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: 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: 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.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for extending coverage of a wireless device. A plurality of wireless devices located in a coverage area of a first access node can be monitored for a first condition. At least one wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices that meets the first condition can be classified as a high power wireless device. Two or more indicators reported by the at least one wireless device are compared to a criteria. When the two or more indicators meet the criteria, a handoff of the at least one wireless device from the first access node to a second access node can be performed.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for providing enhanced access class barring in LTE are provided. In embodiments, the method includes receiving, on a mobile device, a SIB2 message. A barring factor associated with the SIB2 message is identified. In embodiments, the barring factor is dynamic based on traffic parameters associated with a network. An upper limit for a random number is set on the mobile device and the random number is generated. The random number is generated and compared to the barring factor. If the random number is less than the barring factor, access to the network is provided to the mobile device. In embodiments, an additional random number is generated for special users or devices if the random number is greater than or equal to the barring factor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and corresponding system for controlling operation of a user equipment device (UE) in a communication system comprising a first network and a second network interconnected with the first network. The UE may detect a public land mobile network identifier (PLMN ID) broadcast by a base station of the first network, where the base station does not support circuit switched fallback (CSFB) between the two networks The UE may determine, based on the detected PLMN ID, whether to operate in a first mode or a second mode, where (i) the first mode comprises, in response to the base station not supporting CSFB, the UE declining to be served by the base station and the UE instead being served directly by the second network and (ii) the second mode comprises the UE being served by the base station. The UE may then operate in the determined mode.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling TTI bundling in a wireless communication system that includes a base station configured to serve UEs over an air interface, where each UE has a maximum transmit power for air interface transmission, where the UEs include a first class of UEs and a second class of UEs, and where the maximum transmit power of the UEs of the second class is higher than the maximum transmit power of the UEs of the first class. The base station detects a capacity constraint on the air interface, such a threshold high air interface load, and the base station responds by operating in a mode in which the base station differentially controls application of TTI bundling as between the first class of UEs and the second class of UEs, based on the second class of UEs having higher maximum transmit power than the first class of UEs.

Abstract: A method and system for paging of a wireless client device (WCD). When a wireless communication system encounters a trigger to page a WCD, the system will identify the WCD's most recent serving base station (e.g., the WCD's currently registered base station, or the base station providing the WCD's currently registered coverage area) and will determine whether that base station is a relay base station or rather a non-relay base station. If the base station is a non-relay base station, then the system will provide the initial page of the WCD via just that base station (e.g., as in the zone based paging process discussed above). Whereas, if the base station is a relay base station, then the system will provide the initial (ordinal first) page of the WCD via both that base station and the donor base station that provides the relay base station's wireless backhaul connection.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems to facilitate variation of timer duration. In particular, a relay node (RN) may be configured to be served by a base station (BS) over a relay backhaul air interface and may be configured to serve user equipment devices (UEs) over a relay coverage air interface. Also, the RN may be configured (i) to detect when a threshold error in communication occurs on the relay backhaul air interface, (ii) in response to detecting the threshold error in communication, to start a timer that runs for a timer duration, and (iii) to respond to expiration of the timer duration by engaging in management of the relay backhaul air interface. With these arrangements, the RN may determine a count of how many UEs are being served by the RN over the relay coverage air interface and may set the timer duration based on the determined count of UEs.

Abstract: A method and system to assign a contention-free access resource is disclosed. A first network may be configured to serve user equipment devices (UEs) according to a first protocol and a second network may be configured to serve UEs according to a second protocol. The method involves the first network detecting an attempt to set up a circuit-switched-fallback (CSFB) call between (i) a UE served by the first network and (ii) a remote party, where the CSFB call is to be served by the second network to which the UE would transition to be served with the CSFB call. The method further involves, in response to detecting the attempt to set up the CSFB call, the first network assigning a contention-free access resource to the UE, so as to allow a contention-free access request by the UE to the first network.

Abstract: Methods and systems disclosed herein can help to dynamically adjust page transmission power, and in particular, the transmission power for quick paging bits, depending upon whether a user equipment (UE) is operating as a single radio LTE (SRLTE) device. An exemplary method involves an access network making a determination that a UE is configured to use a single radio system for (a) data communication under a first air interface protocol, and (b) voice calls under a second air interface protocol; and responsively initiating a process to set a transmission power used to page the first UE for a voice call under the second air interface protocol to a higher power level, as compared to a transmission power level utilized to page a second UE configured to use separate radio systems for data communication under the first air interface protocol and voice calls under the second air interface protocol.