Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for enhanced setpoint adjustment during extended frame decoding. In accordance with an example embodiment, upon determining that a frame transmission from an access terminal has not been successfully decoded during a nominal frame period, a base station will commence an extended decoding interval. The base station will also determine a transition point time that is within a range of times from the beginning to the end of the extended frame decoding interval. The determination of the transition point time will be based on the nominal setpoint in place during the preceding nominal frame period. Upon reaching the transition point time, the base station will increase the current (nominal) setpoint. Accordingly, the setpoint for the access terminal may be increased at a point in time that precedes the completion of the extended decoding interval.

Abstract: Exemplary methods and systems are disclosed herein that may, among other benefits, help a mobile station to conserve power by intelligently determining how often to scan for incoming pages. An exemplary method may be carried out by a mobile station that has most-recently registered with a radio access network in a zone of last registration, and involves the mobile station (a) determining a location of the mobile station in relation to the zone of last registration, (b) using the location of the mobile station in relation to the zone of last registration as a basis for determining a scan period to wait between scans of the paging channel; and (c) periodically scanning the paging channel according to the determined scan period. Furthermore, an exemplary method may be carried out in order to conserve battery power when a mobile station determines that its battery power is low.

Abstract: Methods and devices for mitigating the impact of handoffs to non-preferred wireless coverage areas are presented. In particular, a RAN may determine that a first wireless communication device (WCD) and a second WCD are contending for a resource of a preferred wireless coverage area, and that both of the WCDs are likely to be handed off to different non-preferred wireless coverage areas if they are not granted the resource. Both WCDs may be subscribed to a home wireless service provider that also controls and/or operates the preferred wireless coverage area. The RAN may compare the roaming fees of a first non-preferred wireless coverage area with the roaming fees of a second non-preferred wireless coverage area. Based on the outcome of this comparison, the RAN may allocate the resource to the WCD that would likely incur higher roaming fees to the home wireless service provider if that WCD were to roam to a non-preferred wireless coverage area.

Abstract: A method and system for using call drop and re-origination data to trigger handoff of wireless communication devices. Handoff trigger data is established in response to detecting that at least one mobile station experienced a call drop and then quickly re-originated on a sector that was not included in the mobile station's active set at the time of the call drop. The handoff trigger data correlates a location where the call drop occurred with the sector on which re-origination occurred. When another mobile station is thereafter engaged in a call at or near that location and does not have the sector in its active set, a serving radio access network may direct the mobile station to handoff to the sector, in an effort to prevent a call drop.

Abstract: A method and system in which a wireless communication device that is registered for service with a roaming carrier network engages in peer-to-peer communication, via the roaming carrier network, with a home carrier server to notify the home carrier server of the device's roaming status and location. The home carrier server then determines that no home carrier base station provides coverage at the reported location, and the home carrier server responsively reconfigures (e.g., directs or causes one or more entities to reconfigure) a nearby home carrier base station so as to provide coverage at the reported location. And the device then receives in response from the home carrier server a directive to register with and be served by the nearby home carrier base station instead and transitions to be served by the nearby home carrier base station.

Abstract: A user selects a ringtone or other alert pattern that can be played to provide notification of an incoming call and provisions the user-selected alert pattern into a mobile station. The mobile station is communicatively coupled to a docking station. When the mobile station receives an incoming call, the docking station plays the user-selected alert pattern through one or more audio systems associated with the docking station.

Abstract: A wireless device may establish a data connection with a 2G or 3G wireless network, which the wireless device can then use to engage in packet data communications with other devices on packet data networks. The wireless device may then roam from one wireless network to the other wireless network, such by roaming from the 2G wireless network to the 3G wireless network or vice versa. The wireless device may then transfer its data connection between the networks, thereby allowing the wireless device to continue in any established data sessions with other devices.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for shifting the phase of a PN long code for access attempts by an access terminal in a wireless communication network. An access terminal may seek to acquire access from a base station that is detected by the access terminal above a threshold power level, even if the access terminal is further away from the base station than a threshold distance beyond which access is not normally granted. According to one embodiment, the access terminal will, upon determining that it is beyond the threshold distance, embed in an access request message an apparent distance that is smaller than the threshold distance, by phase-shifting a timing signal and encoding the access request message with the phase-shifted timing signal. The access terminal will then transmit the access request message on an air interface communication link to the base station.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and system for extending MIMO service in a wireless communications system. The system comprises a base station, a remote system, and a host system communicatively coupled to the base station and the remote system. The base station is configured to generate, from a baseband signal, a downlink signal comprising a plurality of downlink signal streams, including at least a first downlink signal stream and a second downlink signal stream. Accordingly, the base station may include a first and a second antenna that are configured to transmit the first and second downlink signal streams, respectively. The remote system provides wireless service in a remote coverage area. Further, the remote system is configured to transmit a downlink signal as a plurality of downlink signal streams. The host system is communicatively coupled to the base station and to the remote system and configured to relay the downlink signal streams from the base station to the remote system.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed to help improve accuracy of location determination for a wireless communication device. An exemplary method involves: (a) at a wireless communication device operating in a radio access network, making a determination that the wireless communication device is likely to lose global positioning system (GPS) connectivity; (b) in response to the determination, powering on a GPS receiver to receive GPS location data for the wireless communication device; and (c) powering off the GPS receiver and storing the received GPS location data.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for modifying a data-synchronization interval for an access terminal based on a number of access terminals being served by a wireless access point in a coverage area. In at least one embodiment, an access terminal periodically polls at least one network device via the access point for synchronization data according to a first data-synchronization interval. The access terminal receives from the access point information indicative of a number of access terminals being served by the access point in the coverage area. The access terminal determines a second data-synchronization interval based at least in part on a comparison of the number to a threshold value. Subsequent to determining the second data-synchronization interval, the access terminal periodically polls the at least one network device for synchronization data according to the second data-synchronization interval.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for dynamic adaptation of reverse-link power control based on the distribution of ATs implementing different protocol versions. An access terminal in a wireless communication system that includes a base station may operate in a first state in which, at least, the access terminal uses a first protocol for determining and adjusting transmission power on a reverse link of an air interface with the base station. While operating in the first state, responsive to receiving a protocol version message from the base station on a forward link of the air interface, the access terminal will transition to operating in a second state in which, at least, the access terminal uses a second protocol for determining and adjusting transmission power on the reverse link of the air interface with the base station. The first protocol is different from the second protocol.

