Abstract: This disclosure relates to accommodating link budget constrained wireless devices performing random access procedures. A base station may detect a preamble message from a wireless device. It may be determined that the preamble message is received from a link budget constrained wireless device. Characteristics of a response message may be selected based at least in part on determining that the preamble message is received from a link budget constrained wireless device. The response message may be transmitted to the link budget constrained wireless device using the selected characteristics.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for transmitting and receiving control information in the common search space on an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH). According to some embodiments, a cellular base station may allocate some resource blocks of a subframe as the EPDCCH. The cellular base station may provide control information on a common search space in the EPDCCH for wireless user equipment (UE) devices in the cell provided by the cellular base station during a subframe. A UE device may monitor the EPDCCH to determine whether any indication on the common search space decodable by the UE device is contained in the EPDCCH, and may decode such information if present.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a waveform design for time-of-flight estimation in a wireless communication system. The waveform may include a number N of signal tones, wherein the number N of signal tones is greater than a number M of signal tones that the receiving wireless device is configured to decode. Upon receipt of the waveform, the receiving wireless device may store a timestamp which indicates a time of receipt of the waveform. The receiving wireless device may decode M of the N signal tones. For example, the receiving wireless device may decode the middle M signal tones of the N signal tones. One or more of the transmitting or receiving wireless devices may then estimate a distance between them based at least in part on the timestamp.

Abstract: A user equipment (UE) and base station may implement improved communication methods which enable a UE that is peak current limited to perform UL transmissions which are consistent with the UL timeline. A UE that is peak current limited may utilize a new form of distributed TTI (transmit time interval) bundling for improved uplink communication performance. In performing “distributed” TTI bundling, the UE may transmit a plurality of redundancy versions of first information to the base station, wherein the plurality of redundancy versions are transmitted in non-consecutive sub-frames with a periodicity of X ms. After the plurality of redundancy versions of first information are transmitted to the base station, the base station may provide a single acknowledge/negative acknowledge (ACK/NACK) to the UE. A method for dynamically generating and using a bundle size for TTI bundling is also disclosed.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for a link budget limited UE to improve communications performance with a cellular network. The UE may perform signal to interference noise ratio (SINR) measurements and use these measurements to adjust a received signal power value that is provided to the cellular network as a received signal power measurement. The UE may generate the received signal power value based at least in part on the SINR measurement in order to reduce the likelihood of handover when the UE has good SINR but poor received signal power. The UE may also provide preferred configuration information to the base station which enhances the performance of the UE when link budget limited. The configuration information may specify one or more parameter values designed to provide improved performance for a link budget limited device.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for a link budget limited UE to improve communications performance with a cellular network. The UE may perform signal to interference noise ratio (SINR) measurements and use these measurements to adjust a received signal power value that is provided to the cellular network as a received signal power measurement. The UE may generate the received signal power value based at least in part on the SINR measurement in order to reduce the likelihood of handover when the UE has good SINR but poor received signal power. The UE may also provide preferred configuration information to the base station which enhances the performance of the UE when link budget limited. The configuration information may specify one or more parameter values designed to provide improved performance for a link budget limited device.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to providing reduced power consumption in wireless communication systems, such as 802.11 WLAN systems. Timing information regarding power save opportunities (PSOPs) may be provided in communication frames, which may inform mobile devices of expected frame exchange periods during which they may transition to a Doze state. Additional PSOP information may be included in beacon frames, which may inform mobile devices of expected multicast periods during which they may transition to a Doze state. This may operate to provide improvements in terms of power consumption.

Abstract: Wireless communication devices (UEs) may include multiple receive (RX) chains and associated antennas, and at least one transmit (TX) chain co-located with one of the RX chains. The UE may track instant fading of the antenna gain(s) during reception of packets from an associated access point (AP) device to which the UE intends to transmit packets. The UE may also track long term antenna gain(s), using any packets received at the multiple RX chains within the UE. At a switching occasion, a decision is made by the UE whether to switch antennas. If the instant fading detection is based on packets received no later than a specified time period prior to the switching occasion, then the UE may make the switching decision based on the results of the instant fading tracking. Otherwise, the UE may make the switching decision based on the results of the long term antenna gain tracking.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to providing system information for cell access to link budget limited devices. According to some embodiments, a base station may transmit an announcement information block (AIB) in a downlink shared data channel (e.g., PDSCH), wherein the AIB contains information useable by a UE in determining the location of system information in the downlink shared data channel. The UE can thus determine the location of and decode system information without having to decode a downlink control channel (e.g., PDCCH). This may be important for certain classes of devices, such as link budget limited devices, which have issues in decoding the downlink control channel. Improved paging scheduling techniques are also disclosed which more efficiently use PDCCH paging resources.

Abstract: Enhanced random access procedures for link-budget-limited user equipment (UE) devices are disclosed. A user equipment device may transmit a first message containing a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). The PRACH contains instances of a Zadoff-Chu sequence, and may be transmitted repeatedly as part of a single random attempt, to facilitate correlation data combining at the base station. The available Zadoff-Chu sequences may be partitioned among a plurality of sets, each set being associated with a respective Doppler shift range (or frequency hop pattern or time repetition pattern). A UE device may signal Doppler shift (or other information) to the base station by selection of one of the sets. The first PRACH transmission and the following PRACH transmission may occur in consecutive subframes. A UE device may select from a special set of Zadoff-Chu sequences (different from a conventional set of sequences), to signal its status as a link-budget-limited device.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a user equipment device (UE) implements a method for discovering the presence of neighboring UEs using an on-demand discovery signal transmission technique. This discovery process may be performed to enable the UEs to perform peer-to-peer communications with each other, wherein peer-to-peer communications is defined as direct communication between the UEs without involving a base station. The UE may be configured to transmit a discovery request signal when it has moved greater than a threshold amount since transmission of a prior discovery request signal. The discovery request signal causes one or more neighboring UEs to each transmit a discovery signal in response, and also causes the UE which generated the discovery request signal to transmit its own discovery signal. The received discovery signal from each of the neighboring UEs is useable to discover, or detect the presence of, these neighboring UEs.

