Abstract: Methods and systems for supporting simple Internet Protocol (IP) with address translation in a proxy mobile IP (PMIP) gateway are presented. A PMIP gateway may be operable to serve wireless communication devices (WCDs) via either a PMIP mode or a simple IP with address translation mode. While the PMIP gateway is serving a given WCD in the simple IP with address translation mode, the PMIP gateway may determine that the given WCD is likely to be handed off to a network that requires the PMIP mode or a mobile IP mode. In response to making this determination, the PMIP gateway may switch to serve the given WCD with the PMIP mode.

Abstract: In situations in which a wireless communication device (WCD) is likely to roam, a radio access network (RAN) serving the WCD may increase the extent of simultaneous communication between the RAN and the WCD. In this way, the WCD is more likely to receive sufficiently strong signals from at least one wireless coverage area with which the WCD is communicating, potentially resulting in a decrease of the likelihood that the WCD roams. A determination that the WCD is likely to roam may be based on, for example, historical roaming data that was collected during the WCD's previous session(s) with the RAN or other RANs.

Abstract: While a first and second entity are engaging in a communication session on a wireless link, the first entity may be sending a series of power control commands (PCCs) directed to the second entity at a first transmission rate. Additionally, the first entity may monitor an actual and expected transmission-power adjustment of the second entity. Based on this monitored actual and expected transmission-power adjustment, the first entity may decide to alter the PCC transmission scheme for the second entity. For instance, if the monitored actual and expected transmission-power adjustment differs by a threshold extent, the power-controlling entity may decide to increase the PCC transmission rate for the power-controlled entity and/or increase the transmission-power adjustment instructed by PCCs directed to the second entity. In response, the first entity may begin sending the series of PCCs directed to the second entity according to the altered PCC transmission scheme.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing paging-channel resources, and in particular, dynamically adjusting the page-concatenation level based on PCO in a sector, are disclosed herein. An exemplary method involves (a) at an access network configured to page mobile stations via a paging channel of a sector in the access network, determining a paging channel occupancy (PCO) level for the sector; (b) using the determined PCO level as a basis for selecting a page-concatenation level to be used to page mobile stations in the sector, wherein the page-concatenation level is selected from a plurality of available page-concatenation levels; and (c) applying concatenation to pages to mobile stations in the sector according to the selected page-concatenation level.

Abstract: During a first time interval, an access point transmits orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals using a first cyclic prefix length. The access point selects a second cyclic prefix length based, at least in part, on the load of the access point. The access point transmits OFDM signals using the second cyclic prefix length during a second time interval. The load of the access point may be determined based on the amount of downlink data being buffered in the access point for transmission to one or more user devices.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for implementing a low-cost-Internet-base-station-(LCIB) user-adaptation algorithm. In an embodiment, an LCIB receives usage attempts from a plurality of mobile stations. The LCIB stores records corresponding to the usage attempts, where each record identifies the corresponding mobile station from which the corresponding usage attempt was received. The LCIB uses the records to classify each mobile station in the plurality of mobile stations as authorized or rather as unauthorized. The LCIB then configures its coverage area so as to exclude the unauthorized mobile stations.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and corresponding wireless communication device (WCD) arranged to control how often the device engages in background communication. For example, the WCD may programmatically evaluate a history of transmission power that it has used for transmitting to a serving radio access network. Based on that history of transmission power, the device may then determine how often it should engage in background communications and may set itself to engage in background communications at that determined frequency.

Abstract: A mobile station that is being served by a current sector receives a neighbor list that identifies a plurality of neighboring sectors and a respective priority for each neighboring sector. For each neighboring sector, the mobile station scans for the sector's pilot signal at a respective scanning frequency during a measurement interval. The scanning frequency for a sector defines how frequently the mobile station scans for the sector's pilot signal during the measurement interval. The mobile station selects a scanning frequency for a neighboring sector based on at least a signal strength of the current sector and the neighboring sector's priority. When the current sector's signal strength is high, the mobile station scans for high-priority sectors more frequently than low-priority sectors. When the current sector's signal strength is low, the mobile station scans for low-priority sectors more frequently than high-priority sectors.

Abstract: A method and system for coordinating allocation of network resources requested by a user for blended services. A plurality of service request messages are received by a network entity, the request messages corresponding to a plurality of services requested by the user. The total network resource requirements for the plurality of services is determined at the network entity, and a resource request is sent from the network entity to a resource management element in the network. If the total network resource requirements are successfully reserve, then the network entity proceeds with processing the request, for example by sending service initiation requests to one or more network servers on which the services are hosted. The network entity may thus keep a tally of all network resource requirements concurrently allocated to a user during delivery of the requested services.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for using voiceprint technology in CALEA surveillance. A media-analysis platform receives packets from a bearer element, the packets comprising media data representing a copy of at least part of a real-time media session. The bearer element is configured to initially send to the platform a copy of each of a plurality of media sessions that traverse the bearer element, and to stop sending a copy of a particular session in response to receiving an instruction from the platform. Responsive to receiving the packets, the platform compares the media data to at least one media-data profile, where each profile is associated with a target of surveillance. The platform determines whether the data matches any of the profiles. If the data does not match any of the profiles, the platform sends an instruction to the bearer element to stop sending the copy of the session.