Abstract: A mobile station has a transmitter, a first receiver, and a second receiver, each of which can be configured to use a first radio access technology and a second radio access technology. The mobile station uses the transmitter and the first receiver to engage in a communication session via a serving base station that uses the first radio access technology. When a degradation in quality of the communication session is detected, the mobile station evaluates a target base station by transmitting a trial communication to the serving base station and receiving, through the second receiver, a trial response from a target base station. The target base station uses the second radio access technology. If the trial response is acceptable, the mobile station requests a handover of the communication session to the target base station. The mobile station may select the target base station from a multi-technology neighbor list.

Abstract: A method and system to allow wireless devices, such as wirelessly-equipped digital cameras, to gain wireless packet-data connectivity and to interact with a media management server, such as a photo server. A wireless carrier distributes multiple devices all having the same set of radio access data (e.g., mobile identification number and electronic serial number), and all having shared or unique pre-registration data. Any such device can then readily use the shared radio access data to acquire radio connectivity and can then use the pre-registration data to gain access to the media management server. The first time such a device connects with the media management server using the pre-registration data, the server will engage in a online account registration session with the device and provision the device with post-registration data that the device can thereafter use to access the online account.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed of assisting a user of a telephone device to manage their account with a telephone service provider. The method includes a step of displaying to the user a graphical display of current charges on their account together with an indicia indicating a spending limit associated with the account. The graphical display is designed such that the proximity of the sum of the current charges to the spending limit is displayed. The method further includes providing a display feature whereby the user can change the display to further display the current charges for the account, in addition to a charge for service by the telephone service provider which has not yet been incurred, such as for example the next monthly service charge. The graphical display of the spending limit gauge can take a variety of forms, such as bar graphics, or pie-chart. In one embodiment, the displays are presented on the display of a wireless telephone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for handing off packet-transmission between sectors of a wireless communication system is disclosed herein. During transmission of a packet from an access network to an access terminal, the access terminal determines that the packet should theoretically be transmitted to the access terminal in fewer timeslots in another sector than the number of allowed timeslots remaining for the packet transmission in a current sector. In response, the access terminal abandons packet transmission in the current sector and hands off to the other sector, in an effort to increase throughput and save air interface resources.

Abstract: Methods and systems for assigning a wireless communication device (WCD) to a wireless coverage are a based on early termination gain (ETG) are presented. In particular, a RAN may receive a request, from a WCD, for an assignment to one of a plurality of wireless coverage areas. In response to receiving the request, the RAN may select a wireless coverage area of the plurality that has a highest ETG, and assign the WCD to the selected wireless coverage area. Prior to selecting this wireless coverage area, the RAN may optionally remove one or more wireless coverage areas with high utilization from consideration.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for enhanced idle-state sector selection during hybrid-mode operation of an access terminal. A hybrid access terminal engaged in an IS-856 data communication session in a hybrid IS-2000/IS-856 wireless communication system will, responsive to a handoff of the IS-856 session, select a sector for its next, upcoming IS-2000 idle-state scan prior to the start of the scan. The selection will be made during an interval between IS-2000 idle-state scans, thereby reducing or eliminating the possible need for idle-state handoffs during idle-state scans, and resulting in shorter idle-state scans and better IS-856 performance.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for synchronization among access terminals of periodic computations of time-averaged measures of noise-indication messages received from the base station. An access terminal in a wireless communication system that includes a base station will set a reference time for synchronization with at least one other access terminal of periodic computations of time-averaged measures of noise-indication messages received from the base station. The access terminal will then synchronize a start time of periodic intervals for computing time-averaged measures of periodic noise-indication messages received from the base station with the reference time, and determine rates for transmission of data to the base station based at least on the time-averaged measures computed for the periodic intervals. The access terminal will the transmit data to the base station at the determined rates.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for adjusting wireless access coverage based on backhaul capacity. A base station, such as a femtocell, will determine the capacity of its backhaul connection in the downlink direction. The base station will then adjust the power level of it forward link to help ensure that the forward-link data rate to an access terminal is approximately matched to the determined capacity of its backhaul connection. In an example embodiment, the base station will adjust the power level of its pilot until the access terminal is requesting a forward-link data rate commensurate with the downlink rate on the backhaul connection.