Abstract: An example method comprises receiving an event notification from a cell in a current set of a user equipment, the event notification indicating an uplink signal strength from the user equipment to the cell relative to a threshold; and designating the cell as being either a viable candidate or not a viable candidate to be a serving cell based on the uplink signal strength relative to the threshold.

Abstract: An example method comprises receiving an event notification from a cell in a current set of a user equipment, the event notification indicating an uplink signal strength from the user equipment to the cell relative to a threshold; and designating the cell as being either a viable candidate or not a viable candidate to be a serving cell based on the uplink signal strength relative to the threshold.

Abstract: An example method comprises receiving an event notification from a cell in a current set of a user equipment, the event notification indicating an uplink signal strength from the user equipment to the cell relative to a threshold; and designating the cell as being either a viable candidate or not a viable candidate to be a serving cell based on the uplink signal strength relative to the threshold.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for mitigating interference which are well suited for high density deployments of small base stations are described. In various embodiments, control channel resources are intentionally not fully utilized. A control channel resource utilization parameter is set, e.g., as a function of interference, to limit base station average transmission power used for transmitting signals on control channel resources. By controlling utilization of control channel resources, e.g., by limiting resource utilization to result in a lower than possible, e.g., permitted, average transmission power level, the base station constrains the amount of interference to other nearby devices, e.g., base stations and UE devices. Nearby base stations operate and/or are controlled in a similar manner. As a result, nearby base stations which are causing interference to one another will reduce inter-base station interference.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for supporting handovers which are hidden from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) as well as handovers which are not hidden from the MME are described. A gateway, e.g., a home gateway (HGW), in a communications system acts as a concentration point for a plurality of small cell HeNBs. Two types of handovers, a visible handover and a hidden handover are supported. With a hidden handover, the handover is hidden from the SGW and the MME, thus reducing backhaul control signaling and loading on the SGW and MME. A gateway, e.g., a home gateway (HGW), receives a path switch request message for a user equipment (UE) device from a target access point, e.g., a home eNB (HeNB). In some embodiments the gateway, e.g., the HGW, decides whether a requested handover should be visible or should be hidden, and then performs a handover implementation in accordance with its decision.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for supporting efficient transitioning of a UE device from a source to destination base station are described. Various embodiments are well suited for use in an environment in where there may be PCI confusion. The handover mechanism is used to: (i) deliver context transfer information corresponding to the UE to one or more potential target base stations and to be available for use by other base stations and (ii) to force an initial handover attempt to fail via the use of intentionally faulty radio resource information. Following the initial handover attempt failure, the UE establishes a successful connection with the destination base station using valid radio resource information which was recovered via a received wireless broadcast signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing location estimates of user equipment to be used in location based services are provided. Data collected from users in a local radio access network (RAN), such as an Enterprise RAN (E-RAN), as well as configuration information of the local RAN/E-RAN is siphoned from the system and utilized in conjunction with a location engine to provide a high accuracy location estimate for users in an indoor environment. The siphoned data is provided in a real-time location stream to the location engine.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for supporting handovers which are hidden from a Mobility Management Entity (MME) as well as handovers which are not hidden from the MME are described. A gateway, e.g., a home gateway (HGW), in a communications system acts as a concentration point for a plurality of small cell HeNBs. Two types of handovers, a visible handover and a hidden handover are supported. With a hidden handover, the handover is hidden from the SGW and the MME, thus reducing backhaul control signaling and loading on the SGW and MME. A gateway, e.g., a home gateway (HGW), receives a path switch request message for a user equipment (UE) device from a target access point, e.g., a home eNB (HeNB). In some embodiments the gateway, e.g., the HGW, decides whether a requested handover should be visible or should be hidden, and then performs a handover implementation in accordance with its decision.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product comprises determining a rise-over-thermal (RoT) budget associated with a cell within a communication network for user equipment served by the cell, determining a number of user equipment served by the cell to receive a minimum-grant of an uplink channel, determining a high-grant for allocation to a selected user equipment, the high-grant allowing the selected user equipment to communicate in the uplink channel of the communication network, the high-grant being based on the RoT budget, and allocating the high-grant to the selected user equipment and the minimum-grant to all other user equipment served by the cell.

