Abstract: A first access node co-located with a second access node. The first access node communicates using a first type of wireless service. Scan results indicate whether a wireless device meets a first threshold criteria for being served by the second access node using a second type of wireless service. A time series of a count of these wireless devices is determined. From the time series, an indicator of a moving average of the time series is determined. Based on the moving average, the wireless devices are configured with an indicator of a second threshold criteria that determines whether a respective one of the wireless devices meets a second threshold criteria for being served by the first access node using the first type of wireless service.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for accounting for network signaling values in handover decisions. A serving base station may receive a message from a served user equipment device (UE) indicating that handover condition is met for handing over to one or more target base stations. The serving base station can determine a respective network signaling value being used by each target base station, and thereby determine how much uplink attenuation the UE would be directed to apply for each potential handover. The serving base station can also determine its downlink power and that the target base stations as measured by the UE. The serving base station can then make a handover decision taking account of a change in uplink attenuation for each potential handover.

Abstract: A radio access network (RAN) may be providing, in a coverage area, at least two access channels that are available for use by any wireless communication devices (WCD). Thereafter, the RAN may detect that a threshold load exists in the coverage area and responsively reserve one of the access channels for use only by authorized WCDs. In turn, authorized WCDs in the coverage area may be configured to use the reserved access channel to transmit access probes to the RAN, while unauthorized WCDs in the coverage area may be configured to use only a generally-available access channel to transmit access probes to the RAN. In this way, the disclosed methods and corresponding devices may limit the occupancy on the reserved access channel and thereby increase the likelihood that authorized WCDs can successfully access the RAN over the reserved access channel when the coverage area becomes congested.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and corresponding system for managing inter-network set up of wireless communication service. For instance, a first RAN may manage inter-network set up of wireless communication service for a first UE that is currently served by a second RAN. One embodiment takes the form of a method. The method may involve in response to receiving a first signal from the second RAN, the first RAN directing each UE of a plurality of UEs to broadcast a respective beacon. And the method may involve in response to receiving a second signal from the second RAN, the first RAN causing a particular UE among the plurality of UEs to function as an intermediary for the first RAN to serve the first UE, and the first RAN serving the first UE with the particular UE functioning as the intermediary.

Abstract: Wireless device information comprising a power level of a successful access probe sent by wireless devices to an access node and a location of each of the wireless devices relative to the access node is acquired. Based on the wireless device information, a first access probe power level is determined. The determined first access probe power level is provided to a new wireless device and an access probe is received from the new wireless device using the first access probe power level.

Abstract: A method and system for assigning resources to user equipment devices (UEs) is disclosed. A communication system may include a wireless network that allocates, among a plurality of UEs, resources on a given carrier. The wireless network may support carrier aggregation using a combination of the given carrier and at least one other carrier. The method involves the wireless network making a determination that (i) a first UE is operating without carrier aggregation and (ii) a second UE is operating with carrier aggregation. The method further involves, in response to making the determination, the wireless network giving the first UE higher priority than the second UE for resource assignment on the given carrier.

Abstract: In order to provide better wireless service to wireless communication devices (WCDs) at different altitudes (e.g., on different levels of a high-rise structure), a radio access network (RAN) may include antennas that are configured to provide coverage at these different altitudes. The RAN may assign resources, such as transmit power or frequencies, to wireless coverage areas serving particular altitude ranges in a proportion that is commensurate with the number of WCDs being served by these particular altitude ranges. As a result, RAN and WCD performance may improve.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system is provided to help strike a balance between alleviating load among macro cells and reducing excessive signaling when UEs travel through small cells. In one embodiment of the method, a UE may function to receive an indication of the size of a coverage area, calculate current speed, determine that the calculated speed exceeds a threshold speed, and responsively hand over to a different coverage area. In another embodiment of the method, a RAN entity may function to estimate of the size of a coverage area, receive an indication of the current speed of a UE traveling through the coverage area, determine that the calculated speed exceeds a threshold speed, and responsively instruct the UE to hand over to a different RAN. Other examples are possible.

Abstract: A radio access network (RAN) determines whether transmission time interval (TTI) bundling is warranted for a wireless communication device (WCD) based on information contained in one or more reports from the WCD. The information may include a reference-signal value, such as a reference signal received power (RSRP) or a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), in a measurement report, an amount of data indicated in a buffer status report as being buffered by the WCD for transmission via one or more bearers in a bearer group, and a service class associated with the bearer group. If the RAN determines that TTI bundling is warranted for the WCD, the RAN may further select a TTI bundle size for the WCD. The RAN may select the TTI bundle size from among a plurality of values, which values may include a standard TTI bundle size and a smaller TTI bundle size.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and corresponding system for dynamically updating a handover-scan-list maintained by a base station. In an example communication system comprising a first base station arranged to serve user equipment devices (UEs) on one or more carrier frequencies and a second base station arranged to maintain a handover-scan-list of carrier frequencies to which UEs served by the second base station can hand over, the first base station may process handover of a UE from being served by the first base station to being served by the second base station. During processing of the handover, the first base station may provide for receipt by the second base station a message indicating at least one carrier frequency on which the first base station is operating. In response to receiving the message, the second base station may then update the handover-scan-list to include the at least one carrier frequency.

