating user equipment devices (UEs) among carriers to help facilitate operation in lean-carrier mode in which a base station (BS) engages in a reduced extent of reference signaling on a particular carrier. In practice, the BS may operate in the lean-carrier mode when bearer data is not being communicated on the particular carrier. Given this arrangement, the BS may identify one or more UEs, of a plurality of UEs served by the BS, based on each UE communicating bearer data less frequently than a threshold frequency of bearer data communication. And the BS may serve just the identified UEs on the particular carrier, thereby increasing a probability of the BS operating in the lean-carrier mode.

Abstract: A method and system for scanning for target coverage in order of signal strength threshold. In a wireless communication system that defines a plurality of wireless coverage areas, a user equipment device (UE) may seek to select one of the coverage areas in which to operate. Each coverage area may have a respective downlink receive signal strength threshold (DSST) defining a minimum downlink receive signal strength for triggering UE selection of the coverage area. While operating in the wireless communication system, the UE may be arranged to rank-order the coverage areas in order of their respective DSSTs so as to define a sequence of the coverage areas. The UE may be arranged to then scan the coverage areas in order of the defined sequence, in search of a coverage area to select to operate in.

Abstract: A method and system to manage coordinated transmission of data in a wireless communication system. When a serving base station receives data of a particular class for transmission to a user equipment device (UE), the serving base station transmits the received data to the UE and sends a proper subset of the received data to a neighboring base station for the neighboring base station to also transmit to the UE optimally concurrently with the serving base station's transmission of the proper subset. To help comply with a policy in place at the neighboring base station, the serving base station decides how much of the received data to send to the neighboring base station as the proper subset by (i) determining what scheduling weight the neighboring base station is set to apply for data of the particular class and (ii) applying that determined scheduling weight to the received data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for dynamically adjusting modulation and encoding scheme (MCS) and transport block size (TBS) used for downlink transmissions from a base station (BS) to a user equipment device (UE) based on a frequency of retransmission requests from the UE. The BS may identify the UE as belonging to a first class of UEs designated as being capable of receiving data at a first data rate that is higher than a second data rate designated for UEs of a second class, for the same downlink channel quality reported by the UE. Based on the identification, the BS may select a MCS and TBS for the UE corresponding to the first data rate. Upon receiving more than a threshold number of retransmission requests from the UE, the BS may switch to using the second, lower data rate. The first and second classes could correspond to later and earlier technology generations, for example.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for providing system-acquisition parameters on standardized frequencies. One embodiment takes the form of a method for assisting mobile devices with system acquisition. The method includes, in each of two or more wireless coverage areas, broadcasting from a radio access network (RAN) on each of one or more predefined frequencies one or more sets of one or more system-acquisition parameters. The method also includes configuring one or more mobile devices with logic executable for, in response to detecting a triggering event, retrieving at least one of the sets of system-acquisition parameters on at least one of the predefined frequencies, and then using at least one retrieved set of system-acquisition parameters to attempt to acquire system connectivity.

Abstract: Coordinated multipoint (CoMP) can improve uplink service in cellular networks. However, uplink CoMP can also burden an access network, such as by increasing processing loads at base stations and/or increasing traffic on backhaul links between base stations. Accordingly, exemplary methods and systems help to dynamically select an uplink CoMP mode for a user equipment (UE) based on various factors, such as whether the UE is located at a border cell, whether or not carrier aggregation is being utilized for downlink communications with the UE, and/or whether or not the UE is a heavy data user, among other possible factors.

Abstract: In an example method, a base station determines that a UE is CSFB capable and that the base station is currently serving a relay on a first carrier of a plurality of carriers. The base station provides a coverage area on which to serve UEs, and the coverage area operates on the plurality of carriers. Based on at least the determining that the UE is CSFB capable and that the base station is currently serving the relay on the first carrier, the base station assigns the UE to operate on a carrier of the plurality of carriers other than the first carrier rather than having the UE operate on the first carrier on which the base station is currently serving the relay.