Abstract: After receiving an alert for distribution in a target geographic area, a wireless carrier network may identify a first set of one or more coverage areas that are entirely encompassed within the target geographic area and a second set of one or more coverage areas that are only partially encompassed within the target geographic area. In the first coverage-area set, the wireless carrier network may then broadcast the alert in a manner that directs a recipient device to output the alert regardless of the device's location. And in the second coverage-area set, the wireless carrier network may broadcast the alert in a manner that directs a recipient device to output the alert only if the device's location is encompassed within the target geographic area.

Abstract: During a communication session, a filter in the RAN may filter signals sent over the communication pathway. When the filter filters signals sent over communication pathway, it may also cause some filter loss in the signals. The amount of the filter loss may vary as a function of frequency. Before the start of a communication session, the RAN may determine a filter loss for a given frequency. Because a higher filter loss indicates the RAN will transmit (or receive) a weaker signal, it may be undesirable to transmit signals to WCDs that are located a far distance from the RAN with frequencies having high filter losses. Thus, once the RAN has determined a filter loss for a given frequency, the RAN may reserve the given frequency for use in communication between the RAN and at least one WCD based on a distance between the WCD and the RAN.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for disabling text messaging while driving. In one embodiment, a mobile station makes a first determination that it is moving at greater than a threshold rate. The mobile station makes a second determination that, while it is moving at greater than the threshold rate, an outgoing text message reflects more than a threshold degradation in typing proficiency. In response to making the first and second determinations, the mobile station disables a text-message-sending capability.

Abstract: Systems and methods of managing uneven data flow in a wireless communication system are provided. A network node can receive a load parameter of an access node. The network node can receive a measurement gap criteria of a wireless device in communication with the access node. The network node can receive a traffic characteristic associated with the wireless device. The network node can calculate an anticipated data burst based on the load parameter, the measurement gap criteria, and the traffic characteristic. The network node can determine an adjustment measurement gap criteria for the access node based on the anticipated data burst. The adjusted measurement gap criteria can be transmitted from the network node to the wireless device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a mechanism for dynamically varying the process of selecting cell sites to broadcast an alert message. The mechanism involves using the type or other characteristic of the alert message as a basis to choose a particular cell-site selection process or level of precision for defining cell site coverage. For example, given one type of alert message, a particular cell-site selection process and/or level of precision may be used to determine the cell sites in the target area, and given another type of alert message, a different cell-site selection process and/or level of precision may be used to determine the cell sites in the target area.

Abstract: A method and system to help manage latency in setup of fallback communications, such as circuit switched fallback calls for instance, by taking into account the load on various fallback carriers. When a first network is serving a device and engages in a process to facilitate setup of a communication for the device to be served by a second, fallback network, the first network will work with the second network to determine which local carriers of the second network are least loaded, and the first network will then direct the WCD to scan those determined least-loaded carriers in particular. This process may thus help to avoid having the WCD spend time scanning local carriers of the second network that the second network is unlikely to assign in any event due to loading.

Abstract: A mobility management entity (MME) may receive a request that identifies an access point name (APN) for a packet data connection for a wireless communication device (WCD). The APN may be authorized by the WCD according to a service profile in a home subscriber server (HSS), and the APN may be associated with a subscribed packet data policy. However, if the MME determines that it cannot validate the request (e.g., because the HSS is unreachable or non-responsive), the MME may send to a packet gateway a session request that identifies the WCD and includes a dummy APN. The dummy APN is associated with a substitute packet data policy that differs from the subscribed packet data policy. Based on the session request including the dummy APN, the packet gateway may establish a packet data session for the WCD in accordance with the substitute packet data policy.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for prioritizing time-division multiplexed communications resources at a femtocell. A femtocell initially provides time-division-multiplexed wireless service to a plurality of wireless communication devices (WCDs) using a first number of slots per cycle, each WCD in the plurality having at least one assigned slot. During the first time period, the femtocell detects a trigger. Responsive to detecting the trigger, the femtocell, in a second time period, switches to providing service using a second number of slots per cycle, the second number being less than the first number, such that a first WCD in the plurality does not have an assigned slot.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for coordinating codec consistency across wireless coverage areas. When a new communication session is set up for an access terminal in a given wireless coverage of a wireless communication system, a network device, such as a base station, can determine a coding rate to assign for the new session in a manner that accounts for network capacity variations across the wireless coverage areas. The network device can determine a weighted average of coding rates supported in a given wireless coverage area and in each of one or more neighboring wireless coverage areas. Weighting factors in the weighted average can account for rates of inbound and outbound handoffs from and to the neighboring wireless coverage areas. The network device can then select a coding rate for the new communication session based on the determined weighted average.

Abstract: A multi-mode mobile station includes a first interface for wireless communication with a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a second interface for wireless communication with a wireless wide area network (WWAN). A call control system routes all calls to and from the multi-mode mobile station through a media gateway that serves as an anchor point for handoffs between the WLAN and WWAN. For example, while involved in a call that has a WLAN call leg from the media gateway, the multi-mode mobile transmits a handoff request. The call control system then establishes a WWAN call leg from the media gateway, and the multi-mode mobile station stores in a buffer any media received via the WWAN call leg. The call control system subsequently transmits a handoff instruction to the multi-mode mobile station. In response, the multi-mode mobile station plays out the stored media and drops the WLAN call leg.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for dynamically controlling active-to-dormant timers in radio access networks (RANs). One embodiment takes the form of a method that involves a system detecting a triggering event, and responsively identifying a current access-channel occupancy (ACHO). The method further involves the system increasing an active-to-dormant timer for at least one access terminal when the identified current ACHO exceeds a first threshold, and decreasing an active-to-dormant timer for at least one access terminal when the identified current ACHO is less than a second threshold.

