Abstract: A method and system for dynamically controlling connectivity of a user equipment device (UE) when the UE has standalone connectivity with a first access node under a first radio access technology (RAT). An example method includes the UE detecting that the UE is within threshold strong coverage of a second access node under a second RAT, and the UE making a selection between (i) responsively handing over from the first access node to the second access node and (ii) having dual-connectivity with the first access node and the second access node. Further, the example method includes the UE informing the first access node of the UE's selection, perhaps together with an inter-RAT measurement report reporting that the UE is within threshold strong coverage of the second access node, and the first access node responsively taking action in accordance with the UE's selection.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling processing by a data server. An example method includes a computing system receiving from a client entity a request for information, and, responsive to receiving from the client entity the request, the computing system (i) determining, based on the client entity from which the computing system received the request, a processing time limit for the data server to apply in processing a query for the information and (ii) generating and sending to the data server the query, including in the query an indication of the determined processing time limit. The data server could thus receive and process the query and impose the specified processing time limit on the processing of the received query.

Abstract: In a system where a first node provides a first area of TDD coverage on a first TDD carrier using a first TDD configuration and an adjacent second node provides a second area of TDD coverage on a second TDD carrier using a different second TDD configuration, the first node could additionally provide an area of FDD coverage on a first FDD carrier, including causing the area of FDD coverage to sit at least partially between the first and second areas of TDD coverage and therefore to define a spatial buffer between the first and second areas of TDD coverage. For instance, the first access node could restrict its service on the first TDD carrier to be for user equipment devices (UEs) that are relatively close to the first access node and could restrict its service on the first FDD carrier to be for UEs that are relatively far away from the first access node.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling application of TTI bundling on a carrier on which an access node provides service, the carrier defining air-interface resources. An example method includes detecting that at least a predefined threshold number of devices of a predefined class (e.g., IoT devices) are connected with the access node on the carrier. Further, the example method includes, responsive to the detecting that at least the predefined threshold number of devices of the predefined class are connected with the access node on the carrier, proactively reserving a portion of the air-interface resources for use to serve communications between the access node and the devices of the predefined class and, in view of the proactive reserving of the portion of the air-interface resources, imposing a reduction in the application of the TTI bundling by the access node on the carrier.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems to facilitate management of carriers to help ensure QoS for single-carrier UEs. In particular, a base station may serve one or more first user equipment devices (UEs) on just a first carrier. While doing so, the base station may determine that each of the one or more first UEs being served on just the first carrier is receiving threshold low quality of service from the base station on the first carrier. Responsive to this determining, the base station may (i) select one or more second UEs based on the one or more second UEs being served by the base station on both the first carrier and one or more other carriers and (ii) discontinue serving each selected second UE on the first carrier while continuing to serve each selected second UE on one or more other carriers.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling configuration of dual-connectivity service for a user equipment device (UE), where the dual-connectivity service would involve the UE being served concurrently by a first access node over a first connection according to a first radio access technology (RAT) and by a second access node over a second connection according to a second RAT. An example method includes selecting the second access node to be used in the dual-connectivity service of the UE, with the selecting being based cooperatively on (i) a power class of the UE and (ii) a quantity of receive antennas of the second access node. And the example method further includes, based on the selecting, configuring the dual-connectivity service for the UE.

Abstract: A base station or an associated control entity determines when base station's air interface is threshold highly loaded or is predicted to be threshold highly loaded, and the base station responsively reduces the number of transmit antennas that the base station uses. Further, the base station or associated control entity could determine when the base station's air interface is no longer actually or predicted to be threshold highly loaded, and the base station could responsively increase the number of transmit antennas that the base station uses, such as by reverting to use a default number of antennas. Reducing the number of transmit antennas that the base station uses when its air interface is threshold highly loaded may help to increase air-interface capacity by reducing resource consumption from transmission of reference signals associated with the transmit antennas.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling configuration of a relay, where the relay has a coverage footprint and provides service on a first air interface having a frequency bandwidth, and where the relay is served by a donor access node over a second air interface on which the donor access node provides service. Per the disclosure, an entity detects that load on the second air interface on which the donor access node provides service is threshold high, and in response to at least that detecting, the relay is made to reduce the coverage footprint of the relay and/or to reduce the frequency bandwidth of the first air interface on which the relay provides service.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling dual-connectivity service in a system where a first access node provides service on a first air interface and a second access node provides service on a second air interface, and where (i) in a single-connection-uplink mode for the dual-connectivity service, uplink user-plane communication is carried on just the second air interface and (ii) in a split-uplink mode for the dual-connectivity service, uplink user-plane communication is split between the first air interface and the second air interface. An example method includes determining an uplink Multi-User Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) grouping efficiency of the second air interface and, based on the determined uplink MU-MIMO grouping efficiency of the second air interface, controlling whether to provide the dual-connectivity service in the single-connection-uplink mode or rather in the split-uplink mode.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling data split of a dual-connected user equipment device (UE) when the UE has at least two co-existing air-interface connections including a first air-interface connection with a first access node and a second air-interface connection with a second access node. An example method includes (i) comparing a level of insertion loss of the first air-interface connection with a level of insertion loss of the second air-interface connection, (ii) based at least on the comparing, establishing a split ratio that defines a distribution of data flow of the UE between at least the first air-interface connection and the second air-interface connection, and (iii) based on the establishing, causing the established split ratio to be applied. Further the method could include using the comparison as a basis to set one of the UE's air-interface connections as the UE's primary uplink path.

