Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus to help facilitate providing of multiple Downlink Control Information (DCI) messages that separately schedule downlink communication of bearer data to a wireless communication device (WCD) in a given sub-frame, to help ensure receipt of such multiple DCI messages by the WCD. As disclosed, a base station will include in at least one such DCI message an indication that there is in the sub-frame at least one other such DCI message. When the WCD receives and reads the one such DCI message, the WCD may thereby learn from the indication that there is at least one other such DCI message in the sub-frame. The WCD may then search for and find the at least other such DCI message in the sub-frame and/or may use the indication as a basis to verify receipt of all such DCI messages in the sub-frame.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems that may help to dynamically rout calls in a communication network where circuit-switched fallback (CSFB) is implemented. In particular, a user equipment (UE) may include an identifier of an interworking server (IWS), which relayed a page message from a first access network to a second access network for transmission to the UE, in the corresponding page response message that the UE sends to the first access network. The inclusion of the IWD identifier in the page response message may allow the switch that receives the page response message to detect when the corresponding voice call was received at a different switch in the first network, and responsively initiate an inter-system handoff when this is the case.

Abstract: A method and system to help avoid a failed eCSFB call setup in the presence of handover. While a WCD is being served by a base station of a first network, the base station may detect both a fallback trigger and a handover trigger. The fallback trigger may be a trigger to initiate a fallback setup procedure, where the fallback setup procedure involves execution of a sequence of steps including a particular step. The handover trigger may be a trigger to initiate a handover procedure. The base station determines that the handover trigger was detected before execution of the particular step of the fallback setup procedure. Responsive to determining that the handover trigger was detected before execution of the particular step, the base station (a) foregoes the fallback setup procedure and (b) transmits to the WCD a message directing the WCD to establish communication with the second network.

Abstract: Disclosed is method and apparatus to help reduce PRACH interference. In accordance with the disclosure, when a first base station determines that there is a threshold level of interference from a second base station, the first base station transmits to the second base station a directive that causes the second base station to reduce PUSCH transmission in PUSCH resources that are coincident in frequency with the first base station's PRACH. In a scenario where two base stations provide overlapping coverage and operate on the same frequency as each other, and where coverage of the second base station may interfere with coverage of the first base station, this process may thereby help to minimize or eliminate interference that PUSCH communication in the second base station's coverage area would have on PRACH communication in the first base station's coverage area.

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: Disclosed is a method and system to help rectify errors in operation of a wireless communication system. When a base station detects one or more errors in operation of the system, the base station will automatically request and receive from an adjacent base station a set of one or more operational parameters that the adjacent base station is set to provide, and the base station will substitute the received operational parameters for those that the base station is set to provide to UEs. This process may thereby help to avoid recurrence of certain errors in operation of the system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for managing carriers on which a wireless communication system serves a UE. As disclosed, the system serves the UE on a set of one or more carriers. While serving the UE on the set of one or more carriers, the system determines that the UE should additionally be served on at least one other carrier. The system then selects the at least one other carrier, from a set of candidate carriers, based at least in part on the at least one other carrier being closest, of the set of candidate carriers, in the frequency spectrum to the set of one or more carriers. Based on the selecting, the system then adds the selected at least one other carrier to the set of one or more carriers to establish a modified set of carriers and serves the UE on the modified set of carriers.

Abstract: A method and system for managing time segments per subframe used for downlink control channel communication by adjacent base stations. The base stations may work with each other to arrange for their respective use of different time segments per subframe for their respective downlink control channel use. Further, each base station may also avoid downlink traffic channel communication in the time segments per subframe that the other base station will be using for control channel communication.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically selecting call setup procedure based on channel quality. While a wireless communication device (WCD) is being served by a first radio access network (RAN), a network node receives an indication of a communication quality of the at least one channel used by the first RAN to serve the given WCD. Then, the network node selects a call setup procedure for establishing a call to be served by a second RAN based on the received indication of the communication quality of the at least one channel, where the selected call setup procedure comprises the given WCD transitioning to be served with the call by the second RAN. Next, the network node signals to invoke setup of the call using the selected call setup procedure.

Abstract: At certain beamforming angles (i.e., those greater than a threshold amount) a sidelobe of a beamforming pattern used by a first sector may be pointed at wireless devices being serviced by a second sector. This causes the interference experienced by the first sector to be increased due to the transmissions of the wireless devices being serviced by the second sector. To help mitigate the interference experienced by the first sector, when the access node determines it is using a beamforming angle that may be susceptible to interference from the second sector (e.g., beamforming angle greater than a threshold), the first sector selects an amount of TTI bundling to be used by a wireless device. By configuring a wireless device to use TTI bundling (i.e., increase redundancy), the link budget for the wireless device is improved thereby lessening the effects of the interference being received via the sidelobe.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for identifying customers at an establishment. In an embodiment, a low-cost Internet base station (LCIB) receives a request from a mobile station to register for service with the LCIB. The LCIB is located at an establishment, such as a store. The LCIB then determines whether the mobile station is authorized to register with the LCIB. If the mobile station is authorized to register with the LCIB, the LCIB allows the mobile station to register. If the mobile station is not authorized to register with the LCIB, the LCIB or LCIB controller responsively (a) rejects the registration request and (b) sends a notification message to the establishment, the notification message identifying the mobile station.

