Abstract: Mitigating co-channel interference includes instructing a first access node to deploy a first radio air interface utilizing a first frequency band over a first default coverage area, instructing the first access node to deploy a second radio air interface utilizing a second frequency band over a first reduced coverage area, instructing a second access node to deploy a third radio air interface utilizing the first frequency band over a second reduced coverage area, and instructing the second access node to deploy a fourth radio air interface utilizing a second frequency band over a second default coverage area.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and processing nodes for performing carrier aggregation in a wireless network include associating a primary usage type of an application running on a wireless device with a characteristic of a first carrier based on at least a first frequency band utilized by the first carrier, associating a secondary usage type of the application with a characteristic of a second carrier based on at least a second frequency band utilized by the second carrier, assigning the first carrier as a primary carrier for the wireless device when operating in a carrier aggregation mode, and assigning the second carrier as a secondary carrier for the wireless device when operating in the carrier aggregation mode.

Abstract: Device-to-device (D2D) transmissions by a wireless device may interfere with base station reception of other signals. To mitigate this interference, the wireless device estimates the path loss between itself and the base station. The path loss and the current D2D transmission power level are used to estimate the amount of interference the base station is experiencing as a result of the D2D transmissions from the wireless device. Based on the estimated interference experienced by the base station, the wireless device increases the robustness of the MCS being used and decreases the transmission power level by a corresponding amount. By decreasing the D2D transmission power level, less interference will be experienced by the base station. By increasing the robustness of the MCS, the impact of the reduced D2D transmission power level is mitigated.

Abstract: Beamforming in massive MIMO networks includes monitoring a signal condition such as pathloss of wireless devices and, based thereon, selecting a type of reference signal for the wireless devices, the type selected from among a non-precoded reference signal, a beamformed reference signal, or a standard reference signal. Further, an MCS of the wireless devices is monitored and, based thereon, the type of reference signal is adjusted.

Abstract: In a wireless communication system including a group of base stations, the base stations are all configured to operate on a common wideband carrier, and each base station is further configured to operate on a narrowband carrier defined as a guest carrier within the frequency range of the wideband carrier, with each base station's narrowband carrier being non-overlapping in frequency with each other base station's narrowband carrier. Further, each base station could be configured to avoid allocation of air-interface resources on the common wideband carrier that would overlap in frequency with the narrowband carrier on which any other base station of the group is configured to operate within the wideband carrier.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mechanism to help a user equipment device (UE) transmit multiple distinct bit streams concurrently to a base station with reduced risk of interference. The UE will orthogonally encode the multiple distinct bit streams using orthogonal binary codes to produce orthogonally encoded bit streams, and the UE will add the orthogonally coded bit streams together to produce a resulting bit stream and will transmit that resulting bit stream on an antenna path to the base station. Upon receipt of the transmitted bit stream, the base station could then apply the same orthogonal binary codes to the bit stream in order to extract the underlying multiple distinct bit streams.

Abstract: When a base station has reason to increase the extent of MU-MIMO service that it can provide or in other contexts, the base station could select at least one of the base station's served UEs to have its MIMO rank reduced, with the selecting being based at least on a determination that the selected UE has had a threshold high rate of data retransmissions such as a threshold high rate of HARQ retransmissions for instance.

Abstract: A method for controlling handover of a user equipment device (UE) between (i) a first cell site that provides dual-connectivity service on a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RAT and (ii) a second cell site that provides standalone first-RAT service, wherein the handover includes transitioning the UE from source first-RAT service to target first-RAT service. The method includes setting a handover threshold to use as a basis to evaluate whether target first-RAT coverage detected by the UE is sufficiently stronger than source first-RAT coverage detected by the UE, where setting the handover threshold includes setting the handover threshold to a value selected based on whether the UE has detected that second-RAT coverage of the first cell site meets a defined threshold measurement threshold. Further, the method includes applying the set handover threshold as a basis to control whether to invoke the handover of the UE.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and processing nodes are configured to manage data throughput of wireless devices in a wireless network, such as a network that employs MIMO techniques, by receiving a request from a wireless device to operate in the wireless network using a first communication protocol, the wireless network deploying communications with wireless devices using at least two communication protocols simultaneously determining that a value associated with data rate used by a set of wireless devices in the wireless network using at least one of the at least two communication protocols exceeds a threshold value, and adjusting an operating parameter of a multi-element antenna for communicating signals between an access node and the plurality of wireless devices in the wireless network using the first communication protocol when it is determined that the value exceed the threshold value.

Abstract: Adjusting handover thresholds includes identifying a channel bandwidth of a first carrier deployed by an access node, wherein the first carrier is one of at least two carriers deployed by the access node and, for a wireless device attached to a second carrier deployed by the access node, adjusting a handover threshold based on the channel bandwidth of the first carrier, and/or the frame configuration deployed by the second carrier. The wireless device is assigned to a high power class and capable of operating in a carrier aggregation mode utilizing the first and second carriers.

