Abstract: A method and system for controlling apportionment of uplink data flow of a UE having a first connection with a first access node and a second connection with a second access node. An example system could operate to determine an uplink data apportionment, defining what portion of the uplink data flow the UE should provide on the first connection versus what portion of the uplink data flow the UE should provide on the second connection, where determining the uplink data apportionment is based on (i) a comparison of uplink power headroom of the UE on the first connection with uplink power headroom of the UE on the second connection and/or (ii) a comparison of uplink noise on the first connection with uplink noise on the second connection. Further, the example system could then cause the UE to operate in accordance with the determined uplink data apportionment.

Abstract: A method and system to control configuration of dual-connectivity service a user equipment device (UE), wherein the dual-connectivity service including the UE being served concurrently by a master node (MN) over a first connection and by a secondary node (SN) over a second connection. An example method includes (i) identifying multiple pairs of access nodes as candidate pairs of access nodes to be the MN and SN for the dual-connectivity service, (ii) for each identified pair, determining an inter-access-node communication delay, (iii) comparing the determined inter-access-node communication delays of the identified pairs and, based on the comparing, selecting one of the identified pairs to be the MN and SN for the dual-connectivity service, and (iv) causing the dual-connectivity service to be set up for the UE with the selected pair of access nodes being the MN and SN for the dual-connectivity service.

Abstract: In a communication system comprising a base station having a set of carrier frequencies, ranging from a lowest to a highest carrier frequency, for serving user equipment devices (UEs), the base station may schedule a first transmission of first bearer traffic to be on a first carrier frequency of the set based at least in part on a correlation between (i) the first bearer traffic being of a first type of bearer traffic and (ii) where the first carrier frequency falls within the range of carrier frequencies. The base station may also schedule a second transmission of second bearer traffic to be on a second, different carrier frequency of the set based at least in part on a correlation between (i) the second bearer traffic being of a second, different type of bearer traffic and (ii) where the second carrier frequency falls within the range of carrier frequencies.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling handover of a user equipment device (UE) in a system including RAT1 access nodes and RAT2 access nodes. An example method includes, while the UE is served with dual-connectivity cooperatively by a first RAT1 access node and a first RAT2 access node, (i) using a comparison between spectral efficiency of the first RAT2 access node and spectral efficiency of the second RAT2 access node as a basis to set a measurement threshold to be applied by the UE for evaluating coverage of a second RAT1 access node for possible handover of the UE from the first RAT1 access node to the second RAT1 access node, and (ii) causing the UE to apply the measurement threshold for evaluating the coverage of the second RAT1 access node for the possible handover of the UE from the first RAT1 access node to the second RAT1 access node.

Abstract: A mechanism for controlling configuration of dual connectivity for a UE that has a first connection with a first access node. The first access node could make a determination whether a level of load of a second access node with which the UE is not currently connected is threshold high. And if the determination is that the determined level of load of the second access node is not at least threshold high, then the first access node could proceed with application of a process for adding the second connection, without applying a timer for delaying application of the process. Whereas, if the determination is that the determined level of load of the second access node is at least predefined threshold high, then the first access node could apply the timer for delaying application of the process and, upon expiration of the timer, could proceed with application of the process.

Abstract: When a first access node is serving a UE with standalone connectivity on a first frequency band and is considering setup of dual-connectivity service for a UE where a secondary connection for the UE would be on the first frequency band as well, the first access node could determine that the UE supports dual-band dual-connectivity service and could responsively (i) reconfigure the UE's connection with the first access node to be on a second frequency band instead and (ii) configure the secondary connection on the first frequency band. This process could help conserve the first access node's resources on the first frequency band for use to serve dual-connectivity-capable UEs that are not dual-band dual-connectivity capable.