Abstract: A method and systems for determining a location of a Low-Cost Internet Base Station (LCIB) are described. An LCIB may engage in communication with a macro network using a wireless communication interface, such that the macro network assigns the LCIB to operate as a mobile station on a particular active set of one or more particular sectors. The LCIB may transmit data indicative of the particular active set to the macro network using a backhaul connection to the macro network. Responsive to the LCIB transmitting the data indicative of the particular active set to the macro network, the LCIB may receive a location corresponding to the particular active set from the macro network via the backhaul connection to the macro network.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for determining a modulation and coding scheme for a small cell. A small cell may receive a first signal level for a first signal received at a wireless device and a second signal level for a second signal received at the wireless device, wherein the received first signal is from the small cell and the received second signal is from a macro cell. The small cell may also receive a channel quality indicator from the wireless device that indicates a channel quality for communications between the wireless device and the small cell. A signal level metric may be calculated based on the first signal level, the second signal level, and the received channel quality indicator. A modulation and coding scheme for a transmission from the small call may be determined, wherein the transmission is associated with an almost blank subframe transmission from the macro cell.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for use of orthogonal coding to manage control channel load. Based on evaluation of downlink air interface load, a base station dynamically toggles use of orthogonal coding of downlink control information (DCI) messages for transmission on a downlink control channel. When downlink load is high, the base station may responsively operate in a state in which the base station orthogonally codes DCI messages to facilitate transmitting multiple DCI messages per set of resource elements on the downlink control channel, possibly boosting transmission power in those resource elements to help facilitate successful transmission. Whereas, when downlink load is not high, the base station may responsively operate in a state in which the base station does not orthogonally code DCI messages and thus sends just one DCI message per set of resource elements.

Abstract: A computing system includes or has access to data records that associate (i) radio frequency (RF) signatures of device coverage from a base station with (ii) locations of devices corresponding with the RF signatures. When a device whose location is at issue is then within coverage of that base station, the computing system receives an RF signature of the device's coverage from the base station, and the computing system (i) finds multiple data records whose RF signatures of coverage from the base station most closely match the received RF signature, (ii) based on the device locations in the multiple data records, determines a representative bearing from the base station and a representative distance from the base station, and (iii) estimates the device's location to have the determined representative bearing and determined representative distance. The estimated device's location may then be used as a basis to provide a location-based service.

Abstract: A method and system for managing connectivity when a signaling controller is going to be taken out of service. The method involves determining that a WCD served by the signaling controller provides wireless backhaul connectivity for a relay base station, and responsively taking action to proactively transition that WCD from being served by the signaling controller to being served by a different signaling controller without the WCD detaching and reattaching. This may enable the WCD to maintain its network connectivity, including its assigned network address, and may thus enable the relay base station to maintain its network connectivity as well, thereby helping to maintain connectivity for WCDs served by the relay base station and continuity of interfaces between the relay base station and other core network entities.

Abstract: An application processing element in a first wireless communication network receives a first indicator associated with an availability of a first access node in the first wireless communication network to serve a wireless device. The wireless device being served by a first active connection with a second wireless communication network. In response to a first request by the wireless device, the application processing element sends a second indicator to the wireless device. The second indicator is associated with the availability of the first access node in the first wireless communication network to serve the wireless device. The wireless device ending the first active connection based on the first indicator and the signal strength associated with the first access node.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in which (i) a user equipment device registers with a first radio access network (RAN) that provides connectivity with a transport network, (ii) once registered with the first RAN, the device then registers via the first RAN and transport network with a call server, and (iii) in response to the device registering with the call server, but before the device then engages in a call served by the call server, the device registers via the first RAN with a second RAN. The method may thereby help to expedite later handover of a call served by the call server from being via the first RAN to being via the second RAN. Further, by the second RAN registration being conducted in response to registration of the device with the call server, the method may help to ensure usefulness of the registration of the device with the second RAN.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for management of control channel capacity to help reduce control channel congestion over time. As disclosed, a first base station provides a first downlink control channel including a first set of air interface resources and a second base station provides a second downlink control channel including a second set of air interface resources, the first set of air interface resources and the second set of air interface resources being mutually exclusive. Upon making a determination that the first downlink control channel is threshold loaded (i.e., congested), temporary reconfiguration of the wireless communication system is carried out by transferring a portion of the second set of air interface resources from the second downlink control channel to the first downlink control channel such that (i) capacity of the first downlink control channel is increased and (ii) capacity of the second downlink control channel is commensurately decreased.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and mobile station that improves upon a mobile station's ability to determine its location. By a mobile station considering its extent of turning and/or its travel speed, the mobile station may set an operational mode such that the mobile station uses an appropriate location determining mechanism. In the event that the mobile station is turning at a fast rate and/or traveling at a slow speed, a reasonable conclusion is that the mobile station is in a congested environment, and therefore a first operational mode may be set. In the event that the mobile station is turning at a slow rate and/or traveling at fast speed, a reasonable conclusion is that the mobile station is in an open environment, and therefore a second operational mode may be set.