Abstract: A method, network node, wireless device and system are provided. In one or more embodiments, the network node is configured to communicate with a wireless device. The network node includes processing circuitry configured to: determine to transition the wireless device to one of a beamforming mode and non-beam forming mode, in response to the determination to transition the wireless device, modify at least one measurement report trigger associated with the wireless device, and transmit an indication of the modification of the at least one measurement report trigger to the wireless device.

Abstract: A method, network node, wireless device and system are provided. In one or more embodiments, the network node is configured to communicate with a wireless device. The network node includes processing circuitry configured to: determine to transition the wireless device to one of a beamforming mode and non-beam forming mode, in response to the determination to transition the wireless device, modify at least one measurement report trigger associated with the wireless device, and transmit an indication of the modification of the at least one measurement report trigger to the wireless device.

Abstract: Embodiments of a method for measurement of electromagnetic field strength at a point of interest in a coverage area of a 2-dimensional (2D) active antenna system (AAS). The 2D AAS transmits with a load factor of 100 percent. The 2D AAS sweeps a predefined range of azimuth and elevation angles, and azimuth and elevation directions which yield highest EMF at the point of interest are determined. First beamforming weights are determined based on the azimuth and elevation directions and the 2D AAS caused to apply the first beamforming weights. The 2D AAS sweeps a co-phasing angle from 0 to 360 degrees, and a co-phasing angle which yields highest EMF is determined. Second beamforming weights are determined based on azimuth and elevation directions and the co-phasing angle, and the 2D AAS caused to apply the second beamforming weights. The EMF strength at the point of interest is measured.

Abstract: Methods and systems for Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Fifth Generation (5G) beam index filtering are presented. According to one aspect, a method for beam index filtering comprises receiving a beam index that was estimated based on information received from a User Equipment (UE); storing the received beam index into a queue of length N for storing received beam indexes, N being greater than one; selecting a beam index from the queue according to a filtering algorithm; and using the selected beam index for transmissions to the UE. In one embodiment, a majority vote algorithm is employed to select the beam index that appears most often in the queue. Where there is a tie between two or more beam indexes, the beam index that was most recently added to the queue is selected. The same concepts may be applied to filter input data or parameters other than beam indexes.

Abstract: Methods and systems for Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Fifth Generation (5G) beam index filtering are presented. According to one aspect, a method for beam index filtering comprises receiving a beam index that was estimated based on information received from a User Equipment (UE); storing the received beam index into a queue of length N for storing received beam indexes, N being greater than one; selecting a beam index from the queue according to a filtering algorithm; and using the selected beam index for transmissions to the UE. In one embodiment, a majority vote algorithm is employed to select the beam index that appears most often in the queue. Where there is a tie between two or more beam indexes, the beam index that was most recently added to the queue is selected. The same concepts may be applied to filter input data or parameters other than beam indexes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improved Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) Link Adaptation (LA) in carrier aggregation are disclosed. A method of operation of a radio access node includes transmitting multiple control messages to the wireless device via PDCCHs associated with corresponding serving cells of the wireless device, informing the wireless device of data transmissions to be transmitted to the wireless device via Physical Downlink Shared Channels of the corresponding serving cells and concurrently operating multiple Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) receivers on one serving cell during a Transmit Time Interval during which feedback from the wireless device indicative of reception of the data transmissions is expected, where each PUCCH receiver is capable of receiving a different format PUCCH message if necessary. The method also includes updating an outer loop LA parameter for each of the PDCCHs based on the determined PDCCH transmission status.

Abstract: Systems and methods for passive proximity detection of wireless devices in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a supporting radio access node in a cellular communications network including one or more coverage radio access nodes in a coverage layer and one or more supporting radio access nodes in a supporting layer is disclosed. In this embodiment, the supporting radio access node detects a ranging signal transmitted by a wireless device while passively listening for a ranging signal. The supporting radio access node receives ranging assistance information from an anchor radio access node of the wireless device in the coverage layer and determines a range estimate for a range between the wireless device and the supporting radio access node based on the ranging signal transmitted by the wireless device and detected by the supporting radio access node and the ranging assistance information.

Abstract: Systems and methods for Secondary Cell (sCell) selection for wireless devices operating according to a carrier aggregation scheme in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a network node in the cellular communications network obtains geographic signatures for a number of candidate sCells. The geographic signatures include a geographic signature for each candidate sCell that approximates a coverage area of the candidate sCell. The network node obtains position information for a wireless device and then selects one or more sCells for the wireless device from the candidate sCells based on the geographic signatures for the candidate sCells and the position information for the wireless device. The network node then configures the selected sCell(s) for use by the wireless device according to a carrier aggregation scheme. Using this process, sCell selection is performed, in some examples, without measurement gaps and without disabling an s-Measure parameter.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improved Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) Link Adaptation (LA) in carrier aggregation are disclosed. A method of operation of a radio access node includes transmitting multiple control messages to the wireless device via PDCCHs associated with corresponding serving cells of the wireless device, informing the wireless device of data transmissions to be transmitted to the wireless device via Physical Downlink Shared Channels of the corresponding serving cells and concurrently operating multiple Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) receivers on one serving cell during a Transmit Time Interval during which feedback from the wireless device indicative of reception of the data transmissions is expected, where each PUCCH receiver is capable of receiving a different format PUCCH message if necessary. The method also includes updating an outer loop LA parameter for each of the PDCCHs based on the determined PDCCH transmission status.