Abstract: A mechanism for controlling service of a user equipment device (UE), including (i) predicting that the UE will move sequentially through multiple zones of coverage of an access node that operates on a different respective set of one or more frequency bands in each zone of coverage and that has a respective radio-frequency (RF) circuitry quality as to each frequency band, (ii) based on the predicting, determining an RF-circuitry-quality score of the access node as an aggregate of the RF-circuitry-qualities of the access node as to the frequency bands on which the access node operates in the multiple zones of coverage through which the UE is predicted to move, and (iii) before the predicted movement of the UE through the multiple zones of coverage occurs, proactively using the determined RF-circuitry-quality score of the access node as a basis to control whether the UE is served by the access node.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling uplink air-interface communication over an air interface from a given user equipment device (UE) to the access node, where the uplink air-interface communication normally operates with a modulation order corresponding with a most recently determined channel quality of the given UE. An example method includes (i) detecting at least a threshold high rate of uplink voice muting on the air interface, and (ii) responsive to at least the detecting of the threshold high rate of uplink voice muting on the air interface, suppressing the modulation order used for the uplink air-interface communication from the given UE to the access node over the air interface.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling application of split-uplink mode for dual-connectivity service in a system where a first access node provides service on a first air interface and a second access node provides service on a second air interface, and where (i) in a single-connection-uplink mode for the dual-connectivity service, uplink user-plane communication is carried on just the second air interface and (ii) in the split-uplink mode for the dual-connectivity service, uplink user-plane communication is split between the first air interface and the second air interface. An example method includes detecting at least a predefined threshold high level of uplink voice muting on the first air interface and responsively restricting application of the split-uplink mode for the dual-connectivity service.

Abstract: A method and system for a base station (BS) configured for sharing among a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs), and for providing open radio access and/or closed subscriber group (CSG) radio access for user equipment devices (UEs) served. The BS may make a determination of which PLMNs have enabled CSG and which have not, and may transmit a request to a core network of each PLMN to set up an interface connection with each. Based on the determination, the request may either include information for configuring CSG radio access, or information for configuring only open radio access. For each PLMN having CSG enabled, the interface connection may be established for CSG radio access for UEs associated with PLMNs having CSG enabled. For each PLMN not having CSG enabled, the interface connection may be established for only open radio access for UEs associated with PLMNs without CSG enabled.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically reconfiguring an air interface that defines a continuum of frames each divided into a sequence of transmission time intervals (TTIs). The air interface is initially configured according to a first radio access technology (RAT). The base station then detects that at least a threshold extent of wireless client devices (WCDs) served by the base station on the air interface support operation according to a second RAT. And in response, the base station reconfigures the air interface so that certain TTIs per frame instead operate on a second RAT, with the remaining TTIs per frame still operating on the first RAT. The base station then serves WCDs that support the second RAT in the TTIs now configured according to the second RAT, while continuing to serve other WCDs according to the first RAT in the remaining TTIs configured according to the first RAT.

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, high quality on one of the UE's air-interface connections could result in transition of the UE to operate in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode on the UE's other air-interface connection.

Abstract: In a wireless communication system including a first access node and a second access node, where the first and second access nodes cooperatively support providing user equipment devices (UEs) with dual-connectivity service, where data flows between the first and second access nodes, and where a proper subset of the data flowing between the first and second access nodes is user-plane data of the dual-connectivity service, a method includes (i) detecting that a total volume of the user-plane data that flows between the first and second access nodes is at least as high as a predefined threshold, and (ii) based on at least the detecting, blocking new establishment of the dual-connectivity service.

Abstract: A mechanism for controlling configuration of dual connectivity for a user equipment device (UE), where the dual connectivity includes the UE being served cooperatively by (i) a first access node over a first air-interface connection between the UE and the first access node and (ii) a second access node over a second air-interface connection between the UE and the second access node. An example method includes (a) predicting whether both (i) in the dual connectivity, a data split will put a threshold greater portion of data flow of the UE on the second air-interface connection than on the first air-interface connection and (ii) coverage strength of the UE from the second access node will be threshold lower than coverage strength of the UE from the first access node and (b) using the prediction as a basis to control whether or not to establish the dual connectivity for the UE.

Abstract: A method and system to dynamically reassign RF spectrum from a first access node to a second access node, where the first access node provides service on a first carrier having a carrier bandwidth. An example method includes (i) selecting a frequency portion of the carrier bandwidth to reassign, the selecting being based on the frequency portion having higher determined noise than one or more other frequency portions of the carrier bandwidth, and (ii) based on the selecting, reassigning the selected frequency portion from the first access node to the second access node to be used by the second access node as at least part of a second carrier on which to provide service. Upon reassigning of the selected frequency portion, the second access node could then provide service on the reassigned portion and the first access node could continue to provide service on a remainder of the first carrier.

Abstract: A method and a system for concurrently transmitting from an antenna a first sequence of data from a first access node and a second sequence of data from a second access node. An example method includes orthogonally encoding the first and second sequences, including encoding the first sequence with a first binary code to produce a first encoded sequence and encoding the second sequence with a second binary code to produce a second encoded sequence, combining the first encoded sequence and the second encoded sequence to produce a combined encoded sequence, and transmitting the combined encoded sequence from the antenna, with transmitting the combined encoded sequence from the antenna including engaging in a first transmission of the combined encoded sequence from the antenna and engaging in a second transmission of the combined encoded sequence from the same antenna with a phase delay compared with the first transmission.