Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for selectively enabling and disabling secondary-band radios via primary-band signaling. In one embodiment, at least one RAN entity provides service to a multi-band-capable access terminal that comprises a first radio arranged to communicate over a first radio band and a second radio arranged to communicate over a second radio band, wherein the access terminal is arranged to prefer the first radio band to the second. The at least one RAN entity makes a secondary-radio-disabling determination, which includes determining that the access terminal is located in a vicinity of a particular set of one or more base stations that operate on the second radio band. Responsive to making the secondary-radio-disabling determination, the at least one RAN entity sends to the first radio over the first radio band a command that the multi-band-capable access terminal disable the second radio.

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: 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 an initial transmit power to a particular WCD based on the particular WCD's altitude. For instance, if the particular WCD is above a threshold altitude, the RAN may set the initial transmit power to the WCD to a lower value. However, if the WCD is below the threshold altitude, the RAN may set the initial transmit power to the WCD to a higher value, to overcome low-altitude signal obstructions. As a result, RAN and WCD performance may improve.

Abstract: A wireless communication device (WCD) may transmit a first sequence of access probe messages to a radio access network (RAN) via a first wireless coverage area. The WCD may then transmit a second sequence of access probe messages to the RAN via a second wireless coverage area. Based on the first wireless coverage area being more preferable to the WCD than the second wireless coverage area, the WCD may use a negative inter-sequence power step for the power levels at which the WCD transmits the access probe messages of the first and second sequences. Thus, the WCD may transmit the first access probe message of the second sequence at a lower power than the first access probe message of the first sequence.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system is provided to help mitigate sector congestion. In one embodiment of the method, a RAN entity evaluates load among sectors of a tracking area and determines that the load is at least a threshold level of load. In response, the RAN entity enlarges the tracking area. In another embodiment of the method, when the RAN entity makes a decision to reconfigure a tracking area, it may consider one or more factors when determining how to reconfigure. In one example, the RAN entity may identify a particular border sector that has at least a threshold level of load or is a border sector in another network. Responsively, the RAN may reconfigure the tracking area such that the identified border sector is no longer a border sector. Other examples are possible.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and corresponding system to help improve inter-frequency handoff. While a radio access network (RAN) is serving one or more devices, the RAN will receive from the device(s) one or more reports of air interface quality on each of a plurality of potential target frequency channels. Dynamically based on the reported air interface quality information, the RAN will then select a given one of the potential target frequency channels to be a preferred target frequency channel. When a given device is fading from coverage, the RAN will then direct the device to scan for coverage on the preferred target frequency channel that was selected based on the earlier reported measures of air interface quality, so as to facilitate inter-frequency handoff.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for pre-sending content size information so that content objects that might exceed the client device's resources are not sent in subsequent content transmissions. For example, a network node may receive from a content server a content message directed to a client device, wherein the content message includes a plurality of object references, each referencing respectively an object that is not contained in the content message. The network node may determine an object size of at least one of the objects and a supported content size for the client device. Based upon the determined object size and the determined supported content size of the client device, the network node may modify the content message by removing the object reference referencing the at least one object and then send the modified content message to the client device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for managing usage of traffic-channel resources in an access network, which are preferably resources that are reserved during a traffic channel assignment (TCA) process. An exemplary method comprises (i) a base station determining a usage level of at least one traffic-channel resource in a coverage area of the access network; (ii) based at least in part on the determined usage level, updating one or more TCA parameters affecting expected usage of the traffic-channel resource resulting from the TCA process; and (iii) performing the TCA process according to the updated TCA parameters. Preferably the usage level is determined for Medium Access Control Identifiers (MAC_IDs). Further, the access-channel occupancy (ACO) may be determined and the base station may further base the updating of TCA parameters on the ACO. In an exemplary embodiment, the updated TCA parameters include the TCA count and/or the TCC wait timer.

Abstract: Embodiments may involve the adjustment of the way in which coverage areas are included in the active set of a wireless communication device (WCD), based on the codec that is currently associated with the WCD. An illustrative method involves a radio access network (RAN): (a) determining a codec that is associated with a WCD; (b) using the associated codec as a basis for determining a value for at least one active-set parameter for the WCD; and (c) sending a message to the WCD, wherein the message indicates the determined value for the at least one active-set parameter.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for comparative-throughput triggered handoff. According to one embodiment of the method, the RAN may determine that a higher priority AT is receiving a lower level of throughput than a lower priority AT in the same sector, and as a response, the RAN will cause the higher priority AT to hand off from the current serving sector. According to another embodiment of the method, the RAN may identify which of the ATs being served in a particular sector are receiving lower than a threshold level of throughput, and subsequently determine the highest service priority level of these identified ATs. The RAN will then cause one or more of the identified ATs that have the highest service priority level to hand off from the current serving sector.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for managing transmission of data in upcoming timeslots on an air interface. A radio access network detects that in the upcoming timeslots, less than a threshold portion of currently-contending devices are scheduled to receive transmissions, and the radio access network responsively de-schedules a number of the devices and schedules in their place a greater number of other devices, where the newly scheduled devices have higher forward link data rates than the de-scheduled devices.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for helping to manage advanced handoff to a coverage area based on correlation with a geographic region. A mobile station determines that it is in or approaching a defined geographic region, and the mobile station determines from correlation data that the geographic region is correlated with a particular cellular coverage area. The mobile station therefore requests handoff to the cellular coverage area and provides an advanced-handoff indication to cause the serving radio access network to maintain assignment of a radio connection in the coverage area longer than the network would normally, to help allow time for the mobile station to arrive at the coverage area and begin communicating on the radio connection with the network.

