Abstract: A method and apparatus for handing off packet-transmission between sectors of a wireless communication system is disclosed herein. During transmission of a packet from an access network to an access terminal, the access terminal determines that the packet should theoretically be transmitted to the access terminal in fewer timeslots in another sector than the number of allowed timeslots remaining for the packet transmission in a current sector. In response, the access terminal abandons packet transmission in the current sector and hands off to the other sector, in an effort to increase throughput and save air interface resources.

Abstract: A method and mechanism to use a serving evolved Node B, eNB, to force a User Equipment, UE, (being served by that eNB) into Discontinuous Reception, DRX, mode despite pending data transactions at the UE. This results in timely reading of Extended Cell Global Identity, ECGI, of neighboring cell(s), thereby facilitating entry of a target cell into the serving cell's neighbor list via Automatic Neighbor Relation, ANR, and subsequent handover (if needed) to that target cell. The serving eNB may instruct its scheduler to not allocate any Resource Blocks, RBs, to the UE (especially when the UE has high volume of pending data transactions and/or when the UE is in motion and its retransmission rate is beyond a specific threshold) such that the UE automatically goes into the DRX mode. The duration of the DRX cycle also may be optionally extended until ECGI measurements from the UE are received.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for dynamically adjusting a signal-to-noise (SNR) bias based on relative load between a macro type base station and a micro type base station of a wireless communication system. The SNR bias corresponds to a threshold differential SNR between SNRs of the macro base station and of the micro base station, wherein the SNR bias is configured to be provided to an access terminal (or user equipment) to cause the access terminal (i) to be biased to seek service from the micro base station if the access terminal detects an SNR from the micro base station that is less than the threshold differential SNR below an SNR that the access terminal detects from the macro base station, and (ii) to be biased to seek service from the macro base station otherwise. Once the SNR bias is determined based on the relative load, it is communicated to one or more access terminals.

Abstract: An access terminal establishes a session with a first radio access network (RAN). As a result, the access terminal receives a Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI) assigned by the first RAN and establishes configuration settings for radio communications between the access terminal and the first RAN. The access terminal moves from the first RAN to a second RAN. Before the access terminal has a session established with the second RAN, the access terminal receives a request from a user to originate a call. In response, the access terminal sends the second RAN a connection request that includes the UATI assigned by the first RAN. The second RAN evaluates the UATI included in the connection request and determines that it was previously assigned to the access terminal by another RAN. Based on this determination, the second RAN grants the connection request by assigning a traffic channel to the access terminal.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for modifying a dormancy timer in a wireless communication device. In a particular embodiment, a method comprises exchanging wireless communications between a wireless device and an access node on a wireless communication network. The method further comprises determining a reverse noise indicator for the access node. The method also includes determining a modification for a dormancy timer in the wireless access node based on the reverse noise indicator, wherein the dormancy timer indicates when a communication access channel on the wireless access node that is allocated to the wireless device should be released. Additionally, the method comprises modifying the dormancy timer in accordance with the dormancy timer modification.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for modifying the data transfer rate of wireless communications transferred by a wireless device. In a particular embodiment, a method comprises exchanging wireless communications between a wireless device and an access node on a wireless communication network. The method further includes determining a reverse noise ratio for the access node. Additionally, the method includes generating a message indicating the reverse noise ratio and transferring the message to the wireless device. The method further comprises receiving the message in the wireless device and modifying a data transfer rate of the wireless communications from the wireless device based on the reverse noise ratio indicated by the message.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for dynamic adjustment of forward-link rate-control parameters. An access terminal in a wireless communication system that includes a base station will determine a requested forward-link data rate by measuring a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the forward link, and looking up a corresponding forward-link data rate in one of three different tabulations of SNR threshold values against forward-link data rates. The AT will operate in a first state in which the access terminal uses a single tabulation for both increasing and decreasing measurements of SNR, and upon receiving a message from the base station indicating high time slot utilization on the forward link, the AT will transition to operating in a second state in which the access terminal uses a dual tabulation, wherein one of the dual tabulations is used for increasing measurement of SNR, and the other is used for decreasing measures of SNR.

Abstract: While a first and second entity are engaging in a communication session on a wireless link, the first entity may be sending a series of power control commands (PCCs) directed to the second entity at a first transmission rate. Additionally, the first entity may monitor an actual and expected transmission-power adjustment of the second entity. Based on this monitored actual and expected transmission-power adjustment, the first entity may decide to alter the PCC transmission scheme for the second entity. For instance, if the monitored actual and expected transmission-power adjustment differs by a threshold extent, the power-controlling entity may decide to increase the PCC transmission rate for the power-controlled entity and/or increase the transmission-power adjustment instructed by PCCs directed to the second entity. In response, the first entity may begin sending the series of PCCs directed to the second entity according to the altered PCC transmission scheme.

Abstract: During a first time interval, an access point transmits orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals using a first cyclic prefix length. The access point selects a second cyclic prefix length based, at least in part, on the load of the access point. The access point transmits OFDM signals using the second cyclic prefix length during a second time interval. The load of the access point may be determined based on the amount of downlink data being buffered in the access point for transmission to one or more user devices.

