Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for mitigating interference among access points, and/or devices communicating therewith, in unplanned network deployments. Based on determining that one or more served devices potentially interfere with one or more access points, an inter-frequency handover (IFHO) threshold or data rate can be adjusted for the device to cause IFHO or reduce occurrence of interference, and/or a coverage area can be modified so the device can communicate with one or more other access points to mitigate potential interference. Based on determining interference from one or more devices served by other access points, an access point can switch operating modes to a hybrid or open access point to allow the one or more devices to handover to the access point, and/or can boost downlink transmit power to cause the one or more devices to perform IFHO from the other access points to mitigate potential interference.

Abstract: A small base node such as a Home Base Node (HNB), or femto cell, may reduce its transmit power in order to prevent co-channel or adjacent channel interference, or to limit its coverage area. Once the power is set, the HNB signal to a served Home User Equipment (HUE) its transmit Common Pilot Channel (CPICH) transmit power for accurate path loss estimation. When this power is outside of the permissible range, the HNB adjusts other parameters (such as Random Access Channel (RACH) constant value) to compensate for the error in signaled CPICH power, and thus compensate in that process the error in determining path loss. Similarly, if the uplink sensitivity is adjusted, to prevent interference, parameters would also be adjusted and signaled to the HUE to reflect the link imbalance.

Abstract: An access point transmits signals (e.g., a cell reselection beacon) on a carrier frequency according to a multi-power level transmission pattern. Signals are transmitted at a high power level for a first defined period of time (e.g., between 4-7 milliseconds) and at a low power level for a second defined period of time (e.g., between 58-65 milliseconds).

Abstract: The present disclosure presents aspects for managing performance of a wireless network. For example, the aspects may include identifying a backhaul condition at a small cell in the wireless network wherein the backhaul condition is associated with one or more of a backhaul latency measurement, a backhaul error rate, or a backhaul jitter value at the small cell and triggering an action at the small cell in response to identifying the backhaul condition at the small cell, wherein triggering the action at the small cell includes modifying one or more resource management parameters at the small cell based on the backhaul condition. As such, performance of a wireless network may be managed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for mitigating interference among access points, and/or devices communicating therewith, in unplanned network deployments. Based on determining that one or more served devices potentially interfere with one or more access points, an inter-frequency handover (IFHO) threshold or data rate can be adjusted for the device to cause IFHO or reduce occurrence of interference, and/or a coverage area can be modified so the device can communicate with one or more other access points to mitigate potential interference. Based on determining interference from one or more devices served by other access points, an access point can switch operating modes to a hybrid or open access point to allow the one or more devices to handover to the access point, and/or can boost downlink transmit power to cause the one or more devices to perform IFHO from the other access points to mitigate potential interference.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for determining a transmission power cap for one or more devices based at least in part on pathloss measurements to one or more access points received from the one or more devices. A common transmission power cap can also be computed for assigning to devices communicating with an access point, and the transmission power cap for a given device can be adjusted when the transmission power is at or a threshold level from the common power cap to conserve signaling in the wireless network. Adjustment of the transmission power cap can additionally or alternatively be based on a received power at an access point related to signals from the device, an interference report from one or more access points, and/or the like.

Abstract: Access terminals are provisioned to conduct intra-frequency, inter-frequency, and inter-RAT measurements and report physical layer identifiers of detected cells. The provisioning may involve cycling through all or a portion of a defined superset of physical layer identifier one subset at a time. In addition, the physical layer identifiers may be prioritized to improve the search procedure. Measurement report messages (including physical layer identifiers of the detected cells) are received at an access point as a result of the provisioning. A neighbor cell list for the femtocell is maintained based on the received measurement report messages and, optionally, other information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for interference mitigation of an open-access node. The method includes determining, at the open-access node, whether uplink interference from a mobile entity is above a threshold. The method includes adjusting a transmission power to trigger a hand-in of the mobile entity in response to determining the uplink interference is above the threshold. The method includes handing-in the mobile entity from a first cell in response to adjusting the transmission power. The method includes redirecting the mobile entity to a second cell different from the first cell.

Abstract: Access terminals are provisioned to conduct intra-frequency, inter-frequency, and inter-RAT measurements and report physical layer identifiers of detected cells. The provisioning may involve cycling through all or a portion of a defined superset of physical layer identifier one subset at a time. In addition, the physical layer identifiers may be prioritized to improve the search procedure. Measurement report messages (including physical layer identifiers of the detected cells) are received at an access point as a result of the provisioning. A neighbor cell list for the femtocell is maintained based on the received measurement report messages and, optionally, other information.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for mobile search using search triggers including establishing a search state for a mobile search; defining a search scheduler based on the search state; determining to collect a search trigger for the search scheduler based on the search state; updating the search state using the collected search trigger and in accordance with the search scheduler; and performing a search for a search type based on the updated search state and in accordance with the search scheduler.

