Abstract: Air interface protocols under the numerous wireless communication standards allow use of a quick-paging channel (QPCH) to expedite paging and call setup. When a hybrid mobile device is engaged in wireless communications under a first air interface protocol, it may periodically switch over to a second air interface protocol to check for pages on the slower standard paging channel (PCH). To increase throughput under the first air interface protocol, it would be useful to employ the QPCH under the second air interface protocol, to reduce time spent by hybrid device checking for pages under the second air interface protocol. However, the QPCH uses resources under the second air interface protocol, so it would be best to not have the QPCH activated at all times. According to the invention, the system would activate the QPCH under the second air interface protocol in response to there being more than an upper threshold number of hybrid devices active under the first air interface protocol.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for interlaced control channel. When a RAN in a wireless communication system operating at least according to IS-856 determines that a delay condition exists in the transmission of control packets to access terminals, it invokes interlacing of time slots bearing control-channel data. By so doing, control packets are transmitted in interlaced fashion, thereby reducing delay in transmission compared with sequential transmission of control packets. A delay condition could correspond to a measured delay exceeding a threshold delay, a predicted delay (e.g., based on queue occupancy) exceeding a threshold number, or the number of access terminals eligible to receive control messages during a particular time interval exceeding a different threshold number.

Abstract: A mobile station will sort wireless coverage sectors in order of distance of the sectors from the mobile station, and the mobile station will then scan for pilot signals from the sectors in the sorted order. The invention can be applied advantageously to provide an order of scanning remaining set sectors in a mobile station operating according to a code division multiple access protocol.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing an amount of traffic on a paging channel of a wireless communications system by holding a pending page message until a subsequent re-registration request and response cycle scheduled to occur within a threshold amount of time. A radio access network (RAN) may be configured to determine whether an amount of time to a next scheduled re-registration request and response cycle is less than a threshold amount. If the amount of time is less than the threshold amount, the RAN may delay transmission of the pending page message until the next re-registration request and response cycle. By sending the pending page message in a response to a scheduled re-registration request, or by sending the pending page as the response to a received re-registration request, the amount of traffic on the paging channel of the wireless communications system may be reduced.

Abstract: A radio access network (RAN) receives a request to route a call from a caller to a mobile station, assigns a wireless traffic channel to the mobile station for the call, and detects a no-answer condition for the call (because a user of the mobile station does not answer the call within a predetermined time period or has chosen to ignore the call). In response to the no-answer condition, the RAN redirects the call to a voice mail system and keeps the wireless traffic channel assigned to the mobile station while the caller interacts with the voice mail system. The RAN determines that the caller has left a voice mail message on the voice mail system and transmits an indication of the voice mail message to the mobile station over the wireless traffic channel.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for intelligent power control in a wireless communication system. In accordance with an example embodiment, a first device will operate in a dynamic-power state in which it transmits a power-increment command or power-decrement command in response to each of periodic comparisons of a signal power level of a signal received from a second device with a threshold power level. While operating in the dynamic-power state, the first device will recognize when it has transmitted a threshold number of alternating power-increment and power-decrement commands, and responsively will transition to operating in a steady-power state in which it continues to transmit alternating power-increment and power-decrement commands even if it detects that the second device has ceased responding to the alternating power-increment and power-decrement commands.

Abstract: In methods and systems for adjusting forward link transmit power of wireless coverage areas, forward link signal strength is observed to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and/or an observed frame error rate (FER) for the received signal. A determination is made whether to request a forward link power adjustment. If the determination is that a forward link power adjustment is required, a request may be made into a radio access network (RAN) to adjust power. The RAN may select a subset of wireless coverage areas in which to adjust power. If further power adjustment is required, a further request may be made into the RAN, and the RAN may select a different subset of wireless coverage areas in which to adjust power.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for optimizing handoff of access terminals. In particular, when (i) a given access terminal must switch from a first channel band in a first coverage area to a second channel band in order to hand off to a second coverage area, and (ii) there are no available identifiers to assign to the given access terminal to facilitate making the switch from the first channel band to the second channel band in the first coverage area prior to handing off to the second coverage area, an appropriate identifier is advantageously reassigned from another access terminal to the given access terminal. With the reassigned identifier, the given access terminal may then switch to the second channel band in the first coverage area prior to handing off to the second coverage area.