Abstract: Systems and methods for Secondary Cell (sCell) selection for wireless devices operating according to a carrier aggregation scheme in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a network node obtains a list of potential sCells for a wireless device. The network node blindly selects an sCell for the wireless device from the list of potential sCells. The network node then configures the wireless device with the selected sCell. Blindly selecting the sCell for the wireless device makes it possible to avoid the use of measurement gaps and reduce throughput loss, according to some embodiments.

Abstract: A wireless communication method and system are provided in which an uplink data stream that has uplink data associated with a user device is received. Channel performance data based at least in part on a portion of the uplink data stream is determined. A determination is made whether the channel performance data meets a predetermined performance level. The portion of the uplink data stream is discarded when the channel performance data does not meet the predetermined performance level. The portion of the uplink data stream is tagged for additional processing when the channel performance data meets the predetermined performance level.

Abstract: Systems and methods for Secondary Cell (sCell) selection for wireless devices operating according to a carrier aggregation scheme in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a network node obtains a list of potential sCells for a wireless device. The network node blindly selects an sCell for the wireless device from the list of potential sCells. The network node then configures the wireless device with the selected sCell. Blindly selecting the sCell for the wireless device makes it possible to avoid the use of measurement gaps and reduce throughput loss, according to some embodiments.

Abstract: Systems and methods for Secondary Cell (sCell) selection for wireless devices operating according to a carrier aggregation scheme in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a network node obtains a list of potential sCells for a wireless device. The network node blindly selects an sCell for the wireless device from the list of potential sCells. The network node then configures the wireless device with the selected sCell. Blindly selecting the sCell for the wireless device makes it possible to avoid the use of measurement gaps and reduce throughput loss, according to some embodiments.

Abstract: Systems and methods for subframe-based link adaptation for a radio signal in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a base station obtains a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement for data transmitted between the base station and a mobile terminal in a radio signal of the base station. The base station then updates a parameter (e.g., SINR offset) used to control a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) for transmission of data between the base station and the mobile terminal in the radio signal for one or more subframes in a frame structure of the radio signal based on the hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement. The one or more subframes are a subset of all of the subframes in the frame structure of the radio signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for passive proximity detection of wireless devices in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a supporting radio access node in a cellular communications network including one or more coverage radio access nodes in a coverage layer and one or more supporting radio access nodes in a supporting layer is disclosed. In this embodiment, the supporting radio access node detects a ranging signal transmitted by a wireless device while passively listening for a ranging signal. The supporting radio access node receives ranging assistance information from an anchor radio access node of the wireless device in the coverage layer and determines a range estimate for a range between the wireless device and the supporting radio access node based on the ranging signal transmitted by the wireless device and detected by the supporting radio access node and the ranging assistance information.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for autonomously determining overlapping coverage in a cellular communications network. In one embodiment, the cellular communications network is a heterogeneous cellular communications network. In one embodiment, a network node of a cellular communication system obtains information (e.g., pilot reports) indicative of a perceived coverage of one or more covering cells at wireless devices within a measuring cell over a measurement interval. The network node determines overlapping coverage of the measuring cell and the one or more covering cells based on the information indicative of the perceived coverage of the one or more covering cells at the wireless devices.

Abstract: A method and base station for adjusting outer-loop adjustment values used for link adaptation in a wireless communication network is provided. A modulation of a user equipment is determined and a success or failure of a Transport Block (TB) based on a TB feedback message is determined. Based on the TB feedback, one of an acknowledgement counter and a non-acknowledgement counter is incremented corresponding to the determined modulation. An upward step size for the determined modulation is updated based on the respective acknowledgement counter and the non-acknowledgement counter to affect link adaption.

Abstract: Feedback information is conveyed between a wireless device and a base station in a cellular communications network via selection and detection of radio resources utilized for an uplink reference signal transmitted from a wireless device to a base station. In this manner, additional feedback information may be sent from the wireless device to the base station without sacrificing any bandwidth available for data transfer between the wireless device and the base station. The radio resources utilized for the uplink reference signal may include cyclic shift and/or time and frequency resources. The uplink reference signal may be an uplink sounding reference signal for a long term evolution network (LTE), or its evolution, such as LTE-Advanced.

Abstract: Systems and methods for Secondary Cell (sCell) selection for wireless devices operating according to a carrier aggregation scheme in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a network node in the cellular communications network obtains geographic signatures for a number of candidate sCells. The geographic signatures include a geographic signature for each candidate sCell that approximates a coverage area of the candidate sCell. The network node obtains position information for a wireless device and then selects one or more sCells for the wireless device from the candidate sCells based on the geographic signatures for the candidate sCells and the position information for the wireless device. The network node then configures the selected sCell(s) for use by the wireless device according to a carrier aggregation scheme. Using this process, sCell selection is performed, in some examples, without measurement gaps and without disabling an s-Measure parameter.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for autonomously determining overlapping coverage in a cellular communications network. In one embodiment, the cellular communications network is a heterogeneous cellular communications network. In one embodiment, a network node of a cellular communication system obtains information (e.g., pilot reports) indicative of a perceived coverage of one or more covering cells at wireless devices within a measuring cell over a measurement interval. The network node determines overlapping coverage of the measuring cell and the one or more covering cells based on the information indicative of the perceived coverage of the one or more covering cells at the wireless devices.