Abstract: When a first access node is considering setup of dual-connectivity service for a UE, the first access node could take into consideration the uplink path loss respectively of each of one or more candidate second access nodes, in order to decide whether to set up the dual-connectivity service for the UE and/or to decide which of the multiple second access nodes to use for the UE's dual-connectivity service. For instance, the first access node may decide to use a given candidate second access node for the dual-connectivity service of the UE, with the decision being based on the given candidate second access node having a lower measure of uplink path loss than one or more other candidate second access nodes.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling carrier load in a wireless communication system that supports multiple user equipment devices (UEs) each being primarily connected with a first access node on a first carrier and each having a respective secondary connection for dual-connectivity service. An example method includes (i) monitoring a distribution of the respective secondary connections of the UEs among being on a second carrier and being on a third carrier, the third carrier having wider bandwidth than the second carrier, (ii) based on the monitoring, determining that at least a predefined threshold portion of the UEs have their secondary connections on the third carrier rather than on the second carrier, and (iii) based at least on the determining, taking action to control load on the first carrier, such as limiting a maximum number of UEs allowed to be concurrently connected with the first access node on the first carrier.

Abstract: A mechanism to control transmission by a base station, which may help to control interference on an adjacent frequency. The base station is configured to operate on a first frequency and is equipped with a number of antennas enabled for transmission on the first frequency. Upon detecting of a trigger for reducing potential interference on the adjacent frequency, the base station reduces the number of its antennas that are enabled for transmission on the first carrier, which may reduce the overall energy of the base station's transmission and may thereby reduce interference on the adjacent frequency. In an example implementation, the base station could disable a proper subset of its antennas from use for transmission on the first frequency, while leaving a remainder of its antennas enabled for transmission on the first frequency.

Abstract: A method and system for triggering RF reconfiguration of wireless communication system. RSRP-SINR pairs determined respectively for locations in a region of interest are mapped to predicted MOS of voice communication per location, using a prediction engine trained based on actual correlated measurements of RSRP, SINR, and MOS. Locations having threshold low MOS and threshold low RSRP but not threshold low SINR are identified and clustered to identify an area where coverage strength should be increased in an effort to help improve voice-call quality. And locations having threshold low MOS and threshold low SINR but not threshold low RSRP are identified and clustered to identify an area where interference should be reduced in an effort to help improve voice-call quality. An engineering trouble ticket or other signal could then be generated to trigger associated network reconfiguration.

Abstract: Dynamic reconfiguring of dual-connectivity service of a UE includes detecting that quality of the UE's second air-interface connection with a second access node is threshold poor and responsively reconfiguring the dual-connectivity service from (i) a first mode in which user plane communication of the dual-connectivity service is downlink on both the first and second air-interface connections and is uplink on the second air-interface connection but not on the first air-interface connection to (ii) a second mode in which the user-plane communication of the dual-connectivity service is downlink on both the first and second air-interface connections and is uplink on the first air-interface connection but not on the second air-interface connection.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling whether to establish dual connectivity for a user equipment device (UE) when the UE has a primary connection with a first access node, where establishing the dual connectivity includes adding for the UE a secondary connection with a second access node on a carrier. An example method includes, when coverage strength of the UE from the second access node on the carrier is high enough to trigger establishing the dual connectivity, (a) making a determination of whether both (i) the coverage strength of the UE from the second access node on the carrier is threshold low and (ii) insertion loss of the carrier at the second access node threshold high and (b) using the determination as a basis to control whether to establish the dual connectivity for the UE.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling uplink-path switching of a user equipment device (UE) when the UE has at least two co-existing air-interface connections including a first air-interface connection with a first access node and a second air-interface connection with a second access node, where one of the connections defining a primary uplink path of the UE and an uplink-path-switch control process dynamically controls switching which one of the air-interface connections is the UE's primary uplink path. An example method includes (a) detecting that both (i) the switching of which one of the air-interface connections is the UE's primary uplink path has been occurring at a threshold high rate and (ii) the UE's remaining battery energy threshold low, and (b) responsive to at least the detecting, disabling further switching of which one of the air-interface connections is the UE's primary uplink path while the UE maintains the co-existing air-interface connections.