Abstract: In a system and method of determining a link capacity between an access node and a wireless device in a wireless communication network, sending over a communication link from the access node to the wireless device a plurality of packets comprising a packet size and a data length based on a modulation and coding scheme assigned to the communication link, determining a dispersion of at least two of the packets sent to the wireless device, calculating an average dispersion rate based on the determined dispersion of the at least two packets and the data length, and determining an available link capacity based on the packet size and the average dispersion rate.

Abstract: In systems and methods of detecting a wireless device utilizing unauthorized tethering, a plurality of wireless devices in communication with an access node is detected, and a suspect device list of wireless devices which are not authorized for tethering is determined from among the plurality of detected wireless devices. An expected hop value is stored for each suspect device, a data packet is received from each suspect device, and a first hop value is determined for each suspect device. Based on a first comparison of the expected hop value and the first hop value at least one suspect device is identified as performing unauthorized tethering.

Abstract: A wireless communication device (WCD) may receive a communication from an initiating party. The communication may be associated with a communication application, and may include a communication-application identifier that identifies the initiating party. The WCD may check whether a contacts list for the WCD contains user name data associated in the contacts list with the communication-application identifier. Upon determining that the contacts list does not contain such user name data, the WCD may querying a network server (NS) to request user name data associated with the communication-application identifier, receive from the NS a reply containing particular name data associated with the communication-application identifier along with additional communication-application user identifiers, each of which is also associated with the particular name data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for helping to reduce latency that may arise from requesting retransmission of non-received packets. A device carrying out the method may be arranged to not send negative acknowledgements for non-received packets. Further, in an implementation where the device is to send for each packet of an incoming sequence either a positive acknowledgement indicating that the device received the packet or a negative acknowledgement indicating that the device did not receive the packet (and constituting a request for retransmission of the packet), the device will send for each packet a positive acknowledgement regardless of whether the device received the packet. The device will thus send a positive acknowledgement for at least one packet even though the device did not receive the packet.

Abstract: Surveillance of the packet traffic of a user connected to a network such as the Internet pursuant to a duly authorized wiretap. In illustrated embodiments, the user uses wireless technology to access the network. A wiretap request is sent to a central server handling such requests. The central server will typically be associated with a service provider for the user, such as the user's Internet Service Provider (ISP) or wireless service provider. The surveillance request is forwarded to a network element serving the user's mobile device, such as a Mobile Access Gateway (MAG). Underlying content, for example email communications, web page requests and underlying web page content, is forwarded by the MAG to a surveillance server in a manner transparent to the user. The content is also forwarded to the destination.

Abstract: Application requirements of an application running on a wireless device are received. The wireless device is handed off from a first network to a second network when a first handoff criteria is met based on the application requirements, first network conditions, and second network conditions. A second network usage of the application is limited based on the application requirements and the second network conditions, and first network conditions are monitored while the application is running on the wireless device in communication with the second network. The wireless device is handed off from the second network to the first network when a second handoff criteria is met based on the application requirements, the first network conditions and the second network conditions.

Abstract: Methods and systems for efficiently using multiple paging channels in a wireless communication network are proposed. In particular, a radio access network (RAN) may determine that a wireless communication device (WCD), such as a cell phone, has not been responding to paging messages transmitted on a secondary paging channel. In response to this determination, the RAN may instruct the WCD to listen only to a primary paging channel, while the RAN will only use the primary paging channel to page the WCD. This, in turn, may increase the likelihood that the WCD is able to properly receive and respond to paging messages, and reduce the power consumption and battery drain of neighboring WCDs.

Abstract: In a system and method of determining a data flow metric in a wireless communication system, sending a plurality of test packets to a plurality of wireless devices in communication with an access node, determining a first inter-arrival gap and a first physical resource block-to-transmission time interval (PRB-TTI) ratio for each wireless device during a first time period, and a first comparison of the first inter-arrival gap to the first PRB-TTI ratio for each wireless device, determining a second inter-arrival gap and a second PRB-TTI ratio for each wireless device during a second time period, and a second comparison of the second inter-arrival gap to the second PRB-TTI ratio for each wireless device, and determining whether a data flow metric of the access node meets a data flow criteria based on the first and second comparisons.