Abstract: In a communication system comprising a base station having a set of carrier frequencies, ranging from a lowest to a highest carrier frequency, for serving user equipment devices (UEs), the base station may schedule a first transmission of first bearer traffic to be on a first carrier frequency of the set based at least in part on a correlation between (i) the first bearer traffic being of a first type of bearer traffic and (ii) where the first carrier frequency falls within the range of carrier frequencies. The base station may also schedule a second transmission of second bearer traffic to be on a second, different carrier frequency of the set based at least in part on a correlation between (i) the second bearer traffic being of a second, different type of bearer traffic and (ii) where the second carrier frequency falls within the range of carrier frequencies.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media, for reducing transitions between active and idle states are provided. In some embodiments, transition data indicating transitions between an active state and an idle state associated with a mobile device is received. Thereafter, an idle state pattern that indicates a pattern of an idle state associated with the mobile device is identified. Based on the idle state pattern, an inactivity timer update corresponding with the idle state pattern is provided to at least one communication tower. The inactivity timer update provides a time duration or time duration adjustment to be applied by the at least one communication tower for use in detecting a transition from an active state to an idle state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for selecting a target base station for handover of a wireless communication device, where the selecting is based at least in part on a consideration of the target base station's typical control-plane signaling latency in a core network, and particularly based on a comparison of control-plane signaling duration of multiple candidate target base stations. For instance, where all of the base stations are configured to engage in a particular control-plane signaling transaction from time to time, at issue could be which of the candidate target base stations typically engages in that control-plane signaling transaction the quickest.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for providing system-acquisition parameters on standardized frequencies. One embodiment takes the form of a method for assisting mobile devices with system acquisition. The method includes, in each of two or more wireless coverage areas, broadcasting from a radio access network (RAN) on each of one or more predefined frequencies one or more sets of one or more system-acquisition parameters. The method also includes configuring one or more mobile devices with logic executable for, in response to detecting a triggering event, retrieving at least one of the sets of system-acquisition parameters on at least one of the predefined frequencies, and then using at least one retrieved set of system-acquisition parameters to attempt to acquire system connectivity.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling handover of a WCD based on the WCD's operating temperature. In an example implementation, a determination is made that the WCD's operating temperature is threshold high, and that determination is used as a basis to trigger handover of the WCD to another coverage system, such as to another carrier frequency or to another base station coverage area. Further, in another example implementation, a determination is made that the WCD's operating temperature is threshold low (e.g., is not threshold high), and that determination is used as a basis to trigger handover of the WCD to another coverage system, such as back to the WCD's initially serving coverage system.

Abstract: An RF fingerprint of the environment of a base station antenna will be regularly monitored, such as by regularly evaluating various RF metrics of uplink reflections of downlink transmission from the antenna. Through regular monitoring of the RF fingerprint, a baseline RF fingerprint could be established. And through continued monitoring of the RF fingerprint, an unexpected change in the RF fingerprint could then be detected, as an indication that the antenna's RF beam direction may have changed. In response to detecting the unexpected change in the antenna's RF fingerprint, the antenna's RF beam direction could then be newly determined, and the antenna's configuration record could be updated to indicate the newly determined RF beam direction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system to help manage handover of a UE based on data buffering. In accordance with the disclosure, when a base station receives data destined for a UE, the base station may record the received data into a data buffer for temporary storage and retrieve the data at some later time to transmit the data to the UE. The base station may then determine, based at least in part on an amount of elapsed time from recording the data to retrieving the data, whether to invoke handover of the UE from being served by the base station to being served by a different, neighboring base station.

Abstract: A method and system that uses user-equipment (UE) capability reporting to control UE service. A UE provides its serving base station with an initial capabilities report indicating that the UE does not support determining and reporting when neighboring coverage is threshold strong, and so the base station does not yet provision the UE with a measurement event including a threshold to facilitate such determining and reporting. When the UE then determines that its serving coverage is threshold weak, the UE then transmits to its serving base station an updated capabilities report indicating that the UE does support such determining and reporting, and so the base station then provisions the UE with threshold (e.g., provisions the UE with a measurement event causing the UE to compare measured neighbor coverage strength with such a threshold).

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for selection of a handover target for a user equipment device (UE). In particular, a wireless communication system may serve the UE over an air interface connection between the UE and a source base station (BS). While the system serves the UE, the system may make a selection of a handover target for the UE. And in accordance with the disclosure, the selection may be based at least in part on the handover target not having a wireless relay backhaul connection. Once the system selects the handover target using the disclosed approach, the system may then trigger handover of the UE from being served by the source BS to being served by the selected handover target.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media, for reducing transitions between active and idle states are provided. In some embodiments, transition data indicating transitions between an active state and an idle state associated with a mobile device is received. Thereafter, an idle state pattern that indicates a pattern of an idle state associated with the mobile device is identified. Based on the idle state pattern, an inactivity timer update corresponding with the idle state pattern is provided to at least one communication tower. The inactivity timer update provides a time duration or time duration adjustment to be applied by the at least one communication tower for use in detecting a transition from an active state to an idle state.