Abstract: A client device and a host device may create a local connection for providing wide area network access, such as Internet access, to the client device. In some embodiments, the client device may have limited network capabilities and may not be able to access the Internet without the host device. The client device may provide its speed and direction in a message to potential host devices. A host device may calculate a suitability metric, based on the speed and direction of the client as well as connection properties of the networks, which indicates an ability for the host device to connect the client device to the Internet. The host device may provide the suitability metric within a connection request to the client device. Based on the suitability metric and/or other factors, the client device and the host device may establish the local connection.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a user equipment (UE) and base station implement improved communication methods which enable a UE that is peak current limited to perform UL transmissions which are consistent with the UL timeline. Embodiments are also presented which enable a UE that is peak current limited to utilize a new form of distributed TTI (transmit time interval) bundling for improved uplink communication performance. In performing “distributed” TTI bundling, the UE may transmit a plurality of redundancy versions of first information to the base station, wherein the plurality of redundancy versions are transmitted in non-consecutive sub-frames with a periodicity of X ms. After the plurality of redundancy versions of first information are transmitted to the base station, the base station may provide a single acknowledge/negative acknowledge (ACK/NACK) to the UE. A method for dynamically generating and using a bundle size for TTI bundling is also disclosed.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for transmitting and receiving control information in the common search space on an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH). According to some embodiments, a cellular base station may allocate some resource blocks of a subframe as the EPDCCH. The cellular base station may provide control information on a common search space in the EPDCCH for wireless user equipment (UE) devices in the cell provided by the cellular base station during a subframe. A UE device may monitor the EPDCCH to determine whether any indication on the common search space decodable by the UE device is contained in the EPDCCH, and may decode such information if present.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for a link budget limited UE to improve communications performance with a cellular network. The UE may perform signal to interference noise ratio (SINR) measurements and use these measurements to adjust a received signal power value that is provided to the cellular network as a received signal power measurement. The UE may generate the received signal power value based at least in part on the SINR measurement in order to reduce the likelihood of handover when the UE has good SINR but poor received signal power. The UE may also provide preferred configuration information to the base station which enhances the performance of the UE when link budget limited. The configuration information may specify one or more parameter values designed to provide improved performance for a link budget limited device.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for scheduling radio resource control connections between a wireless device and a network element of a network in advance. According to some embodiments, a wireless device may provide an indication of one or more types of upcoming data traffic to the network element. The network element may schedule one or more radio resource control connections for the wireless device based at least in part on the indication of one or more types of upcoming data traffic. The network element may provide an indication of the scheduled radio resource control connection(s) to the wireless device. The wireless device and the network may establish the scheduled radio resource control connection at the scheduled time.

Abstract: Mechanisms are disclosed for improved transmission of uplink control information by a user equipment (UE) that is link budget limited. In one embodiment, the UE transmits a message to the base station indicating that the UE is link budget limited. In response to the message, the base station sends an uplink grant to the UE, enabling the UE to transmit uplink control information on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) instead of on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH). In another embodiment, the base station sends an uplink grant to a link-budget-limited UE each time downlink traffic is transmitted to the UE, enabling the UE to send ACK/NACK feedback on the PUSCH instead of the PUCCH. In another embodiment, the UE transmits a scheduling request (SR) to the base station as part of a random access procedure, enabling the SR to be transmitted on the PUSCH instead of the PUCCH.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a waveform design for time-of-flight estimation in a wireless communication system. The waveform may include a number N of signal tones, wherein the number N of signal tones is greater than a number M of signal tones that the receiving wireless device is configured to decode. Upon receipt of the waveform, the receiving wireless device may store a timestamp which indicates a time of receipt of the waveform. The receiving wireless device may decode M of the N signal tones. For example, the receiving wireless device may decode the middle M signal tones of the N signal tones. One or more of the transmitting or receiving wireless devices may then estimate a distance between them based at least in part on the timestamp.

Abstract: Wireless communication devices with multiple receive (RX) chains may be operated to maintain high performance while saving power. This may be accomplished by evaluating signal strength during transmission of the RX packets, and/or evaluating a possible imbalance (gain difference) between the multiple RX chains within the wireless communication device. Signal strength (or good signal) detection may be enabled when non-MIMO (non-multiple-in-multiple-out) transmissions are taking place, while imbalance detection (antenna gain comparison) may be enabled when a specified number of single-stream packets have been received. Once the decision has been made to operate in a reduced number RX path mode, decision to reactivate one or more additional RX paths may be made based on MIMO detection, a detection of a drop in signal quality, and/or upon expiration of a power save timer.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to providing reduced power consumption in wireless communication systems, such as 802.11 WLAN systems. Timing information regarding power save opportunities (PSOPs) may be provided in communication frames, which may inform mobile devices of expected frame exchange periods during which they may transition to a Doze state. Additional PSOP information may be included in beacon frames, which may inform mobile devices of expected multicast periods during which they may transition to a Doze state. This may operate to provide improvements in terms of power consumption.