Abstract: A gateway may respond to a data-connection request, relating to a request to establish a packet data connection for a requesting wireless communication device (WCD), based on a request rate determined from the number of other data-connection requests that the gateway has received during a particular period of time. If the request rate is below a first threshold, the gateway may initiate an authentication process to authenticate the requesting WCD and either accept or reject the data-connection request based on whether the authentication process is successful or unsuccessful. If the request rate is greater than the first threshold and less than a second threshold, the gateway may accept the data-connection request without initiating the authentication process. If the request rate is greater than the second threshold, the gateway may reject the data-connection request without initiating the authentication process.

Abstract: A first service request, on behalf of a wireless communication device (WCD) may be received. The first WCD may be served by a first base station of a first wireless network provider, and may be subscribed to a second wireless network provider. A home packet gateway (PGW) device, with which to establish an inter-provider bearer path for the first WCD, may be identified. The inter-provider bearer path may include the first base station, a first serving gateway (SGW) device, and the home PGW device. The home PGW device may be operated by the second wireless network provider. In response to determining that the home PGW device is unresponsive, a backup PGW device may be identified. The backup PGW device may be operated by the first wireless network provider. The first SGW device may be instructed to establish intra-provider bearer paths that include the backup PGW device.

Abstract: A determination may be made that a region of the RAN is serving more than a threshold extent of WCDs configured for machine-to-machine communication. The region of the RAN may include a set of one or more wireless coverage areas, and each wireless coverage area in the set of wireless coverage areas may include at least one paging channel. The paging channel parameters of each wireless coverage area in the set of wireless coverage areas may be modified to increase a rate at which the RAN successfully pages WCDs via the set of wireless coverage areas.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system and apparatus to help manage UE context records. When a network controller detects that it is at or approaching a context record storage limit, such as might be imposed by license agreement for instance, the network controller offload one or more of its stored UE context records to another network controller to be stored temporarily by the other network controller until needed, even though the other network controller is not serving the UE(s) at issue.

Abstract: A radio access network (RAN) may receive indications from a wireless communication device (WCD). The RAN may support wireless communication via a plurality of non-overlapping frequency bands, and the plurality of non-overlapping frequency bands may include a low-frequency band and a high-frequency band. The low-frequency band and the high-frequency band may be separated by at least 5 megahertz. The indications may indicate signal strengths at which the WCD received signals from one or more frequencies in the low-frequency band and one or more frequencies the high-frequency band. The RAN may also receive a communication request from the WCD. Based at least in part on receiving the communication request, the RAN may select a frequency from the one or more frequencies in the low-frequency band and the one or more frequencies in the high-frequency band, and may instruct the WCD to communicate using the selected frequency.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and corresponding system for TTI bundling based on communication type. The method may involve receiving an indication of a wireless communication, where the wireless communication may be of a particular quality of service and a particular type. The method may further involve responsive to receiving the indication, (i) determining the particular type of the wireless communication and (ii) determining, based at least in part on the determined particular type of the wireless communication, TTI bundling with a bundling size, N, should be invoked for transmitting data of the wireless communication, where N>1. And the method may involve responsive to determining that TTI bundling with the bundling size N should be invoked for transmitting data of the wireless communication, invoking TTI bundling with the bundling size N for transmitting the data of the wireless communication.

Abstract: In systems and methods of allocating root sequences to access nodes, a first coverage radius and a first neighbor list of a first access node are determined, wherein the first neighbor list comprises second access nodes which are each a neighbor access node of the first access node. A second coverage radius and a second neighbor list of each of the second access nodes is then determined. An access node comprising a largest coverage radius from among the first access node and the second access nodes is selected. A number of root sequences required for the selected access node is calculated based on the coverage radius of the selected access node, and root sequences are assigned to the selected access node according to the number of root sequences required.

Abstract: A network node through which VoIP call setup signaling passes between a user equipment device (UE) and a VoIP call server detects VoIP call setup failure and responsively invokes setup of an alternate call between the UE and the called destination. For instance, a packet-gateway in an LTE network may detect VoIP call setup failure and may responsively invoke setup of a circuit-switched fallback call between the UE and the called destination.

Abstract: Systems and methods for allocating a frequency band in a wireless communication network are provided. An access node can transmit a first system information message. The first system information message can include a first service identifier associated with a first service and a second service identifier associated with a second service to indicate availability of the first service and the second service over a frequency band. The access node can receive instructions to discontinue transmitting the second service identifier within the first system information message. The access node can transmit a second system information message after receiving instructions to discontinue transmitting the second service identifier. The second system information message can include only the first identifier to indicate availability of only the first service over the frequency band.

Abstract: The air interface between a first node and a second node will span a frequency bandwidth defining two distinct portions, and acknowledgement message transmission such as Hybrid-ARQ message transmission will make use of those distinct portions to distinguish ACKs from NACKs. In particular, ACKs may be restricted to being transmitted within one portion of the frequency bandwidth, while NACKs may be restricted to being transmitted in different portion of the frequency bandwidth. Consequently, when the first node transmits data to the second node and receives an acknowledgement message sent in response from the second node, the first node may determine, based on which portion of the frequency bandwidth the first node received the acknowledgement message in, whether the acknowledgement message is an ACK or rather a NACK.