Abstract: A method is disclosed to help register a UE with a different network in the event of an unsuccessful registration with a fallback network. In accordance with the disclosure, a UE may be registered on a first network and may then seek to register with a second network via the first network. The first network may attempt to register the UE with the second network, but the attempt to register the UE with the second network may ultimately fail. In response to such failure, the first network may discontinue providing service to the UE. Discontinuing the providing of service to the UE on the first network may result in the UE seeking to register directly with the second network or with a different network. By registering directly with the second network, or a different network, the UE may be able to initiate and/or receive voice calls via that network.

Abstract: A method and system for managing time segments per subframe used for downlink control channel communication by adjacent base stations that each provide carrier-aggregation service on first and second component carriers. The base stations may work with each other to differentially structure the component carriers, such that the base stations use different time segments than each other for downlink control channel communication on the first component carrier but the same time segments as each other for downlink control channel communication on the second component carrier. Further, based on this differential structuring, the base stations may then schedule transmission of one type of data on the first component carrier and another type of data on the second component carrier.

Abstract: A method and system for managing time segments per subframe used for downlink control channel communication by adjacent base stations. The base stations may work with each other to arrange for their respective use of different time segments per subframe for their respective downlink control channel use. Further, each base station may also avoid downlink traffic channel communication in the time segments per subframe that the other base station will be using for control channel communication.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media, for facilitating providing network transfer messages based on network conditions are provided. In embodiments, one or more network-condition data that indicate a network condition of a first wireless network being used by a mobile device are received. The network-condition data are utilized to determine a transmission time attribute that indicates a time or a frequency at which to transmit a set of network transfer messages that provide an indication for the mobile device to seek a second wireless network. The set of network transfer messages are transmitted in accordance with the determined transmission time attribute.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system of imposing a policy rule for excessive usage in an access network. According to the disclosure, a policy enforcement point (PEP) may detect that usage by a given client device is threshold high and responsively request, from a policy decision point (PDP), a policy directive that specifies a policy rule to apply to the given client device. However, thereafter, the PEP may determine that the requested policy directive has not been received from the PDP and then responsively apply, to the given client device, a default policy rule for threshold-high usage.

Abstract: A method and system for setting a hold-timer duration is disclosed. The method involves a first network initially serving a user equipment device (UE), wherein serving the UE comprises allocating at least one resource to the UE and using the at least one resource to serve the UE. The method also involves detecting transition of the UE from being served by the first network to being served by a second network. The method further involves, after the UE transitions to the second network, applying a hold-timer having a hold-timer duration for release of the at least one resource. Further, the method involves, before setting the hold-timer duration, the first network receiving from the UE a report including an indication of radio frequency (RF) quality of the second network. The method also involves using the reported indication of RF quality as a basis to set the hold-timer duration.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system to help manage user equipment device (UE) transmission power, specifically in a scenario where the UE was being served by a base station on a first carrier frequency and the UE is then going to communicate with a base station (whether the same or another base station) instead on a second, different carrier frequency. As disclosed, a UE may determine, based on communication by the UE on the first carrier frequency, a baseline initial transmit power for the UE to use for an initial transmission from the UE to a cellular base station on the second carrier frequency. Responsive to the second carrier frequency being different than the first carrier frequency, the UE may adjust the baseline initial transmit power to establish an adjusted initial transmit power. The UE may then engage in the initial transmission using the adjusted baseline initial transmit power.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically controlling the transmission of reverse-link control signals to help reduce interference on the reverse link. A RAN identifies a mobile device whose transmission of reverse-link control signals best represents the reverse-link air interface condition of each other mobile device in a plurality of mobile devices. Then the RAN causes each mobile device in the plurality other than the identified mobile device to not send its respective reverse-link control signal at a given time, thereby reducing the number of mobile devices that transmit reverse-link control signals at the given time.

Abstract: A radio access network (RAN) may be configured to manage paging of a wireless communication device (WCD). The RAN may initiate a paging process to page the WCD, and the paging process may comprise the RAN transmitting to the WCD a defined sequence of page attempts until the RAN receives a page response from the WCD or the RAN has transmitted a final page attempt of the sequence. After the RAN has transmitted at least one page attempt of the sequence but before the final page attempt of the sequence has been transmitted, the RAN may determine that the RAN has not received the page response from the WCD, and that the WCD is currently engaged in active data communication, and the RAN may responsively discontinue the paging process.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method and a corresponding apparatus that provides a tethering alert if the apparatus is tethering data. In one example, a method for providing a tethering alert by an apparatus having a first network communication interface and a second network communication interface is disclosed. The method includes i) receiving incoming data via one of the first network communication interface and the second network communication interface, ii) sending outgoing data via the other of the first network communication interface and the second network communication interface, iii) making a determination that there is a threshold similarity between the incoming data and the outgoing data, and iv) responsive to making the determination, the apparatus providing a tethering alert indicating that the apparatus is tethering data.