Abstract: An embodiment wireless communication system includes a base station and a software defined network (SDN)-enabled switch/router configured to communicate data packets with the base station. The wireless communication system also includes a computing platform running at least one virtual device and that is configured to communicate with the SDN-enabled switch/router and to provide software to configure operation of the SDN-enabled switch/router.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to technology for a local control point in a communication system. The local control point may be an enterprise gateway configured as a gateway between radio access nodes and a core network that provides wireless communication for wireless devices that connect to the radio access nodes. The enterprise gateway may be connected to radio access nodes in a venue such as a retail shopping center, workplace, sports arena, public street, etc. The enterprise gateway may perform traffic flow management with respect to the local traffic in the venue. The enterprise gateway can make better decisions for traffic flow at the venue than a centralized point, such as a core network.

Abstract: A scheduler capable of operating in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing communication system schedules a control channel for a user equipment by determining a channel quality metric associated with the user equipment, calculating a target control channel element quality metric, determining a control channel element utilization rate, wherein the control channel element utilization rate a past rate of utilization of control channel elements, and selecting a control channel element aggregation level for the control channel based on the channel quality metric, the target control channel element quality metric, and the control channel element utilization rate. The scheduler then allocates control channel elements to the control channel based on the selected control channel element aggregation level. The scheduler further may steal power from one or more unused control channel elements and assign the stolen power to control channel elements assigned to the control channel.

Abstract: A described embodiment includes a method for managing operational components on wireless base station including providing a base station. The base station includes a software defined network (SDN) configured to support at least one virtual machine. A computing platform is provided that is in communication with the base station. The computing platform includes at least one virtual machine management unit. The virtual machine management unit configures the at least one virtual machine on the base station to perform at least one function of a base station.

Abstract: A described embodiment includes a method for managing operational components on wireless base station including providing a base station. The base station includes a software defined network (SDN) configured to support at least one virtual machine. A computing platform is provided that is in communication with the base station. The computing platform includes at least one virtual machine management unit. The virtual machine management unit configures the at least one virtual machine on the base station to perform at least one function of a base station.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to technology for a local control point in a communication system. The local control point may be an enterprise gateway configured as a gateway between radio access nodes and a core network that provides wireless communication for wireless devices that connect to the radio access nodes. The enterprise gateway may be connected to radio access nodes in a venue such as a retail shopping center, workplace, sports arena, public street, etc. The enterprise gateway may perform traffic flow management with respect to the local traffic in the venue. The enterprise gateway can make better decisions for traffic flow at the venue than a centralized point, such as a core network.

Abstract: An embodiment wireless communication system includes a base station and a software defined network (SDN)-enabled switch/router configured to communicate data packets with the base station. The wireless communication system also includes a computing platform running at least one virtual device and that is configured to communicate with the SDN-enabled switch/router and to provide software to configure operation of the SDN-enabled switch/router.

Abstract: A network element including a relay station disposed outside a structure, wherein the relay station is configured to convert a radio frequency signal received from a base station into baseband signals and to frame the baseband signals into data packets, and a transceiver disposed outside the structure and operably coupled to the relay station, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the data packets from the relay station and to transmit the data packets over copper wire pairs to a second transceiver disposed within the structure and coupled to an indoor radio station so that the indoor radio station is able to convert the data packets back into the radio frequency signal and transmit the radio frequency signal to a user equipment within the structure.

Abstract: Embodiments include methods and apparatus for granting scheduling requests in a wireless communications system that includes an eNB, a plurality of UEs, and a public safety system. The eNB receives multiple scheduling requests from multiple UEs, where each of the scheduling requests indicates that a corresponding UE is requesting uplink data transmission resources. The eNB determines a priority value for each of the scheduling requests based on multiple scoring criteria, resulting in a plurality of priority values associated with the scheduling requests. The eNB transmits one or more scheduling request grants to a subset of the UEs, where the subset includes one or more UEs that are associated with one or more scheduling requests having relatively high priority values. In an embodiment, the multiple scoring criteria include information associated with a public safety activity (e.g., a user role, a jurisdictional coverage area, an incident type, and/or an application type).

Abstract: A MIMO base station is provided that includes a multi-channel transmitter having an input Fourier Transform Matrix (FTM) and an output FTM that are each coupled to an intervening signal processing section having multiple radio frequency (RF) amplifiers. A signal applied to an input port of the input FTM is distributed to all RF amplifiers of the transmitter by the input FTM and then is recombined by the output FTM such that the signal is routed to a single antenna of the multiple antennas of an antenna array. Thus, for both MIMO and non-MIMO transmissions, all RF amplifiers are used to amplify each input signal, but the non-MIMO transmission signal then is recombined such that only a single transmit antenna then is used to transmit the signal. The base station further provides antenna selection for a single antenna transmission and gain allocation among the multiple antennas for a MIMO transmission.

Abstract: In an OFDM communication system, a mobile station provides a radio access network (RAN) a channel quality metric second order statistic, in one embodiment a signal to noise plus interference power ratio (SINR) second order statistic and in particular an SINR standard deviation and/or variance, along with a mean channel quality metric, that is, a mean SINR. By providing both a mean channel quality metric and a channel quality metric second order statistic, the communication system permits the RAN to create a more accurate fading profile of an associated air interface, and in particular a downlink of the air interface, thereby facilitating an improved scheduling decision over the prior art and assuring that a packet has a higher probability to go through a downlink channel without too many retransmissions.