Abstract: A beacon cell adapted for use in a small cell RAN includes dual identities—a beacon identity and a regular or “live” identity—in which the identities are individually configured to address differing performance requirements in the small cell RAN. The beacon identity in the cell is specially configured to meet the performance requirements for mobile user equipment (UE) to be able to quickly and easily move from a macrocell base station in a mobile operator's network to the small cell RAN using a process called “reselection.” The live identity is configured to meet all requirements for service to be provided to the UE within the small cell RAN. Once captured by the beacon identity of the beacon cell, the UE can then immediately reselect to the live identity of the cell which operates in a conventional manner.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a relocation required message for a user equipment from a source Radio Access Network (RAN); multicasting a relocation request to multiple local RANs; receiving a first relocation acknowledgement from a first local RAN of the multiple local RANs to which a user equipment may be handed into; and forwarding the first relocation acknowledgement to the source RAN.

Abstract: A beacon cell adapted for use in a small cell RAN includes dual identities—a beacon identity and a regular or “live” identity—in which the identities are individually configured to address differing performance requirements in the small cell RAN. The beacon identity in the cell is specially configured to meet the performance requirements for mobile user equipment (UE) to be able to quickly and easily move from a macrocell base station in a mobile operator's network to the small cell RAN using a process called “reselection.” The live identity is configured to meet all requirements for service to be provided to the UE within the small cell RAN. Once captured by the beacon identity of the beacon cell, the UE can then immediately reselect to the live identity of the cell which operates in a conventional manner.

Abstract: A beacon cell adapted for use in a small cell RAN includes dual identities—a beacon identity and a regular or “live” identity—in which the identities are individually configured to address differing performance requirements in the small cell RAN. The beacon identity in the cell is specially configured to meet the performance requirements for mobile user equipment (UE) to be able to quickly and easily move from a macrocell base station in a mobile operator's network to the small cell RAN using a process called “reselection.” The live identity is configured to meet all requirements for service to be provided to the UE within the small cell RAN. Once captured by the beacon identity of the beacon cell, the UE can then immediately reselect to the live identity of the cell which operates in a conventional manner.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing location estimates of user equipment to be used in location based services are provided. Data collected from users in a local radio access network (RAN), such as an Enterprise RAN (E-RAN), as well as configuration information of the local RAN/E-RAN is siphoned from the system and utilized in conjunction with a location engine to provide a high accuracy location estimate for users in an indoor environment. The siphoned data is provided in a real-time location stream to the location engine.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a measurement report, the measurement report containing information from a user equipment, the information being associated with a desired local Radio Access Network (RAN) cell to which the user equipment is to hand-in; and utilizing the information in the measurement report to disambiguate at least one target local RAN and cell from a plurality of local RANs and cells, the at least one target local RAN and cell including the desired local RAN cell.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a relocation required message for a user equipment from a source Radio Access Network (RAN); multicasting a relocation request to multiple local RANs; receiving a first relocation acknowledgement from a first local RAN of the multiple local RANs to which a user equipment may be handed into; and forwarding the first relocation acknowledgement to the source RAN.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for power control for mitigation or control of interference in a wireless communications environment. Power control techniques can consider the effectiveness of interference cancellation before making power control determinations. For example, where interference with a base station from an interfering wireless terminal is being canceled such that the effects of that interference are not adversely affecting operations of the base station, the offending terminal can be left unchanged, or its transmit power can be increased. On the other hand, where the interference cancellation operation is not able to cancel the effects of the interfering signal sufficiently, the operation can lower the uplink transmit power of the offending signal so as to not cause interference to the other base station.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for power control for mitigation or control of interference in a wireless communications environment. Control techniques can consider the effect of interference on an access point and the access point can identify interfering wireless terminals and cause a message to be sent to a controlling access point of the interfering wireless terminal to cause the uplink power of the interfering wireless terminal to be adjusted.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of performing interference mitigation in a communication network. The interference mitigation can include a controller sending a message to a first access point instructing the first access point to measure at least one signal transmitted by a first wireless terminal communicating a signal having known characteristics; the controller receiving from the first access point signal measurement information; and the controller communicating at least some of the signal measurement information received from the first access point to a second access point.

Abstract: A method for managing uplink signal quality at a radio node and at a macrocell and/or external cell, includes determining a first transmit power associated with a radio node of a small-cell radio access network and a second transmit power associated with a macrocell and/or an external cell. A desense value associated with an uplink of the radio node of the small-cell radio access network is provided, which enables balancing of a first signal to noise-plus-interference ratio associated with an uplink of the small-cell radio access network and a second signal to noise-plus-interference ratio associated with an uplink of the macrocell and/or external cell in relation to a downlink of the radio node, thereby managing uplink signal quality at the radio node of the small-cell radio access network and at the macrocell and/or external cell.