Patents Assigned to Sprint Spectrum L.P.
  • Methods and systems for selecting a coordinated multipoint enhancement mode
    Patent number: 10355751
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Siddharth S. Oroskar, Jasinder P. Singh
  • Systems and methods for improving spectral efficiencies in a wireless communication network
    Patent number: 10356801
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for scheduling traffic in an almost blank subframe (ABS). Data transmissions to a wireless device in communication with a first access node are scheduled during an ABS scheduled by a second access node. At least one wireless device that meets a criteria is selected from a plurality of wireless devices in communication with the second access node. Data is transmitted from the second access node to the selected wireless device during the scheduled ABS using beamforming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Chunmei Liu, Krishna Sitaram, Shipa Kowdley, Hemanth Pawar
  • Method and apparatus for invoking beamforming responsive to carrier transition
    Patent number: 10356631
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and corresponding apparatus to help manage wireless communication between a base station and a device served by the base. In accordance with the disclosure, when a base station transitions from serving the device on just a first carrier to serving the device on a combination of the first carrier and a second carrier, the base station will responsively take action to improve downlink communication to the device on the first carrier. In particular, the base station will respond to the occurrence of that transition by starting to beamform downlink transmission to the device on the first carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Hemanth B. Pawar, Shilpa Kowdley Srinivas, Krishna Sitaram, Chunmei Liu
  • Systems and methods for selecting a donor for a relay wireless device based on feedback
    Patent number: 10356709
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments described herein include systems, methods, and nodes for selecting a donor for a relay wireless device using feedback. Signals may be scanned for at a relay wireless device to determine potential donor access nodes. The relay wireless device may communicate with the potential donor access nodes such that a power head room report is generated for each potential donor access node. A donor access node may be selected from among the potential donor access nodes based on the generated power head room reports. Backhaul data may be communicated between the relay wireless device with the selected donor access node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Nitesh Manchanda, Vanil Parihar, Sreekar Marupaduga
  • Minimizing interference in wireless networks
    Patent number: 10342021
    Abstract: Minimizing interference including obtaining interference measurements for transmission angles of an interference-causing side lobe of a formed beam directed towards a wireless device in a beamforming mode, and determining threshold angles wherein an operating mode of another wireless device subject to the interference is switched to from a default mode to a carrier aggregation mode utilizing a different frequency than the formed beam. Upon the transmission angle of the formed beam meeting a second threshold angle, the operating mode of the other wireless device is switched back to the default mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Hemanth Pawar, Shilpa Kowdley, Krishna Sitaram, Chunmei Liu
  • Control of relay base station service based on MCS capability of associated UE-relay
    Patent number: 10341933
    Abstract: A method and corresponding system for controlling whether a UE is served by a relay base station, based on consideration of the maximum-supported MCS of the relay base station's associated UE-relay. The method could apply where the UE is already served by the relay base station, in which case the question could be whether the UE continues being served by the relay base station or rather hands over to another base station. Or the method could apply where the UE is not yet being served by the relay base station, in which case the question could be whether the UE should initially attach with or hand over to the relay base station. Further, the method could be carried out by the UE and/or by a base station or other network entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Vanil Parihar, Sreekar Marupaduga, Nitesh Manchanda
  • Methods and systems for assigning resources to user equipment devices
    Patent number: 10342024
    Abstract: Method and systems for assigning resources to user equipment devices (UEs) from a base station are disclosed. In accordance with the disclosure, the base station operates in a first mode in which the base station gives a UE a first scheduling priority level for resource assignment from the base station. The base station then makes a determination that a packet drop rate for the UE exceeds a threshold packet drop rate. Based on the determination, the base station switches from operating in the first mode to operating in a second mode in which the base station gives the UE a second scheduling priority level for resource assignment from the base station, where the second scheduling priority level is higher than the first scheduling priority level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Dhaval Mehta, Yun Sung Kim, Yu Wang, Udit Thakore
  • Systems and methods for dynamically selecting wireless devices for uplink (UL) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) pairing
    Patent number: 10333664
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for selecting User Equipment(s) (UEs) for pairing in a cellular network. A channel orthogonality of one or more UEs may be determined at an Access Node (AN) for a condition. The one or more UEs may be inspected for a criteria. At least one of the one or more UEs whose data content meets the criteria may be scheduled with at least one other UE for Uplink (UL) Multi-User Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) pairing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Hemanth Pawar, Shilpa X. Kowdley, Chunmei Liu, Krishna Sitaram
  • Selection of modulation and coding scheme (MCS) based on packet length
    Patent number: 10333649
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Siddharth S. Oroskar, Jasinder P. Singh, Nitesh Manchanda
  • Control of relay bearer QoS configuration based on messaging from IMS platform
    Patent number: 10327267
    Abstract: As IMS-based sessions are established for UEs served by a relay base station, the IMS platform will signal to a core network to request setup of bearers for carrying traffic of the IMS-based sessions and will identify the relay base station serving the UEs. Based on this IMS signaling messages identifying the relay base station serving the UEs for which the bearers are being set up, the core network will track a count of such bearers established for UEs served by the relay base station. And upon detecting that the tracked count reaches a threshold level, the core network will trigger adjustment of a maximum bit rate and/or other QoS attribute of a relay bearer established for providing aggregate wireless backhaul connectivity for the relay base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Rajil Malhotra, Saravana Velusamy