Abstract: Embodiments include methods and apparatus for granting scheduling requests in a wireless communications system that includes an eNB, a plurality of UEs, and a public safety system. The eNB receives multiple scheduling requests from multiple UEs, where each of the scheduling requests indicates that a corresponding UE is requesting uplink data transmission resources. The eNB determines a priority value for each of the scheduling requests based on multiple scoring criteria, resulting in a plurality of priority values associated with the scheduling requests. The eNB transmits one or more scheduling request grants to a subset of the UEs, where the subset includes one or more UEs that are associated with one or more scheduling requests having relatively high priority values. In an embodiment, the multiple scoring criteria include information associated with a public safety activity (e.g., a user role, a jurisdictional coverage area, an incident type, and/or an application type).

Abstract: A wireless communication system that provides periodic channel quality feedback adjusts a channel condition reporting period for a subscriber station based on the multiple channel condition information reports, such as CQI messages, received from the subscriber station.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for uplink power alignment estimation in a communication system includes a step 600 of defining an upper threshold and a lower threshold for a transmit power correction (TPC) level. A next step 602 includes keeping a total of accumulated TPC commands. A next step 604 includes determining that a power correction is needed. A next step 608 includes generating a TPC command to be sent to a user equipment per the needed power correction. A next step 610 includes adjusting the total according to one of the following conditions: if the total is between the upper and lower thresholds then the total is changed per the needed power correction, if the total is at either of the thresholds and the needed power correction would not exceed either of the thresholds then the total is changed per the needed power correction, and if the total is at either of the thresholds and the needed power correction would exceed either of the thresholds then total is kept the same.

Abstract: A scheduler capable of operating in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing communication system schedules a control channel for a user equipment by determining a channel quality metric associated with the user equipment, calculating a target control channel element quality metric, determining a control channel element utilization rate, wherein the control channel element utilization rate a past rate of utilization of control channel elements, and selecting a control channel element aggregation level for the control channel based on the channel quality metric, the target control channel element quality metric, and the control channel element utilization rate. The scheduler then allocates control channel elements to the control channel based on the selected control channel element aggregation level. The scheduler further may steal power from one or more unused control channel elements and assign the stolen power to control channel elements assigned to the control channel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for uplink power alignment estimation in a communication system includes a step 600 of defining an upper threshold and a lower threshold for a transmit power correction (TPC) level. A next step 602 includes keeping a total of accumulated TPC commands. A next step 604 includes determining that a power correction is needed. A next step 608 includes generating a TPC command to be sent to a user equipment per the needed power correction. A next step 610 includes adjusting the total according to one of the following conditions: if the total is between the upper and lower thresholds then the total is changed per the needed power correction, if the total is at either of the thresholds and the needed power correction would not exceed either of the thresholds then the total is changed per the needed power correction, and if the total is at either of the thresholds and the needed power correction would exceed either of the thresholds then total is kept the same.

Abstract: An apparatus amplifies RF signals in a communication system by using a first directional coupler having at least two inputs and at least two outputs; at least two RF amplifiers, where an input of each RF amplifier is connected to a different one of the at least two outputs of the first directional coupler; and a second directional coupler having at least two inputs and at least two outputs, where each one of the at least two inputs is connected to an output of a different one of the at least two RF amplifiers. The at least two outputs of the second directional coupler are connected to at least two antennas, respectively.

Abstract: A method, information processing system, and base station for reshaping power profiles in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) symbols. The method includes monitoring a scheduler (116) at a base station (110) for a modulation and coding scheme selection. Determining that the scheduler (116) selected a modulation and coding scheme. Identifying at least one information element (220) within the symbol. Determining, in response to the identifying, a channel connection (210) associated with the at least one information element (220). Determining a channel condition associated with the channel connection (210). Reshaping a power profile associated with the one information element (220). The reshaping decreases power made available to the channel connection (210).

Abstract: A MIMO base station is provided that includes a multi-channel transmitter having an input Fourier Transform Matrix (FTM) and an output FTM that are each coupled to an intervening signal processing section having multiple radio frequency (RF) amplifiers. A signal applied to an input port of the input FTM is distributed to all RF amplifiers of the transmitter by the input FTM and then is recombined by the output FTM such that the signal is routed to a single antenna of the multiple antennas of an antenna array. Thus, for both MIMO and non-MIMO transmissions, all RF amplifiers are used to amplify each input signal, but the non-MIMO transmission signal then is recombined such that only a single transmit antenna then is used to transmit the signal. The base station further provides antenna selection for a single antenna transmission and gain allocation among the multiple antennas for a MIMO transmission.

Abstract: In an OFDM communication system, a mobile station provides a radio access network (RAN) a channel quality metric second order statistic, in one embodiment a signal to noise plus interference power ratio (SINR) second order statistic and in particular an SINR standard deviation and/or variance, along with a mean channel quality metric, that is, a mean SINR. By providing both a mean channel quality metric and a channel quality metric second order statistic, the communication system permits the RAN to create a more accurate fading profile of an associated air interface, and in particular a downlink of the air interface, thereby facilitating an improved scheduling decision over the prior art and assuring that a packet has a higher probability to go through a downlink channel without too many retransmissions.