Abstract: Aspects of the methods and apparatus relate to exploiting the spectrum of a high power base station cell to provide higher capacity in a wireless communication system. Generally, a small cell with multi-carrier support may detect an absence of high power base station cell coverage or absence of high power base station cell users and may harness the high power base station cell carrier spectrum to provide higher data download rates and/or serve more mobility users. Specifically, aspects of the methods and apparatus include transmitting a first signal on a first carrier from a first access point and determining a current ability of a second access point on a second carrier. Thereafter, aspects of the methods and apparatus include transmitting a second sit-mat on the second carrier from the first access point according to the determined current ability of the second access point.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for configuring mobility or paging parameters of a femto node. A method includes determining capabilities of one or more neighboring access points based in part on signals received from the one or more neighboring access points. The method includes comparing the capabilities to one or more capabilities of the femto node to determine a mobility or paging parameter adjustment. The method includes adjusting one or more mobility or paging parameters based on the mobility or paging parameter adjustment.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided that include adaptively configuring a rise-over-thermal (RoT) threshold at a base station to improve communications with one or more devices while mitigating interference to one or more other base stations. A potential device pathloss to the macrocell can be computed based on a measured pathloss thereto applied with a coverage area of the low power base station to emulate a worst-case device, one or more received measurement reports, and/or the like. The RoT threshold can be computed based at least in part on the pathloss and/or a maximum interference level at the macrocell. In addition, the RoT threshold can be adapted based on a reverse link attenuation level.

Abstract: Transmit power for an access point is controlled based on information received by the access point. For example, an access point may employ one or more algorithms that use messages received from nearby access terminals to maintain an acceptable tradeoff between providing an adequate coverage area for access point transmissions and mitigating interference that these transmissions cause at nearby access terminals. Here, the access point may employ a network listen-based algorithm upon initialization of the access terminal to provide preliminary transmit power control until sufficient information is collected for another transmit power control algorithm (e.g., an access terminal assisted algorithm). Also, the access terminal may employ an active access terminal protection scheme to mitigate interference the access point may otherwise cause to a nearby access terminal that is in active communication with another access point.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for determining a transmission power cap for one or more devices based at least in part on pathloss measurements to one or more access points received from the one or more devices. A common transmission power cap can also be computed for assigning to devices communicating with an access point, and the transmission power cap for a given device can be adjusted when the transmission power is at or a threshold level from the common power cap to conserve signaling in the wireless network. Adjustment of the transmission power cap can additionally or alternatively be based on a received power at an access point related to signals from the device, an interference report from one or more access points, and/or the like.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for interference mitigation of an open-access node. The method includes determining, at the open-access node, whether uplink interference from a mobile entity is above a threshold. The method includes adjusting a transmission power to trigger a hand-in of the mobile entity in response to determining the uplink interference is above the threshold. The method includes handing-in the mobile entity from a first cell in response to adjusting the transmission power. The method includes redirecting the mobile entity to a second cell different from the first cell.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided that include adjusting rise-over-thermal (RoT) or noise rise (NR) threshold based on detecting interference from one or more devices. A device can communicate within close proximity of a femto node such that the device does not respond to power down commands from the femto node due to operating at a minimum transmit power. The device can cause the RoT or NR at the femto node to potentially rise over a threshold, however. Thus, the femto node can increase the RoT or NR threshold to allow the device to communicate with the femto node without impacting other devices communicating with the femto node. Out-of-cell interference from devices communicating with other base stations can be detected as well, and the RoT or NR threshold can be adjusted based thereon.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for mode selection and power management for multimode small cells. For example, the technique may involve taking measurements, at the access point, of a macro cell in a vicinity of the access point. The technique may involve managing power or resources of a first RAT and a second RAT based on the measurements, wherein the power of at least one of the first RAT or second RAT is associated with coverage area of the macro cell.

Abstract: The present disclosure presents a method and an apparatus for passive estimation mechanism for backhaul management at a small cell base station. For example, the method may include determining, at the small cell base station, whether a time slot utilization of a flow at a user equipment (UE) in communication with the small cell base station is above a first threshold, wherein a plurality of time slots are associated with the flow, determining whether an average throughput of the flow is below a second threshold in response to determining that the time slot utilization is above the first threshold, and identifying that the flow is not satisfied in response to determining that the average throughput of the flow is below the second threshold. As such, passive estimation mechanism for backhaul management at a small cell base station may be achieved.

Abstract: The present disclosure presents a method and an apparatus for off-loading user equipment (UE) from a small cell base station. For example, the method may include identifying a first and a second set of UEs from a plurality of UEs at a small cell base station, prioritizing the first and the second set of UEs, and off-loading one or more UEs from the first or the second set of UEs based at least on the prioritization. As such, off-loading of UEs from a small cell base station may be achieved.