Abstract: A mobile station that is being served by a current sector receives a neighbor list that identifies a plurality of neighboring sectors and a respective priority for each neighboring sector. For each neighboring sector, the mobile station scans for the sector's pilot signal at a respective scanning frequency during a measurement interval. The scanning frequency for a sector defines how frequently the mobile station scans for the sector's pilot signal during the measurement interval. The mobile station selects a scanning frequency for a neighboring sector based on at least a signal strength of the current sector and the neighboring sector's priority. When the current sector's signal strength is high, the mobile station scans for high-priority sectors more frequently than low-priority sectors. When the current sector's signal strength is low, the mobile station scans for low-priority sectors more frequently than high-priority sectors.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for determining whether a wireless device should retransmit data packets based on the condition of a reverse wireless link. In a particular embodiment, a method provides exchanging wireless data packet communications between a wireless device and an access node on a wireless network. The method further provides transmitting a first packet set from the access node to the wireless device on a forward wireless link. The method further provides determining a reverse noise ratio, signal interference noise ratio, and packet error rate on a reverse wireless link and generating a confidence level indicator based on the reverse noise ratio, signal interference noise ratio, and packet error rate. The method further provides determining whether to retransmit the first packet set from the access node to the wireless device based on the confidence level indicator.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for identifying and selectively controlling reverse-noise contribution on a per-access terminal basis. In an embodiment, an access node provides wireless service to access terminals, and measures reverse noise rise (RNR) during at least one turn of a round-robin process involving access terminals taking turns transmitting data or taking turns not transmitting data. The access node thereby determines a respective RNR contribution of at least one access terminal based at least on the measurement of RNR taken during the access terminals' turns. A high-contributor set of one or more access terminals is identified and then instructed to reduce reverse-link transmission power.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a method of operating a wireless communication device, where a wireless access node provides wireless access to communication services over a wireless link for the wireless communication device. The method includes transferring data in a series of frames to the wireless access node over a reverse link portion of the wireless link, where each frame comprises a series of subframes, and transferring a present frame at a first power level. The method also includes, during transfer of the present frame at the first power level, monitoring control information transferred by the wireless access node on a forward link portion of the wireless link, and in response to receiving a power change instruction in the control information, interrupting transfer of the subframes of a present frame at the first power level and restarting transfer of the subframes of the present frame at a second power level.

Abstract: A communication system comprises a wireless access node having a plurality of ports and a control system. The wireless access node is configured to exchange wireless communications over the ports with wireless communication devices that are individually identified by device identifiers. The control system is configured to individually allocate the wireless communication devices into categories based on the device identifiers and determine one of the categories having a majority of the wireless communication devices.

Abstract: In a communication system, a first base station wirelessly transmits a first base station access code. A second base station wirelessly transmits a second base station access code. A wireless communication device wirelessly receives the first base station access code and the second base station access code and processes the first base station access code and the second base station access code to generate a common access code. The wireless communication device wirelessly transmits the common access code. The first base station wirelessly receives the common access code and processes the common access code to initiate the registration of the wireless communication device with the first base station. The second base station wirelessly receives the common access code and processes the common access code to initiate the registration of the wireless communication device with the second base station.

Abstract: A first serving system controls a first group of sectors that transmit pilot signals having pseudonoise (PN) offsets corresponding to a first PN increment, and a second serving system controls a second group of sectors that transmit pilot signals having PN offsets corresponding to a second PN increment. The first serving system serves a mobile station via a sector in the first group and determines that the mobile station is likely to be in a communication range of at least one sector in the second group. In response, the first serving system instructs the mobile station to use the second PN increment when scanning for pilot signals. Thereafter, the mobile station may use the first PN increment to scan for pilot signals to add to its remaining set and, if the remaining set is not large enough, may then use the second PN increment to scan for additional pilot signals.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for determining which page attempt to shed. In accordance with these methods, when a page attempt from a first sequence directed to a first access terminal (AT) contends with a page attempt from a second sequence directed to a second AT for transmission over the air interface of a RAN, the RAN determines which sequence has been shed to a greater extent. The RAN then transmits the page attempt from the sequence that has been shed to a greater extent and sheds the page attempt from the sequence that has been shed to a lesser extent. The methods advantageously help to avoid one sequence of page attempts being disproportionately shed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and system to help manage transmission power for wireless communications. A radio access network (RAN) will artificially increase target frame error rate (FER) for certain mobile stations in a coverage area for just a portion of a defined call drop timer period, and the RAN will automatically revert to apply a baseline target FER for a duration sufficient to allow recovery of the mobile station's communications before expiration of the call drop timer period. By increasing the target FER for the mobile stations, noise on the air interface can be reduced. And by reverting the target FER to its baseline level for a sufficient duration, call drops resulting from the increased target FER can be avoided.

Abstract: A mobile station uses a search window to search for a target pilot signal transmitted by a target transmitter in a spread spectrum communication system. The search window may be centered on the expected phase of the target pilot signal at the mobile station. To calculate the expected phase, the mobile station estimates a transmission delay associated with the target pilot signal, based on at least the target transmitter's location and the mobile station's location. The transmission delay may account for the time it takes for the target pilot signal to propagate from the target transmitter to the mobile station. The expected phase of the target pilot signal may then be calculated based on at least a nominal phase of the target pilot signal (e.g., the phase when transmitted by the target transmitter) and the estimated transmission delay.

Abstract: Methods and devices for a radio access network (RAN) to select a wireless communication device (WCD) for handoff to a given sector are presented. In particular, the RAN may receive resource requests from a first WCD and a second WCD, both WCDs contending for a resource of the given sector. Based on the each WCD's active sets of sectors, the RAN may grant the resource to one of these WCDs. Preferably, the RAN grants the resource to the WCD that is more likely to benefit from use of the resource.