Abstract: A base station that is configured to provide first-RAT service on multiple carriers will reserve at least one of the carriers for use in providing UEs with dual-connectivity service on the first RAT and a second RAT, and the base station will reserve at least one other of the carriers for use in providing UEs with standalone first-RAT service. For instance, a 4G base station that is configured to provide 4G service on multiple 4G carriers could reserve at least one of those 4G carriers for use in providing UEs with EN-DC service (where each UE would be served concurrently on a 5G carrier as well) and could reserve another one of those 4G carriers for use in providing UEs with standalone 4G service.

Abstract: Allocating resources in a wireless network utilizing SU-MIMO and MU-MIMO modes of operation includes determining an increase in a resource usage of MU-MIMO wireless devices and responsive to the determining, reducing an allocation of resources for one or more SU-MIMO wireless devices. These operations may be performed based on determining that a load level associated with a serving access node rises to meet a threshold.

Abstract: In a wireless communication system where a wireless access network includes a base station providing coverage in which to serve devices and where the wireless access network provides connectivity with an Internet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), a method and system to help manage network resources by dynamically controlling when setup of a dedicated bearer will be invoked for a packet-based call placed by a device served by the base station. If the base station is lightly loaded, then setup of dedicated bearer could be invoked before the called party answers the call. Whereas, if the base station is heavily loaded, then setup of the dedicated bearer could be invoked if and when the called party has answered.

Abstract: Mitigating interference in such potential interference areas of a wireless communication network includes determining that a first sector associated with a first wireless air interface and configured with a first subcarrier spacing is facing a second sector associated with a second wireless air interface and configured with a second subcarrier spacing, wherein the first and second subcarrier spacings are different, and assigning resources towards the second sector in a different order than resources assigned to the first sector.

Abstract: A base station that provides coverage on at least one TDD carrier and at least one FDD carrier detects that the base station is serving a UE on just one or more of the TDD carrier(s) and that the UE is TDD-FDD CA capable. In response, the base station reconfigures the UE to change the UE's carrier prioritization from (i) prioritizing TDD over FDD to (ii) prioritizing FDD over TDD. For instance, if TDD carriers are defined in one or more frequency bands, and FDD carriers are defined in one or more other frequency bands, this could involve changing the UE's band prioritization to cause the UE to prefer connecting on TDD.

Abstract: A method and system to help address this issue. When a device is within coverage of a cell that operates with a particular TDD configuration, the device will determine based on its location a set of one or more TDD frame configurations that the device would support, which could be based on maximum uplink transmission power of the UE, permitted maximum transmission power in the location, and uplink duty cycle defined by each of the various TDD configurations. The UE will then control whether or not it will be served by the cell based on whether the TDD configuration of the cell is within the determined set.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling application of MU-MIMO. The disclosure provides for considering a device's block error rate (BLER) as a basis to decide whether to provide the device with MU-MIMO service. For instance, a base station could determine which of the base station's served devices each have threshold low BLER. And on at least that basis, the base station could select each such device to receive MU-MIMO service. Or faced with a choice between devices to receive MU-MIMO service, the base station could compare the devices' levels of BLER and could select the devices that have lower BLER to receive MU-MIMO service.

Abstract: A base station configures a TDD carrier to have a first TDD configuration for serving of a first UE and to have a second TDD configuration for serving of a second UE concurrently with the serving of the first UE. Such configuring causes the second UE to engage in an uplink communication in at least one subframe in which the first UE engages in a downlink communication, which could lead to interference issues. Therefore, the base station causes the second UE to apply uplink beamforming, so as to help minimize interference resulting from the second UE engaging in the uplink communication in the at least one subframe in which the first UE engages in the downlink communication.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for configuring service of a user equipment device (UE). When the UE has dual-connectivity service, such as EN-DC service, poor quality on one of the UE's air-interface connections could result in transition of the UE to single-connectivity service. To address technological issues that may arise in this process, one of the UE's serving Node-Bs (NBs) could control teardown of an access bearer homed to the other of the UE's serving NBs. Further or alternatively, a control-plane signaling path that is homed to one of the UE's serving NBs could be replaced with a control-plane signaling path instead homed to the other of the UE's serving NBs. In addition, in appropriate circumstances, when such reconfiguration occurs, service of the UE could be switched from one core network to another.

Abstract: A method and system for proactively managing a base station neighbor list. A base station or other network node tracks changes to the base station's neighbor list and identifies a recurring pattern of changes, in correspondence with a particular time of day for instance. The base station or other node then proactively changes the base station's neighbor list in anticipation of a recurrence of the identified pattern, such as in anticipation of recurrence of the time of day for instance. Advantageously, this method can help to reduce the extent to which the base station engages in an automatic neighbor relation process, and thus reduce the extent of signaling and other issues associated with engaging in that process.