Abstract: A method and corresponding device and system to provide a real-time call announcement to a called device. According to the method, a called device begins receiving call announcement media without having first engaged in session setup signaling to set up a session through which to receive the call announcement media. In normal operation, the device would disregard such incoming media, since no session has been set up for receiving the media. As disclosed, however, the device will also receive at about the same time a call setup request that seeks setup of the underlying call, and the device will treat its receipt of that call setup request as a key to allow playout of the call announcement media even though no session has been set up for receipt of the call announcement media. The called device will then play out the call announcement media as an announcement for the call.

Abstract: A plurality of client devices may each run on battery power and each experience respective battery usage while in a respective operational state. A server may receive, from the plurality of client devices, a plurality of reports correlating the client devices' respective operational states with the client devices' respective battery usage. Based on the reports, the server may identify at least two client devices in the plurality that reported a common operational state. The server may further determine a representative battery usage for the common operational state, and use this representative battery usage to predict battery usage for a particular client device that is in the common operational state. Then, the server may instruct the particular client device to take an action based upon the predicted battery usage.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for conserving battery charge of a wireless communication device (WCD). A radio access network (RAN) and a WCD communicate with data encoded based on one of two codecs. By default, the RAN and the WCD communicate based on a first codec of the two codecs. Communication based on the first codec provides a high-quality audio signal between the RAN and WCD but uses more battery charge. When the battery charge decreases, the WCD can communicate a low-battery indicator to the RAN. Upon receiving the low-battery indicator, the RAN enables a transcoder configured to convert the data encoded based on the first codec into data encoded based on the second codec. After transcoding, RAN and the WCD communicate with based on the second codec. Communication based on the second codec provides a lower-quality audio signal between the RAN and WCD but uses less battery charge.

Abstract: A primary mobile station engaged in a communication session via a radio access network (RAN) may receive forward link communications over a forward link channel and transmit reverse link communications over a reverse link channel. If the quality of the communication session degrades, the primary mobile station may involve a secondary mobile station by establishing a short-range wireless communication link with the secondary mobile station, e.g., using Bluetooth™, IEEE 802.11, or other wireless communication protocol. The primary mobile station may then transmit reverse link communications to the RAN over the reverse link channel and also transmit the reverse link communications to the secondary mobile station, via the short-range wireless communication link, for transmission to the RAN. The RAN may receive the reverse link communications from the primary and secondary mobile stations as two distinct reverse link signals, which the RAN may combine together to achieve a diversity gain.

Abstract: A method and system for selectively re-initiating bearer connections upon communication failure. In a scenario where a gateway provides connectivity with an application server for numerous user equipment devices (UEs), when gateway communication with the application server fails, a determination may be made as to which UEs recently missed communication from the application server, and those determined UEs may be paged to re-initiate their bearer connections and to re-establish gateway registration with an appropriate application server.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system to help manage wireless service in a scenario where a UE is served by a first RAN and begins being served by a second RAN. In accordance with the disclosure, a determination may then be made of whether the UE will likely engage in at least a threshold extent of scanning for coverage of the first RAN while the UE is being served by the second RAN. If the determination is affirmative, the UE may then be caused to not scan for coverage of the first RAN while the UE is being served by the second RAN. Whereas, if the determination is negative, the UE may be allowed to scan for coverage of the first RAN while the UE is being served by the second RAN.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system to help maintain continuity of service level for a client device, such as where the client device is being served by an access network in accordance with a set of policy rules and the client device is going to stop being served by that access network and may then be served by another network. To help provide service continuity, the serving access network may detect that the client device is going to stop being served by the access network, and, responsively but before the client device stops being served by the access network, the access network or another entity may provision the client device with one or more service policy rules that the client device itself may then apply when the client device is no longer being served by the access network, such as when the client device is being served by another network instead.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems to authenticate a UE to grant the UE access to a voicemail account. A network entity and a UE may exchange a secure key that may then be used to authenticate the UE with the voicemail server. The exchange of the secure key may be triggered in response to receiving a user request to access a voicemail account at a voicemail server. The UE may then include the received secure key in an origination request seeking to set up a call to the voicemail server, and the voicemail server may authenticate the UE by comparing the secure key received in the origination request with the secure key most recently transmitted to the UE. If the received secure key is the same as the most recently transmitted secure key, the UE is authenticated.

Abstract: In systems and methods of access node selection, signal level criteria and a signal quality criteria are provided, and a received signal level and a received signal quality are determined based on a signal from the access node to the wireless device. An application requirement is determined of an application running on the wireless device. Based on a comparison of the received signal level and the signal level criteria, a comparison of the received signal quality and the signal quality criteria, and the application requirement, the wireless device is instructed to perform an initial access procedure with the access node.