Abstract: Methods and an apparatus are provided for providing handoff information to a candidate mobile node initially served on a first carrier. The candidate mobile node may inform a wireless-communication network that hard-handoff criteria are met for the first carrier. The network may identify a plurality of neighboring mobile nodes served on a second carrier and within a threshold distance of the candidate. The network may receive a measurement of forward-link signal quality of the second carrier from each neighboring mobile node. Using the received forward-link-signal-quality measurements, the network may estimate the forward-link signal quality of the second carrier at the location of the candidate mobile node. If that estimated forward-link signal quality exceeds a signal-quality threshold, the network may provide hard-handoff information about the second carrier to the candidate mobile node.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for intelligent power control in a wireless communication system. In accordance with an example embodiment, a first device will operate in a dynamic-power state in which it responds to each power-increment command and power-decrement command received from a second device by incrementing or decrementing transmission power on an air interface. While operating in the dynamic-power state, the first device will recognize when a first threshold number of alternating power-increment and power-decrement commands have been received, and responsively will transition to operating in a steady-power state in which it no longer increments or decrements transmission power in response to power-control commands from the second device. While operating in the steady-power state, the first device will recognize when receives a particular sequence of power-control commands from the first device, and based at least on the recognition will transition to operating in the dynamic power state.

Abstract: A mobile station receives a target pilot signal transmitted by a target transmitter in a spread spectrum communication system and measures its phase. The mobile station then defines a search window to search for the target pilot signal at a later time. The mobile station defines the center point of the search window based on the previously-measured phase and the mobile station's direction of motion and speed relative to the target transmitter. If the mobile station is moving toward the target transmitter, the center point is less than the previously-measured phase by an adjustment amount. If the mobile station is moving away from the target transmitter, the center point is greater than the previously-measured phase by an adjustment amount. The adjustment amount may depend on the mobile station's speed. After the search window is defined, the mobile station uses the search window to search for the target pilot signal.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for setting forward-link power for an access terminal operating in a coverage area of a wireless communication system, whereby power is redistributed from access terminals operating in the same coverage area and having forward-link power in excess of their needs for maintaining acceptable service quality, to an access terminal that is in need of additional forward-link power in order to attain a desired or required level of service quality. Following a determination that a given access terminal is requesting a forward-link transmission power level that exceeds a first threshold power level, a number of other access terminals are identified as each having requested a respective decrease in forward-link transmission power level by an amount at least as large as a respective threshold amount.

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 of selecting a type of resource-allocation to use for a call in a cellular wireless system, such as selecting a type of radio configuration to use for the call. According to the method, resource-availability in one more adjacent coverage areas may be used as a basis to select the type of resource-allocation to use in a current coverage area. For instance, given the choice between a radio configuration that consumes less base station power and a radio configuration that consumes more base station power, the radio configuration consuming more base station power may be selected if base station sufficient power is available in one or more adjacent coverage area(s), and the other radio configuration may be selected if insufficient base station power is available in the one or more adjacent coverage area(s). Distance between the mobile station and a current base station may be considered as well.

Abstract: A wireless network is used for a communication session between a mobile station and an endpoint. The wireless network receives endpoint bits representing communications from the endpoint for the mobile station and uses a first sector to transmit a forward link signal that encodes the endpoint hits. The mobile station generates mobile station hits representing communications from the mobile station for the endpoint and transmits a reverse link signal encoding the mobile station bits. A controller detects an imbalance between an error level in the forward link signal received by the mobile station and an error level in the reverse link signal received by the first sector. In response, the wireless network uses a second sector to receive the reverse link signal without using the second sector to transmit the endpoint bits. The reverse link signals received by the first and second sectors may be combined for diversity gain.

Abstract: A method for selecting a wireless coverage sector to serve a mobile station, such as in response to a handoff request that designates a sector-identifier that represents two or more possible sectors. A serving radio access network (RAN) may identify potential sectors in the region and may then select the sector whose azimuth is closest to the geographic bearing of the mobile station from the sector's base station. Further, in the event of a tie between two or more sectors or in other circumstances, the RAN may also take into consideration how close the mobile station is to various base stations, such as selecting the sector to whose base station the mobile station is closest. In a system that uses neighbor lists to govern handoff, the invention can help to facilitate handoff in a scenario where a mobile station requests handoff to a sector not listed in the mobile station's neighbor list.

Abstract: A method for selecting a wireless coverage sector to serve a mobile station, such as in response to a handoff request that designates a sector-identifier that represents two or more possible sectors. A serving radio access network (RAN) may identify potential sectors in the region and may then select the sector whose azimuth is closest to the geographic bearing of the mobile station from the sector's base station. Further, in the event of a tie between two or more sectors or in other circumstances, the RAN may also take into consideration how close the mobile station is to various base stations, such as selecting the sector to whose base station the mobile station is closest. In a system that uses neighbor lists to govern handoff, the invention can help to facilitate handoff in a scenario where a mobile station requests handoff to a sector not listed in the mobile station's neighbor list.