  • Control of handover based on past duration of control-plane signaling
    Patent number: 10321373
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Ahmad N. Saleh, Deveshkumar N. Rai, Jasinder P. Singh
  • Selective discontinuation of carrier aggregation service to facilitate service of other device
    Patent number: 10320519
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling service by a base station when the base station is serving both a first UE without carrier aggregation and a plurality of second UEs with carrier aggregation. As a basis for invoking carrier aggregation service for the first UE, the base station selects one of the second UEs to transition from being served by the base station with carrier aggregation to being served by the base station without carrier aggregation. The base station makes such a selection based at least in part on a modulation and coding scheme that the base station uses to serve the selected one of the second UEs. The base station transitions from serving the selected second UE with carrier aggregation to serving the selected second UE without carrier aggregation. And the base station transitions from serving the first UE without carrier aggregation to serving the first UE with carrier aggregation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Pratik Kothari, Chunmei Liu, Hemanth B. Pawar, Krishna Sitaram
  • Systems and methods for performing a group call using a data bearer
    Patent number: 10314061
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for performing a group call using a data bearer. At a core network in communication with an access node, a request to establish a group call may be received. A multicast data bearer may be established with the access node such that group call data from the core network is communicated over the multicast data bearer to the access node. Group call data may be communicated between the access node and a first wireless device and the access node and a second wireless device, wherein downlink group call data from the core network for both the first wireless device and the second wireless device is transmitted to the access node over the multicast data bearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventor: Sunyong Park
  • Chord modulation communication system
    Patent number: 10312933
    Abstract: A process and corresponding system for encoding and decoding digital data in analog signals is disclosed. Digital data values are represented by concurrent combinations of distinct audio tones, which combine to create chords. The chords have multiple identifiable parameters that can be modulated to represent the data values. For instance, the modulated chords can include a concurrent combination of distinct tones that each have a different frequency and a different starting time. The frequencies of the tones and the starting times of those tones can be modulated to create unique combinations that represent respective data values. As such, analog audio content of a given chord can be used to represent a particular data value and the analog audio signals can be transmitted between nodes in a communication network in order to communicate that data value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Salvador Cerda, Christopher D. Schmitt, Stephen D. Williams, Kenneth W. Samson
  • Systems and methods for load balancing in a wireless communication network
    Patent number: 10313947
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for handoff of a wireless device. A total delay budget may be configured to a first access node. Scheduler delays associated with each of multiple scheduling buffers can be measured. An average scheduling delay for multiple wireless devices may be calculated based on the measured scheduler delays. The average scheduling delay may be compared to the total delay budget for the first access node and, when the average scheduling delay exceeds the total delay budget, a second access node may be selected for offload of at least one wireless device of the multiple wireless devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Sanghoon Sung, Pinal Tailor, Dhaval Mehta, Yun Sung Kim
  • Use of buffer fullness as basis to control application of MU-MIMO service
    Patent number: 10313920
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling application of MU-MIMO. The disclosure provides for considering the quantity of data buffered for transmission over the air between the base station and each of various UEs, and selecting UEs to be subject to MU-MIMO service based on the quantity of data buffered. For example, a base station could prefer application of MU-MIMO for UEs that have more data buffered for transmission than other UEs. Or the base station could condition application of MU-MIMO to a pair of UEs on a determination that each UE of the pair has at least a threshold quantity of data buffered for transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Nitesh Manchanda, Vanil Parihar, Sreekar Marupaduga
  • Managing allocation of resources to a relay-UE based on a determination that the relay-UE is positioned within an indoor environment
    Patent number: 10314057
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Siddharth S. Oroskar, Jasinder P. Singh
  • Control of UE voice call communication mode based on air interface load in view of TDD frame configuration
    Patent number: 10314051
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Siddharth S. Oroskar, Jasinder P. Singh
  • Method and system for managing base station transmissions responsive to invocation of high-order modulation scheme communications
    Patent number: 10314053
    Abstract: A base station may manage transmissions between the base station and wireless communication devices (WCDs), where the base station serves the WCDs over an air interface, and where the base station is configured to engage in downlink transmission using a particular quantity of transmit antennas. In one example, the base station determines that each of at least one WCD currently being served by the base station is configured to support a particular modulation scheme. And in responsive to the determining, the base station reduces the quantity of transmit antennas and engages in the downlink transmission using the reduced quantity of transmit antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Krishna Sitaram, Hemanth B. Pawar, Shilpa Kowdley Srinivas
  • Systems and methods for managing channel quality for relay wireless devices
    Patent number: 10299221
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments described herein include systems, methods, and nodes for managing channel quality for a relay wireless device. Interference experienced in one or more sectors of an access node that include a relay wireless device may be monitored. It may be determined that the monitored interference in at least one sector of the access node meets a mitigation criteria. One or more potential interfering sectors from access nodes neighboring the access node that are performing reference signal power boosting may be identified such that the potential interfering sectors are adjacent to the one sector of the access node. One or more neighboring access nodes may be instructed to selectively reduce reference signal power boosting in the potential interfering sectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventor: Sreekar Marupaduga