Abstract: Methods and systems for efficient deployment of communication filters are presented. In an exemplary embodiment, a wireless communication device (WCD) attempts to register with a foreign agent and a home agent by using mobile IP. During this process, an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server receives a first message from the foreign agent, where the first message seeks to authenticate the WCD. The AAA server responds to the first message with a second message containing a filter to be applied to the WCD's communication. The AAA server than receives a third message containing the filter, and the AAA server responsively transmits a fourth message to the home agent, seeking to have the home agent apply the filter to the WCD's communication. In this way, communications between the home agent and the AAA server can be reduced because the home agent only communicates with the AAA server if the WCD is subject to a filter.

Abstract: Methods and systems for distributing ringtones are provided. A callee device, such as a cellular telephone, may receive an association request, via a communication network, that contains a reference to a ringtone and an identifier of a caller device. In response to receiving the association request, the callee device may form an association between the ringtone and the caller device. Then, upon receiving an indication that the caller device has initiated a call to the callee device, the callee device may play out the ringtone.

Abstract: Dynamic assignment of channel elements for operating as failover Overhead Channel Group channel elements. Preferred methods include configuring channel elements on a primary channel card to serve as an overhead channel group for each carrier in each sector, and, in the event of a primary channel card failure, dynamically configuring failover channel elements on an additional channel card to serve as an overhead channel group. These failover channel elements are preferably not reserved, and are merely channel elements that are not otherwise presently assigned to process traffic. Preferred methods also provide criteria for selecting which CEs to re-assign to the OCG.

Abstract: The described systems and methods allow for safer operation of a wireless communication device (WCD). The methods may be carried out at the WCD or at a wireless-communications network that interfaces to the WCD. A hands-free-audio (HFA) profile associated with the WCD may be set to enabled or disabled. A speed-condition of the WCD is determined and compared to a speed-threshold. If the speed-condition is greater than the speed-threshold and the HFA profile is enabled, then the WCD is operable to engage in wireless communications (e.g., voice calls or text messaging) via an HFA device associated with the WCD. If the speed-condition is greater than the speed-threshold and the HFA profile is set to disabled, then the WCD may prevent and/or postpone wireless communications from occurring. After the speed-condition is determined to be less than the speed-threshold, previously received communications (e.g., text messages) may be presented via the WCD.

Abstract: An Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network uses the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to provide communication services to mobile nodes. A short message service gateway (SMS-GW) in the IMS network receives a request to deliver a message to a mobile node. The SMS-GW determines whether the mobile node is IMS registered. If the mobile node is IMS registered, the SMS-GW may transmit a SIP MESSAGE request to a call session control function (CSCF) serving the mobile node in order to deliver the message to the mobile node. If the mobile node is SIP-capable but is not IMS registered, the SMS-GW may instead transmit a SIP MESSAGE request to the mobile node's IP address. To obtain the mobile node's IP address, the SMS-GW may query a domain name server (DNS) that stores associations between hostnames and IP addresses of mobile nodes.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems that may, among other possible benefits, help an access network to more quickly re-assign a forward traffic channel. An exemplary method involves an access network: (i) making a determination that a forward traffic channel is invalid, wherein the forward traffic channel is initially assigned to a first access terminal; and (ii) in response to the determination that the forward traffic channel is invalid: (a) after sending a first configuration message indicating that the forward traffic channel is invalid, waiting for at least a predetermined wait period before sending a second configuration message indicating that the forward traffic channel is valid; and (b) before the predetermined wait period has ended, making the forward traffic channel available for re-assignment to a second access terminal.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for providing a pilot-beacon on behalf of one or more base stations, such as one or more femtocells. A pilot-beacon transmitter, separate from the base stations, determines the locations of coverage areas of the base stations and then dynamically configures a pilot-beacon radiation pattern to encompass (approximately) the determined coverage areas. That way, a mobile station may detect the pilot beacon and initiate scanning of coverage provided by the base stations. Optimally, the method can be used to provide a pilot beacon for femtocells, thereby avoiding the need for the femtocells to include pilot beacon transmission functions and thus possibly decreasing the cost of the femtocells. The pilot-beacon transmitter or another entity may also be configured to receive and forward GPS signals to the base stations, possibly offsetting GPS timing based on measured delays for communication with the base stations.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for initiating a handoff of an access terminal based on EV-DO DRCLock. In an embodiment, an access node (i) makes a determination that a DRCLock is set for at least a threshold number of coverage areas in an active set for an access terminal operating on a first carrier in a first wireless network, and (ii) in response to making the determination, initiates a handoff of the access terminal from the first carrier to at least one of (a) a second carrier and (b) a second wireless network.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for identifying and selectively controlling reverse-noise contribution on a per-access terminal basis. In an embodiment, an access node provides wireless service to access terminals, and measures reverse noise rise (RNR) during at least one turn of a round-robin process involving access terminals taking turns transmitting data or taking turns not transmitting data. The access node thereby determines a respective RNR contribution of at least one access terminal based at least on the measurement of RNR taken during the access terminals' turns. A high-contributor set of one or more access terminals is identified and then instructed to reduce reverse-link transmission power.

Abstract: Methods for evaluating data packets addressed to a wireless communication device are disclosed herein. When in a dormant state, a wireless communication device receives page messages indicating a source of data packets addressed to the wireless communication device and determines whether the data packets represent unwanted traffic. When in an active state, the wireless communication device examines data packets to determine if the received packets represent unwanted traffic, and in response to determining that the traffic is unwanted, the wireless communication device transitions into a dormant state or enters an idle state from which the wireless communication can transition into the dormant state.