Abstract: A controller monitors resource usage in each of a plurality of sectors and identifies any sector with resource usage that exceeds a threshold value as a high usage sector. The controller evaluates the mobile stations in its area and identifies any mobile station that is using a high usage sector and at least two other sectors for a communication session as a candidate mobile station. The controller applies a predictive algorithm to determine whether any candidate mobile station is able to continue its respective communication session without using its respective high usage sector. In this determination, the signal levels that a mobile station reported for the sectors in its active set, other than the high usage sector, may be used to calculate a combined signal level. If the combined signal level exceeds a predefined value, the mobile station is instructed to drop the high usage sector.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that may help a base station to adjust forward-link data rates in a given sector based on transmission-power variations in neighboring sectors. An exemplary method involves a base station that serves a first sector: (a) determining a respective transmission power for each of two or more channels of a second sector, (b) detecting a transmission-power difference between at least two of the channels of the second sector, and (c) in response to detecting the transmission-power difference: (i) determining a data rate control (DRC) adjustment for the first sector based at least in part on the transmission-power difference; and using the determined DRC adjustment to determine a forward-link data rate for at least one access terminal in the first sector.

Abstract: Illustrative methods and systems may help to more efficiently use network resources in fall back scenarios. An illustrative method involves a network component: (a) receiving a first paging request directed to a target user-entity (UE) for a first communication of a first communication type, (b) initiating a first paging process to page the target UE for the first communication, (c) before the first paging process is complete, receiving a second paging request directed to the target UE, wherein the second paging request for a second communication of a second communication type, wherein the second communication type that has a higher priority than the first communication type, and (d) in response: (i) refraining from assigning network resources for the first communication, and (ii) using a result of the first paging process to determine whether or not to assign network resources for the second communication.

Abstract: In normal operation, a primary signaling controller in a first RAN manages bearer connectivity and tracking area updates for a UE and further interfaces with a second RAN over a primary signaling interface to facilitate inter-RAN signaling related to transition of the UE from being served by the first RAN to being served by the second RAN, such as circuit-switched fallback signaling. Upon detecting failure of the primary signaling interface, the first RAN is dynamically reconfigured to have such inter-RAN signaling for the UE pass over a secondary signaling interface between the second RAN and a secondary signaling controller of the first RAN, while the primary signaling controller continues to manage bearer connectivity and tracking area updates for the UE.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in which (i) a user equipment device registers with a first radio access network (RAN) that provides connectivity with a transport network, (ii) once registered with the first RAN, the device then registers via the first RAN and transport network with a call server, and (iii) in response to the device registering with the call server, but before the device then engages in a call served by the call server, the device registers via the first RAN with a second RAN. The method may thereby help to expedite later handover of a call served by the call server from being via the first RAN to being via the second RAN. Further, by the second RAN registration being conducted in response to registration of the device with the call server, the method may help to ensure usefulness of the registration of the device with the second RAN.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that may help a base station to adjust forward-link data rates in a given sector based on transmission-power variations in neighboring sectors. An exemplary method involves a base station that serves a first sector: (a) determining a respective transmission power for each of two or more channels of a second sector, (b) detecting a transmission-power difference between at least two of the channels of the second sector, and (c) in response to detecting the transmission-power difference: (i) determining a data rate control (DRC) adjustment for the first sector based at least in part on the transmission-power difference; and using the determined DRC adjustment to determine a forward-link data rate for at least one access terminal in the first sector.

Abstract: A method and system for vertical handoff of a mobile station from a first-protocol RAN to a second-protocol RAN. The method and system provide a make-before-break vertical handoff, by having the first-protocol RAN (i) acquire, on behalf of the mobile station, a traffic channel assignment defining one or more traffic channel parameters for air interface communication in the second-protocol RAN, and (ii) pass to the mobile station, via the first air interface protocol, the one or more traffic channel parameters so that the mobile station can then readily switch over to communication under the second-protocol RAN. Optimally, the acquisition and passing of the one or more second-protocol traffic channel parameters may occur without the mobile station having requested the handoff, without the mobile station having asked for the traffic channel assignment, and without the mobile station having yet begun communication with the second-protocol RAN.

Abstract: A power control command (PCC) transmission scheme is disclosed. In one embodiment, the PCC transmission scheme may involve an access network engaging in a respective communication session with each of a plurality of access terminals on a given wireless link and sending a respective series of PCCs directed to each of the plurality of access terminals on the given wireless link. Based on a power utilization of the given wireless link, the access network may then decide to adjust a transmission rate at which to send PCCs directed to a set of access terminals in the plurality of access terminals. In turn, the access network may send the respective series of PCCs directed to each of the set of access terminals at the adjusted transmission rate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting channel elements in a wireless communication system based on their performance history. Data is collected indicating the performance of various channel elements over time, preferably eliminating from consideration any performance degradation due to air interface (e.g., radio frequency) issues. The data is then used to sort the channel elements in a priority order, from best-performing to worst-performing. When a channel element is to be selected for use in connection with an air interface channel (e.g., traffic channel or control channel), the channel element is then selected in accordance with the priority order, such as by selecting the channel element that has performed best over time. The priority-based selection of channel elements can thus leave poor-performing channel elements for use as a last resort, which can be advantageous in times of heavy network loading for instance.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided causing a mobile station to, after experiencing a dropped call, originate a subsequent call via a coverage area different than that used for the first call. In an embodiment, a mobile station detects that, when it was engaged in the first call at a first location via a first wireless coverage area, the mobile station experienced the first call being dropped. When the mobile station subsequently attempts to originate a second call, the mobile station determines that its current location is within a threshold distance of the first location, and responsively attempts to originate the second call via a second wireless coverage area different from the first.