Abstract: A method and system to control air-interface-resource scheduling priority of a user equipment device (UE) served by an access node over an air interface, where the air interface defining air-interface resources such as physical resource blocks (PRBs) allocable by the access node. In an example method, the access node detects that both (i) the UE has threshold low remaining battery energy and (ii) the UE is served with non-standalone connectivity, such as EN-DC, rather than with standalone connectivity, such as 4G-only or 5G-only. And based at least on that detecting, the access node transitions from serving the UE with a baseline air-interface scheduling priority to serving the UE instead with an increased air-interface scheduling priority higher than the baseline scheduling priority.

Abstract: When a user equipment device (UE) has dual connectivity including a first air-interface connection extending from a first access node to the UE and a second air-interface connection extending from a second access node to the UE, and where an inter-access-node interface extends between the first access node and the second access node, a method includes (i) detecting that a flow of downlink data over the inter-access-node interface from the first access node to the second access node, for transmission of the downlink data over the second air-interface connection to the UE, is threshold high and (ii) based at least on the detecting, increasing downlink bandwidth of the second air-interface connection. Increasing the downlink bandwidth of the second air-interface connection could involve, for instance, replacing a carrier of the connection with another carrier that has a wider downlink frequency bandwidth, among other possibilities.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling an operational mode of a first access node where the first access node provides a first cell and a second access node provides a second cell. An example method could include (i) determining a level of fading of the second cell, (ii) using the determined level of fading of the second cell as a basis to decide whether the first access node should operate in a blind-addition mode or rather a threshold-based-addition mode for adding a secondary connection in the second cell for a UE having a primary connection with the first access node in the first cell, and (iii) causing the first access node to operate in the decided mode.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling application of split-uplink mode for dual-connectivity service in a system where a first access node provides service on a first air interface and a second access node provides service on a second air interface, and where (i) in a single-connection-uplink mode for the dual-connectivity service, uplink user-plane communication is carried on just the second air interface and (ii) in the split-uplink mode for the dual-connectivity service, uplink user-plane communication is split between the first air interface and the second air interface. An example method includes detecting at least a predefined threshold high level of uplink voice muting on the first air interface and responsively restricting application of the split-uplink mode for the dual-connectivity service.

Abstract: A base station or an associated control entity determines when base station's air interface is threshold highly loaded or is predicted to be threshold highly loaded, and the base station responsively reduces the number of transmit antennas that the base station uses. Further, the base station or associated control entity could determine when the base station's air interface is no longer actually or predicted to be threshold highly loaded, and the base station could responsively increase the number of transmit antennas that the base station uses, such as by reverting to use a default number of antennas. Reducing the number of transmit antennas that the base station uses when its air interface is threshold highly loaded may help to increase air-interface capacity by reducing resource consumption from transmission of reference signals associated with the transmit antennas.

Abstract: A method and system for proactively reconfiguring communication to a user equipment device (UE) in anticipation the UE experiencing a coverage-throughput reduction when the UE is receiving streaming media. An example method includes (i) predicting, when the UE is receiving streaming media from a media server, that the UE is going to experience the coverage-throughput reduction and (ii) based at least in part on the predicting, proactively initiating transcoding of the streaming media to reduce a bit rate of the streaming media en route to the UE in a communication path between the media server and the UE, the initiating occurring before the UE experiences the coverage-throughput reduction so that the bit rate of the streaming media is reduced by when the UE experiences the coverage-throughput reduction.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling configuration of dual connectivity of a UE in a system where the UE is served by a first access node over a first air-interface connection and in which configuring the dual connectivity includes adding for the UE a second air-interface connection with a second access node to facilitate concurrent service of the UE by the first access node over the first connection and the second access node over the second connection. An example method includes determining whether both (i) the second access node is threshold highly loaded and (ii) the UE is likely to engage in a threshold high extent of data communication when served by the second access node. And the example method includes, responsive to the determination being affirmative, forgoing from adding for the UE the second air-interface connection between the UE and the second access node.