Abstract: A method and system for managing broadcast of notifications indicating whether system information has changed, so as to enable served devices to determine when to read and store updated system information. A radio access network tracks changes in system information on a per wakeup cycle basis, so as to determine whether system information has changed since a last instance of broadcasting such a notification in a particular wakeup cycle. If system information has changed, the network responsively broadcasts an indication that system information has changed, so as to cause devices operating on that wakeup cycle to read and store the updated system information. Whereas, if system information has not changed, the network responsively broadcasts an indication that system information has not changed (or forgoes broadcasting an indication that system information has changed), so that devices operating on that wakeup cycle can avoid reading and storing the system information.

Abstract: A method and system to help manage transition of a device between wireless access networks. The device engages in a call served by a given access network and the call ends. Responsive to the call ending, (i) a determination is made as to which base station of that network last served the device, (ii) the determined base station is mapped to a proximate base station of another access network, and (iii) a bearer connection is established in the other access network with the proximate base station in anticipation of the device seeking to be served by that base station.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for control of discontinuous transmission based on vocoder and voice activity. An access terminal (AT) may engage in a communication session via an encoder-decoder in a network device in a wireless network. During silence intervals of the communication session, when the AT has no data to transmit, the AT may transmit periodic silence frames at a silence-frame rate to the encoder-decoder. The silence frames may contain parameters for generation of audio noise by the network device. Upon determining that the encoder-decoder has ceased transmitting data to the AT in response to a prolonged absence of transmissions from the AT, the AT may increase the silence-frame rate so as to reduce the duration of the absence of transmissions from the AT, and correspondingly cause the encoder-decoder to begin transmitting audio data to the AT.

Abstract: A radio access network (RAN) may radiate to define a wireless coverage area that is configured to provide wireless coverage to wireless communication devices (WCDs). If the utilization of the wireless coverage area is below a low-utilization threshold, the RAN may begin transmitting noise frames in the wireless coverage area. In doing so, the transmitted signal strength of the wireless coverage area may increase, which in turn may increase the likelihood that the WCDs can acquire and use the wireless coverage area.

Abstract: In order to provide better wireless service to wireless communication devices (WCDs) at different altitudes (e.g., on different levels of a high-rise structure), a radio access network (RAN) may include antennas that are configured to provide coverage at these different altitudes. The RAN may assign resources, such as transmit power or frequencies, to wireless coverage areas serving particular altitude ranges in a proportion that is commensurate with the number of WCDs being served by these particular altitude ranges. As a result, RAN and WCD performance may improve.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically adjusting reverse-link ACK transmission power based on forward-link timeslot utilization. A radio access network (e.g., a base station) may monitor timeslot utilization on the forward link and, upon detecting that the timeslot utilization is threshold high, may cause one or more served access terminals to increase their ACK transmission power, thereby possibly helping to minimize re-transmissions for data packets that have already been successfully received, and thus helping to minimize unnecessary use of potentially scarce forward-link timeslots.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and computer-readable storage media for scheduling physical resource blocks are provided. Base stations, of a communication radio access network, may be configured with schedulers that assign one or more physical resource blocks to a communication channel of a wireless device based on distance or power. The physical resource blocks allow the wireless device to communicate with the base station. Some resource blocks may be monitored across multiple sites to determine whether an aggregate power for the resource blocks exceeds a threshold. When the aggregate power threshold is surpassed, the schedulers may limit or prevent use of the identified resource blocks.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system is provided to help mitigate sector congestion. In one embodiment of the method, a RAN entity evaluates load among sectors of a tracking area and determines that the load is at least a threshold level of load. In response, the RAN entity enlarges the tracking area. In another embodiment of the method, when the RAN entity makes a decision to reconfigure a tracking area, it may consider one or more factors when determining how to reconfigure. In one example, the RAN entity may identify a particular border sector that has at least a threshold level of load or is a border sector in another network. Responsively, the RAN may reconfigure the tracking area such that the identified border sector is no longer a border sector. Other examples are possible.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for managing transmission of data in upcoming timeslots on an air interface. A radio access network detects that in the upcoming timeslots, less than a threshold portion of currently-contending devices are scheduled to receive transmissions, and the radio access network responsively de-schedules a number of the devices and schedules in their place a greater number of other devices, where the newly scheduled devices have higher forward link data rates than the de-scheduled devices.

Abstract: A method and corresponding system is provided for adjusting the size of tracking areas. In one embodiment of the method, a pool of RAN entities determines that there has been a reduction in the number of RAN entities in the pool of RAN entities, and in response to the determining, the pool of RAN entities reduces the size of at least one tracking area assigned to the pool of RAN entities. In another embodiment of the method, a pool of RAN entities determines that there has been an increase in the number of RAN entities in the pool of RAN entities, and in response to the determining, the pool of RAN entities increases the size of at least one tracking area assigned to the pool of RAN entities.